The Eastern Partnership Summit in Prague on 7 May 2009 confirmed the European Commission proposal from December 2008 to establish the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum (EaP CSF) “to promote contacts among Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and facilitate their dialogue with public authorities” in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Republic of Moldova, and Ukraine. The summit invited the European Commission “to develop and propose modalities for the establishment of a Civil Society Forum of the Eastern Partnership”.

In the course of 2009, the European Commission consulted the modalities of the Forum with all interested stakeholders. The consulted parties favoured a comprehensive approach allowing for the participation of a wide range of CSOs: trade unions, employers' organisations, professional associations, NGOs, think-tanks, nonprofit foundations, national and international CSOs/networks and other relevant Civil Society actors from EaP Partner Countries, but also from EU Member States and international organisations/networks.

The first EaP CSF took place in Brussels on 16-17 November 2009 and gathered more than 200 CSOs. During the Forum, participants elected the CSF Steering Committee and tasked it with the responsibility of developing a procedure for selection of the participants for the next Forum. The CSF Steering Committee elaborated the procedure that can be found below. The procedure was applied in the process of selection of the participants to the second meeting of the EaP CSF, which was held in Berlin on 18-19 November 2010.

Although the Forum was organised by the European Commission and co-hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Germany, all decisions regarding the aims of the meeting and its agenda were taken on the basis of proposals worked out by the CSF Steering Committee. The third meeting of the EaP CSF will be held in Poznan, Poland, on 28-30 November 2011.

The Steering Committee of the EaP Civil Society Forum, in cooperation with the European Commission/European External Action Service, is now inviting all interested parties to submit expressions of interest to participate in the third meeting of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum. The submission of expressions of interest is a necessary step in the selection process to participate in the EaP CSF meeting on 28-30 November 2011.

The extended format (from 1,5 up to three days) of the EaP CSF has been made possible thanks to the European Commission/European External Action Service and the generous support of Poland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Complementing the work already done by the Forum 2009 and 2010, this annual event will be mainly focusing working groups, we would elaborate common programmes and activities.

The application form prepared by the CSF Steering Committee can be found since May 23, 2011 on the official CSF website - www.eap-csf.eu

Submissions of expressions of interest (see application form attached) should be completed in English or Russian and sent before 26 June 2011 to the contact e-mail address: [email protected]

DOWNLOADS

• application_form_2011_eng.pdf
• application_form_2011_eng.doc
• Survey of Current and Planned Projects Focusing on Eastern Partnership Issues