Workshop 1. Towards a multi-stakeholder trialogue on the V4 participation in EU development policy

The first of the three workshops organised as a part of the V4DevCo project aimed at initiating the Visegrad (V4) trialogue of public authorities, private sector, and civil society organizations (CSOs) on their better inclusion in the EU development policy.

Based on the experience of Denmark as well as the needs of development cooperation stakeholders from V4 countries, this workshop aimed at identifying the ways for the V4 governments to unleash the potential of domestic businesses, CSOs and public entities to participate in the implementation of the EU development policy. The focus of the workshop went beyond regular tenders to discuss the newest opportunities for engagement, including the Team Europe Initiatives and the Global Gateway.

Building on the experience of Denmark presented from both government and expert perspectives, the workshop discussed the role of governments as enablers of the national stakeholders in successfully participating in the EU development policy and reaching its funding opportunities beyond bilateral development cooperation.

The workshop addressed the following questions:
• What are the key factors behind the successes and challenges of Denmark in its active participation in the EU development policy?
• What are the unique features of Denmark’s subregional cooperation with Nordic partners on the joint financing and implementation of development projects?
• How does the Danish public sector enable the capacities of its civil society and private companies in the EU development policy?
• What are the transferable best practices from Denmark for the V4 public administration and other stakeholders?
• Can these practices assist V4 countries in fixing the structural obstacles against their participation in the implementation of the EU development policy?

The first workshop was hosted by the Institute of International Relations Prague (IIR) on 22 November 2022.