Following the first Value Added Tax (VAT) Guidelines that were produced in June 2011, this VAT guideline is now updated to reflect the changes, if any, in each of the countries. The biggest change is seen in Albania, which in June 2011 was not included in the first set of Guidelines because at that time it was not possible to provide adequate guidelines on the VAT procedures in the country. Due to the joint efforts of the Albanian civil society, TACSO Albania and the European Union Delegation (EUD) in Albania, instructions were issued for VAT exemptions that target Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) funded through the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA).
View moreIn June 2013 TACSO organized the workshop “Connecting the Links – Capacities and Relations between CSOs and the Media” in Prishtine. The purpose of the workshop is seen as a first step into connecting the direction of the link. Namely, the intention was to have a meeting with resource people from CSOs in the region and the media that will help provide input so that TACSO can create a strategy or a guideline on CSOs and the media, which can be used in the future.
View moreImportant activities under these components are the capacity building (CB) and technical assistance (TA) components. According to Work Plan for the period 2011-2013 TACSO BH office conducted CB and TA activities for CSOs from rural and remote areas who were applying to domestic sources of funding without success, CSOs applying to the domestic sources of funding in 11 municipalities included in UNDP LOD III project and for projects implemented under call related to Issue-based networks (IPA 2009).
View moreThe main objective of the assessment was to identify the capacities of Croatian CSOs and their interest in IDC & HA. This assessment could assist the Department for IDC & HA of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs (MFEA) in improving the participation of CSOs in the creation and implementation of programs and with consultation processes concerning IDC & HA on the EU level.
View moreThe Focus Group Meeting on Right to Information that was organized jointly by TACSO Turkey and STGM on 14 January 2014 in Ankara brought together sixteen participants representing 12 CSOs/ civil initiatives. The specific purpose of the meeting was to create a platform that brings together CSOs who exercise their right to information more frequently to share their opinions and experience about the legislation arranging for the Right to Access to Information and corresponding practices.
View moreOver the past years, CSOs have been recognized as an indispensable part of the democratization process by public organizations and other actors. However, the definition of civil society and civil society organizations (CSO) is still absent from the relevant legislation and policy documents. One of the major obstacles to freedom of association in Turkey is that the legal framework only recognizes forms of association and foundation and no other forms of organized civil action are recognized as legal entities.
View moreThis report presents an update of the similar TACSO report carried out in 2011. The basis for the update also came from desktop research of relevant documentation, legal and financial legislation, policy documents, previous civil society mapping and recent online research (137 CSOs, networks and FPAs) as well as direct inputs provided by 51 representatives of CSOs, donor organizations, institutions and experts during the wide consultation process.
View moreThe vast majority of CSOs in Macedonia continue to be dependent on international donor funds. Collectively, foreign funding streams remain the single largest source of financial support for CSOs. The EU funds, principally through the Instrument for Pre‐accession Assistance (IPA), are now the main focus of interest for CSOs. Other larger civil society supporters are Swedish Development Cooperation (SDC) and USAID.
View moreThe amount of funds allocated to CSOs and the funds available to domestic institutions vary depending on the administrative level in question. The municipalities have always been the biggest donors, while the state level has the most limited funds for financial support to CSOs.
View moreThis Needs Assessment Report (NAR) treats Civil Society in Kosovo from the perspective of a competing sector in the region, to reach European standards. Though the distance is long, the aspirations are evident and the first steps have already been taken. Through elaborating on relations between Civil Society and Institutions, and Civil Society and its Constituencies, NAR intends to reveal and analyze the challenges of the CSOs in advancing their capacities and their role in the society and policymaking processes in the country, as well as in transparency and accountability of the institutions.
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