CIVIL SOCIETY INTRODUCTION

ECAS provides practical help to NGOs fundraising and lobbying the EU - see for example our annual guide to EU funds and lobbying tips. In the early 90's, the association did entrepreneurial work helping European NGOs to become established at EU level and even creating new ones. There is still a serious imbalance between corporate and public intersts with some 14,000 lobbyists around the EU. However, most sectors of NGO activity are represented and ECAS sees its task now as to bring European associations together rather than create new ones. Hence the idea of creating a European citizen house in Brussels.

The emphasis now is to reach out to the "outsiders". This involves putting more emphasis not just on European level funding, but also on access to EU decentralised regional and social funds, building stronger links with neighbouring civil societies. We believe that civil society has a key role to play in connecting the EU and neighbouring countries, as it goes beyond institutional boundaries and ahead of the enlargement process contributing to the creation of a common civic space across the borders and the regions. Currently ECAS is involved in multiple projects running in new member states, Western Balkans, Western Former Soviet Union and Turkey.

For summaries of projects under Civil Society, go to the links below. Otherwise, go to the links on the left for more detail.