6th April 2016
Subject: EuropeAid DEAR Call 2016 (Reference EuropeAid/151103/C/ACT/MULTI) published 18th March 2016
Dear Commissioner Mimica, dear Director General Mr. Rudischhauser,
dear Ms. Bento Pais, dear Mr. Lenormand
While the new EuropeAid Development Education and Awareness Raising (DEAR) Call 2016
(https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/europeaid/prospect/internal/noauth/externalDocumentDownload.htm?id=122451&
lang=en ) is highly appreciated as a timely call for proposals reflecting very well the development and DEAR priorities
of the European union as well as new international frameworks like the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and
the outcomes of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP21), it - however - holds a very problematic administrative
provision on page 18 of the guidelines, stating: „Number of applications and grants per applicants: A legal entity may
only apply once either as a lead applicant, co-applicant or affiliated entity under this call for propsals (all lots). All
applications that do not respect the above condition will be rejected.“
This provision is problematic and is threatening the community of experienced DEAR NGOs that network and share
best practices on European level.
because:
This provision is not coherent with the documents that represent the legal basis of the present call.
It is neither based in the Development Cooperation Instrument (DCI 2014-2020, http://eur-
lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32014R0233&from=EN ), being the legal basis of the
call, nor in the Multiannual Indicative Programme for the thematic programme Civil Society Organisations
and Local Authorities for the period 2014-2020
(https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/fpfis/mwikis/aidco/images/2/2b/CSO_LA_MIP_CSO_LA_2014_2020_EN.pdf),
nor in the Commission implementing decision of 30 June 2015 on the Multi-Annual Action Programme for
years 2015 part II, 2016 and 2017 “Civil Society Organisations and Local Authorities” to be financed from the
general budget of the European Union (http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/sites/devco/files/commission-
decision-cso-las-maap-30062015_en.pdf ).
As the above documents being the basis for the present Call for proposals numerous partnerships of NGOs
(CSOs) as well as Local Authorities have already started to work on proposals not knowing about the new
provision. Despite the fact that this change of policy (a radical change from all earlier call for proposals) has
huge implications but there was no earlier notice that was given to CSOs.
As each organisation can only participate in one application, this new provision will diminish the number of
applications to the call, and, while this may put less pressure on the DEAR proposals evaluators, it will also
diminish the diversity and innovation of the applications presented, as old well-established DEAR NGO
organisations will use their single chance for an application in their established core field.
Opportunities for new, innovative partnerships will be highly diminished and this will have a specific impact
on smaller NGOs (especially from new member states) that will have less chances to participate in
partnerships with experienced DEAR NGOs and increase their capacity and work in different fields of work
as they are only allowed to participate in one application. Similarly, new actors like trade unions, smaller
new member state NGOs, local authorities etc. will have less possibilities to partner with experienced DEAR
NGOs and increase their capacity as they can only be in one application.
This provision will not favour diversity in applicants and applications: while bigger NGOs have a number of
other possibilities for funding their projects and programs, smaller but experienced DEAR-NGOs having to
rely only on one application would be really limited in their work, if not threatened in their existence.
We therefore call on the EC to publish a Corrigendum to the guidelines for the call erasing this provision stated
above.
On behalf of 19 NGO platforms/networks and 53 NGOs as listed below.
Signatory organisations, networks, platforms
NGO-platforms/networks:
Name Country Logo
Global Responsibility – Austrian Platform for Development and Humanitarian Aid
Austria
Coordination Office of the Austrian Bishop's Conference for international Development and missionary work
Austria
FoRS - České fórum pro rozvojovou spolupráci Czech Republic
Arengukoostöö Ümarlaud / Estonian Roundtable for Development Cooperation
Estonia
Global Call to Action against Poverty Europe Europe
World Fair Trade Organization Europe Europe
Coordination SUD France
EDUCASOL (Plate-frome francaise d’éducation à la citoyenneté et à la solidarité internationale)
France
VENRO - Association of German Development and Humanitarian Aid NGOs
Germany
Weltladen-Dachverband e.V. Germany
Hellenic Platform for Development Greece
HAND - Hungarian Association of NGOs for Development and Humanitarian Aid
Hungary
World Fair Trade Organisation International
SKOP Malta
Plataforma Portuguesa das ONGD Portugal
Foundations, Organisations & Institutions Europe, Middle East and Africa, Habitat for Humanity International
Slovakia
Slovak Non-governmental Development Organisation Platform
Slovakia
Sloga - Slovenian NGDO platform for development cooperation and humanitarian aid
Slovenia
IDEAS (International Development Education Association of Scotland)
UK
NGOs:
Name Country Logo
Aussätzigen-Hilfswerk Österreich | Austrian Leprosy Relief Association
Austria
Global 2000 - Friends of the Earth Austria
Austria
Südwind – Verein für Entwicklungspolitik Austria
Balkan Institute for Labour and Social Policy
Bulgaria
Centre for Peace studies Croatia
Future Worlds Center (leg. reg. Cyprus Neuroscience and Technology Institute)
Cyprus
ARPOK, o.p.s Czech Republic
Caritas Czech Republic Humanitarian Aid and Development Cooperation Department
Czech Republic
Ekumenická akademie / Ecumenical Academy Czech Republic
NaZemi Czech Republic
People in Need Czech Republic
Středisko ekologické výchovy a etiky Rýchory - SEVER
Czech Republic
Association Humana Estonia Estonia
Mondo Estonia
Electronics Watch Europe
European Environmental Bureau (EEB) Europe
Fair Trade Advocacy Office Europe
Plate-Forme pour le Commerce Equitable France
RESACOOP (Réseau Rhône-Alpes d’appui à la coopération internationale)
France
Christliche Initiative Romero Germany
INKOTA-Netzwerk e.V. Germany
WEED - Weltwirtschaft, Ökologie & Entwicklung e.V.
Germany
Fair Trade Hellas Greece
Artemisszió Foundation Hungary
Tudatos Vásárlók Egyesülete / Association of Conscious Consumers
Hungary
Amref Health Africa Italy
COASIC (Coordinamento delle ONG e delle Associazioni di Solidarietà Internazionale della Campania)
Italy
Comunità Volontari per il Mondo Italy
COONGER Italy
COP – Consorzio Ong Piemontesi Italy
COSPE ONG-Onlus Italy
Equo Garantito Italy
LINK 2007 Italy
LTM NGO - Gruppo Laici Terzo Mondo Italy
MARCHE SOLIDALI - Coordinamento delle Organizzazioni di cooperazione e solidarietà internazionale delle Marche
Italy
ProgettoMondo Mlal Italy
Green Liberty Latvia
Environmental Centre for Administration and Technology/ECAT-Lithuania
Lithuania
Koperattiva Kummerċ Ġust Malta
Fundacja „Koalicja Sprawiedliwego Handlu” – Fairtrade Polska
Poland
Fundacja Kupuj Odpowiedzialnie / Buy Responsible Foundation
Poland
Polish Fairtrade Association Poland
Centre of Environmental and Ethical Education Zivica
Slovakia
People in Peril Association Slovakia
Društvo za človekove pravice in človeku prijazne dejavnosti HUMANITAS / Society for Human Rights and Supportive Action HUMANITAS
Slovenia
Focus, Association for Sustainable Development Slovenia
Peace Institute Slovenia Slovenia
CERAI (Centro de estudios rurales y de agricultura internacional)
Spain
Federación SETEM Spain
IM – Swedish Development Partner Sweden
Banana Link Ltd UK
People and Planet UK
Think Global UK