Description
The project addresses the need for ongoing civil monitoring of the institutions responsible for the policies on environment protection and sustainable use of resources. The project aims at providing ongoing civil monitoring, raising awareness and involving the public and NGOs. First, ongoing monitoring of 5 areas will be held (biodiversity an forests, energy, climate, rural areas, spatial development) and monthly online bulletins will be published. Second, the online platform of www.zelenizakoni.com will be upgraded to include a section on the monitoring of the responsible institutions. Third, advocacy meetings will be held between decision-makers, NGOs and activists. Next, a public awareness raising campaign will be held (5 public debates, 2 flash mobs) to involve the public in the policy-making. Finally, the applicant will boost its capacity by a financial management training course. The project will benefit the public, NGOs and decision-makers.
Summary of project results
The project aimed at achieving sustainability of the fragmented actions of the environment protection community related to advocacy for environmentally-friendly legislation and ensuring long-term civic monitoring of the institutions, as well as including urgent environmental priorities in the agenda of decision-makers. The project successfully established the mechanism of civic participation and drew the attention of policy-makers and the public to such priorities as the management plans of natural and national parks, the management of Natura 2000, the amendments to the Forestry Act, etc. The project built communication mechanisms based on various types of connections and mutual control between the stakeholders and target groups which resulted in specific changes in the environment, the culture of communication among the citizens, politicians and NGOs and in specific results related to the policies for management of natural resources as follows: - included proposals of NGOs in legislative acts (the Forestry Act, the Tourism Act) in partnership with informal citizen groups; - strong public and political activity (the management plans of Rila, Vitosha and Pirin Mountains); - mobilization of citizen involvement and media interest through PR campaigns (the camping ban); - the change of wrong decisions of policy-makers through explanations and a public response (the position of the Ministry of Environment and Water related to compliance with powerful environment protection provisions in the Habitats Directive and the Birds Directive); - better public awareness about the five monitoring themes; - feedback and commitment to coordination by the institutions (climate change policies and their impact on the operational programmes); - two-way communication and better accountability of decision-makers related to monitoring of cases; - motivation for involvement of decision-makers in discussions with citizens and NGO experts; - building in the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) of capacity for monitoring by experts, mediation between the stakeholders and advocacy and identification of own role.
Summary of bilateral results