The Steering Committee of the EaP CSF is inviting all interested parties to submit expressions of interest to participate in the fifth meeting of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum. The submission of expressions of interest is a necessary step in the selection process to participate in the meeting of the EaP CSF on 4-5 October 2013 in Chisinau, Republic of Moldova.

The annual CSF meeting brings together about 200 representatives of civil society organisations from the EaP region and the EU. It is an event at which officials of the European Commission, European External Action Service, governments of the EU and EaP countries address the assembly of civil society representatives and present their views on the Eastern Partnership and developments in the EaP region and the involvement of the Civil Society Forum in it. The Forum provides a platform for a debate on the achievements of the EaP and how civil society can further contribute to the success of the programme. The annual Forum provides guidance for the work the CSF during the upcoming year and gives an opportunity for an exchange of opinions and expertise. It is an event during which civil society representatives debate on the future actions, adopt resolutions and participate in thematic panels of their choice. The Steering Committee — the governing body of the Forum — is elected at this event.

The meeting will be made possible thanks to the support of the European Commission/European External Action Service, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Moldova and the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Submissions of expressions of interest should be completed in English or Russian and sent before midnight CET, 19 May 2013 to the contact e-mail address: [email protected].

The procedure for selection can be found in the attached call for expressions of interest , duly updated in line with the need for more explicit criteria to be shared with applicants to ensure the transparency of the process.

The European Commission/European External Action Service will be able to fund the travel and hotel accommodation during the Forum meeting only for the selected CSOs. It will be possible for the EC/EEAS to cover the travel and accommodation of up to 180 Civil Society Organisations — a maximum of 130 from the EaP countries and a maximum of 50 from EU member states in total.

Call for expression of interest 

Application form