The European Movement in Serbia - the Network of Local Councils

The European Movement in Serbia is one of few organizations in the country which can acclaim a network of its local offices, i.e. existence of a great number of its Local Councils. Since 1996, its very foundation, till today a number of local councils reached 26: Zrenjanin, Kraljevo, Čukarica, Čačak, Pančevo, Vršac, Kikinda, Požarevac, Vrbas, Velika Plana, Pirot, Kruševac, Užice, Majdanpek, Leskovac, Lazarevac, Zaječar, Kragujevac, Paraćin, Bor, Valjevo, Jagodina, Niš, Novi Sad, Subotica i Sremska Mitrovica. Further more, there are 5 Initiative Boards or Committees for the Local Council establishing: Novi Pazar, Požega, Kovin, Sombor, and Bajina Bašta.

In accordance with decentralization as the basic principle of organization, the local councils are autonomous, registered as independent legal persons, and free in planning their activities while following the fundamental values of EMinS.

The concept of EMinS is that its members in the local councils have the best possible insight in state within the local community. In that way, the members of the local communities will have the best ideas for improvement of social-economic situation and proposals for advancing lives of their co-citizens.

The local councils of the European Movement developed as a consequence of expressed interests in a specific region and initiatives of the members of EMinS in the concerned regions. It can be said that it is a democratic process 'from bottom to top' and that it is a product of citizens' initiative.

Aiming at better coordination in the functioning of the local councils and advanced communication with the central office in Belgrade , EMinS changed its structure by replacing before-mentioned Regional Councils with the institution of the Regional Coordinators. The Regional Coordinators have a role in assisting the local councils in formulating and enforcing their initiatives. Therefore, the role of the Regional Coordinators will be the identification of local initiatives and contribution to development and broadening of the network of local councils.

The essential mission of the local councils as well as the European Movement in Serbia is the promotion of the idea of European integration and preparation of our country for joining the European Union . The local councils contribute to the creation of free, modern, and democratic society in order to join the European family in the easiest and shortest possible way.

Each local council, along with this its basic activity, has special actions adapted to specific social-economic circumstances of its environment.

Other fields in which the local councils are engaged in different level are:

• Development and support to civil society, non-profit, and non-governmental sector
• Cooperation with related and significant non-governmental organizations in the country
• Across-the-border cooperation with related non-governmental groups and international organizations
• Furthering understanding and cooperation among people with encouraging multi-lateral communication
• Economic development of the society and advancing of the living standard
• Furthering private entrepreneurship and development of small and medium entrepreneurship
• Support and help to reform process with tending to lessen negative transitional consequences (unemployment, poverty, socially jeopardized society, etc.)
• Development of transparent and free society
• Respecting and furthering human rights and freedoms
• Promoting citizens' participation in the processes of democratization and Europeanism
• Maintaining ethnic, cultural, and sexual equality
• More intensive involving of women in all forms of public and business acting, with reciprocal education
• Development of local government as effective service for citizens
• Education of the young on the questions of European integration and the European institutions
• Different forms of informative and educational character dedicated to the youngest population
• Raising of social consciousness and protecting of natural and cultural inheritage
• Expert contribution to actual reform of the school system and education in accordance to European standards

The objectives of the local councils are realized through different methods and usage of multi-disciplinary and diverse structure of the local councils' membership. The most often they are: organizing of different expert seminars, workshops, trainings, panel discussions, public tribunes, and round tables and informing publics by printing brochures, books, and other advertising and expert materials.

Besides, the local councils formulize development projects whose implementation remarkably contributes to life improvement in their environments. In that purpose, seminars on strategic planning, business planning, reforms of local government and its serviceable capacities are organized. Advising centers for giving support to small and medium entrepreneurship, especially women entrepreneurship are formulized.

Alternative forms of cultural creating are also developed in cooperation of regional and international character.

Venue:

Local counsils: