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