The event was attended by over 100 NGO activists and representatives of the Council of Ministers, the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, the Ministry of Environment and Waters, diplomatic missions. H.E Tove Skarstein, Ambassador of Norway to Bulgaria, and Bulgarian Minister of EU Funds Management Tomislav Donchev welcomed the participants and stressed that a strong civil society is fundamental for democratic development.
Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein have donated nearly 2 mln. euro for the establishment of a specialized NGO Fund that is tailor-made to the needs of civil society organisations in Bulgaria. The Fund has provided valuable support to the NGO community in the country. It funded 61 projects, initiated and implemented by non-governmental organisations in the field of environmental protection, provision and development of social services, development of the civil society and human rights.
According to the NGO Fund operator – a consortium between Foundation for Local Government Reform and Bulgarian Environmental Partnership Foundation, almost 96% of the available budget for the fund has been utilized. Minister Donchev expressed satisfaction with the high degree of utilization of allocated funds, while Ambassador Skarstein noted that the three donor countries of the EEA Grants will continue and significantly increase their support to the NGO community in Bulgaria in the new programme period 2009 - 2014.
More information and pictures from the event are available here.