NGOs invited to help monitor rule of law
Repubblika leading EU-wide initiative to get more civil society organisations involved
The NGO Repubblika is leading a European initiative to involve more civil society organisations in the European Commission’s efforts to monitor the rule of law in EU member states.
Only three or four NGOs in Malta regularly contribute to the Commissoin’s annual rule of law report on the country. A similar lack of engagement by civil society exists in the rest of the EU.
“Many NGOs seem unaware that, in whichever sector they operate, they have something to contribute because they have intimate knowledge of on-the-ground problems often caused by democratic shortcomings or rule-of-law deficiencies. Contributing to the reports means making a bigger difference in their sector,” Repubblika said in a statement on Friday.
An EU-funded project, conducted by civil society organisations from eight European countries and coordinated by Repubblika, seeks to increase civil society participation in the annual rule-of-law reporting cycle across Europe.
The project is called Stakeholders – Mobilising Citizens as Stakeholders in the Protection of the Rule of Law in Europe. It aims to strengthen democratic participation by linking citizens and civil society organisations directly with the EU’s Rule of Law process.
The Stakeholders project aims to make the process accessible, understandable, and relevant to a wider public.
It brings together partners with expertise in anti-corruption, civic education, public policy, and community mobilisation.
Through a combination of training programmes, public conferences, communication campaigns, and collaborative platforms, it will build national-level capacity while fostering a shared European civic space.
NGOs can learn more about the project by joining an online event on June 8, 2006, from 3.30 pm to 5.30 pm.