Context and Aims of the Conference

For the future of Europe, its competitiveness, its quality of life, and the improvement of its living standards what is important is not only to remove barriers to free movement of people, services, goods and capital: We also need an open and socially coherent society of responsible and pro-active citizens who do not just rely on paternalistic state aid, but who organise themselves in order to solve their social and other public benefit needs in those areas where the government does not quite reach or does not perform in an effective way.

The European Union and its member states have an unique opportunity to learn from each other about the best available mechanisms for supporting civic engagement, and for avoiding the growing danger of a “democratic deficit”, which ultimately endangers also EU's global competitiveness.

Older member states, as well as the newer ones, have managed to develop a range of unique tools in their legislation, tax incentives, financial instruments and partnerships between the Business and NGO sectors, as well as in the utilization of new technologies for long-term financial support of the country's non-profit institutions as well as for informal civic initiatives aiming to meet public needs.

1. To use the opportunity of the Czech Presidency of the EU to introduce the most successful tools already proven in the EU countries as strategic sources for sustainable financing of the non-profit sector with its complementary role in the development of Europe´s democracy.
2. To compare the advantages and feasibility of the major tools in the broader context of the EU.
3. To prepare recommendations for the EU Commission, as well as for the national governments to implement the best available models at their levels.
4. For the Czech environment: to expose Czech policy makers and social partners to the most successful tools proven in other EU countries and to make them available for the Czech Republic's legislative reforms.

This conference is part of the 90th anniversary of Masaryk University in Brno.