TRIALOG IV approved

TRIALOG is almost at the end of it’s third project phase and we are happy to inform you that the European Commission recently approved the co-funding of the next phase within the Coordination and Networking budget of the Non-State Actors and Local Authorities (NSA-LA) programme. TRIALOG IV will start on September 23, 2009, with a project duration of 3 years.

The approval process was different from how it used to be before - for the first time, TRIALOG was pushed to compete with others and to apply within the call for proposals procedure. Since the first financing for TRIALOG in 1998, TRIALOG has always received direct granting as a so-called "targeted project" due to its de-facto monopoly (like CONCORD, DEEEP and the presidency projects). This time, the EC decided that we can’t prove this de-facto monopoly any more as now not only NGOs, but also other NSA are eligible in the NSA/LA programme.

This reasoning is questioned by TRIALOG and our partners. Especially our stakeholders from the 12 new EU member states initiated an intensive lobby action in support of TRIALOG towards their national representatives in the DCI (Development Cooperation Instrument) member state committee. The DCI committee in its meeting rejected to approve the Annual Action Plan (AAP) from the EC on the NSA/LA programme and 11 Member States sent a joint statement to the EC asking for further direct financing for TRIALOG (and DEEEP) as there is still an urgent need for TRIALOG's engagement.

In a letter to the Commissioners Louis Michel and Benita Ferrero-Waldner and the Directors-General Stefano Manservisi and Koos Richelle, Josep Borrell, Chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on Development expressed his concern about the EC’s intention to stop the direct granting to TRIALOG (and DEEEP). He mentioned that “TRIALOG and DEEEP projects have received universal praise for their quality and usefulness. They are also unique projects, in the sense that they are highly specialised and targeted, and … have built up a unique expertise”.

Despite this overall support, the EC insisted on not including us as a "targeted project" in part II of the AAP, and we had to go through the call for proposals procedure. This was the reason for the European Parliament not to approve part II of the AAP and to adopt a resolution that requests from the EC to clarify the criteria for a “de-facto monopoly” which in their opinion still exists for TRIALOG and DEEEP. It’s now up to the EC to draft a new part II of the AAP and present it for approval again.

For TRIALOG the process turned out to be a success story because we experienced such a huge amount of support from our partners and their national governments in the new EU member states but also from several old member states, the European Parliament and CONCORD. We would like to thank all of you for your support and see it as a mandate to continue our TRIALOG work with full energy.

Information provided by Christine Bedoya, TRIALOG