Advocacy Activity of the Eastern Partnership Territorial Cooperation Support Programme November 5, 2014 Tbilisi, Georgia Lyubov Palyvoda, Advocacy Expert

Issues to be discussed: What is advocacy? Advocacy plan for EaPTC Results of stakeholders’ and obstacles analysis Advocacy objectives Advocacy activities and instruments

What is advocacy? Advocacy means taking action to bring about the change you are seeking. Therefore, advocacy must necessarily take place in a particular context, and be aimed at a particular target Advocacy is putting a problem on the agenda, providing a solution to that problem and building support for acting on both the problem and solution

Advocacy is the action of delivering an argument to gain commitment from political and social leaders and to prepare a society for a particular issue.

… particular issue - ?? What issue we are talking about???

Understanding context Political, economic and social context Legal specifics Administrative issues Stakeholders’ groups Potential beneficiaries capacities

Understanding context: Armenia Support from Ministry of Territorial Administration Centralized governance TC is not assigned to local self-governance Presidential election – February 2013 Black Sea CBC programme/local CBC

Understanding context: Azerbaijan Highly centralized governance by President Office at all levels Ministry of Economic development coordinates cooperation with EU Slow decision making Presidential election on October 2013 Lack of experience in CBC programmes

Understanding context: Georgia State Minister for European and Euro- Atlantic Integration and Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure Territorial administration is not settled as of South Osetia and Abkhasia Local and Presidential elections in 2013 Black Sea CBC programme/local CBC

Understanding context: Belarus Ministry of Foreign Affairs Complication system for project registration Highly centralized governance Need to get permission for all public events at local and national levels Several CBC programmes

Understanding context: Ukraine Ministry of Economy South part of Kyiv oblast was excluded from the EaPTC programme Risks in working with state treasury Different capacities of participating in international technical assistance programmes Several CBC programmes

Understanding context: Moldova The State Chancellery of the Republic of Moldova Whole country Several CBC programmes but high level of trust to selection processes in the programmes

General Obstacles National co‐financing is often not considered as technical assistance, so no tax exemptions and preferences can be granted for this part of the project finance Co‐financing coming from the state budget has to be spent according to the national rules, so there can be possible delays in project implementation due to different timelines and rules In some of the countries (Georgia, Azerbaijan) the developing cross border cooperation is not statutorily directly assigned to the local self‐government bodies. Nevertheless, in some countries (Ukraine, Belarus, Armenia), it is neither restricted.

General Obstacles The fund transfers are normally subject to currency control (a rule for obligatory currency selling in Ukraine). In Belarus the conversion of Euros into local currency is not obligatory but all operations with funds within a country should be done in local currency. In case of funds transfers between partners from different countries legislation requires a license from the National bank (Ukraine) for operation with foreign currency. Highly centralized governance and budget allocation

Other obstacles Cross border cooperation Partners across borders Experience in EU proposal preparation Co-financing sources Language Application process Knowledge of bordering country

Identified Barriers for EaPTC Lack of enabling environment for the territory cooperation programme. The EaPTC design and the role of each stakeholder; Centralized governance narrowing decision making rights of the eligible regions Project registration and national budget planning National fiscal framework for transferring funds Procedure of signing of international agreements Co-financing rules

Identified Barriers for EaPTC Limited access to national and international funds to support the territory cooperation programme : lack of understanding of national and EU fiscal policies and regulation; low experience in finding co-financing from national and international sources; lack of understanding and information how international donors and technical assistance programmes operate; no or little experience in operation of project funds, opening accounts in euros, transferring funds between partners, design and implementation of joint financing of projects

Advocacy Objectives Propose, promote and support implementing solutions for the identified obstacles; Raise awareness of the decision makers about the programme and enhance their positive attitude towards territorial cooperation; and Generate additional funds for territorial cooperation programmes.

The EaPTC stakeholders National and regional decision makers Potential state and non state beneficiaries; Potential partners to cooperate with to promote TC such as advocacy groups and networks; National and international donors and international technical assistance projects/programmes.

Advocacy Methods Interest Advocacy campaign, Media coverage, Sharing information and knowledge to support decision making, Conferences, Informal meeting Evidence Studies and analysis, Statistics reports, Best practices Relationship Alliance building with advocacy multipliers (networks, coalitions), Alliance with prominent institutions or persons Solution Propose practical solutions for the identified obstacles (what and how to do it)

Advocacy Activities Stakeholder Mapping Individual and group meeting with Donors/National and Local Authorities/Beneficiaries List of Complimentary Resources Collection of Best Practices of Territorial Cooperation Programmes Public Consultations on JOPs Guides to National Legal requirements

Communication messages Target Group Messages National/regional decision makers Common challenges – joint solutions Territorial cooperation knows no borders – cooperating together to help solve common problems Participate in the development of the TC programme to help your community Donors Synergy Advocacy groups, networks, coalitions TC is helping our country to develop Common challenges – joint solutions Territorial cooperation knows no borders – cooperating together to help solve common problems Participate in the development of the TC programme to help your community

Advocacy Products The EaPTC programme presentations/broschures/leaflets Donors’ profiles List and summary of Best practices TC JOPs Guides on National Legal Requirements in English and national languages

Thank you!!! Lyubov Palyvoda, Advocacy Expert Tel