The National Integrity System Assessment is an analyses prepared within the project “EU4 Rule of Law: Citizen Engagement for Public Integrity (CEPI) in the Western Balkans and Turkey”, funded by the European Union and the Government of Switzerland.
One of the pillars analyzed in the NIS report is the civil society, with a score 62,5.
The assessment is conducted according to a methodology prepared by Transparency International.
Pillar Recommendations
- The government needs to increase state funding for CSOs in 2024 to MKD 2 million (approx. €32,500), so it can meet its goals in the strategy for cooperation with and development of CSOs of providing 30 per cent of CSOs’ total revenue.
- The CRNM should provide capacity support to CSOs to comply with the Law on Prevention of Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism and the Law on Protection of Personal Data before issuing fines, such as training and educational materials.
- The government and public institutions need to involve CSOs more in consultative processes and working groups for legislation changes and other policy-making processes.
- The government should amend the law on defamation to impose restrictions and sanctions on government officials or political party members who engage in public defamation of CSOs.
- The EU should set up a fund with other donors or remove the requirement for co-funding completely for smaller CSOs. Donors should make sure they provide enough funding and capacity building, especially for smaller CSOs, to develop their transparency, accountability and integrity structure.
- CSOs that have overlapping functions between executive and oversight structures need to restructure their functions so accountability and oversight through independent bodies can be ensured.
National Integrity System Assessment 2023
