Seventeenth quarterly accession watch report YOUTH OF ACTION! April, 2013 Macedonian Centre for European Training and Foundation Open Society – Macedonia dedicate this report to the journalist and advocate for freedom of expression, Nikola Mladenov, and his eternal struggle “to clarify the matters”. youth OF action! Seventeenth quarterly accession watch report Publisher: Foundation Open Society - Macedonia For the publisher: Vladimir Milcin, Executive Director Prepared by: Macedonian Center for European Training and Foundation Open Society - Macedonia Proofreading and Translation into English: Abacus Design & Layout: Brigada design, Skopje Print: Propoint Circulation: 500 Free/Noncommercial circulation CIP - Каталогизација во публикација Национална и универзитетска библиотека "Св. Климент Охридски", Скопје 35.075.51:37(497.7)"2007/12"(047.31) МЛАДИ во акција! : седумнаесетти извештај од следењето на процесот на пристапување на Македонија во ЕУ. - Скопје : Фондација отворено општество - Македонија, 2013. - 90 стр. : илустр. ; 24 см Фусноти кон текстот ISBN 978-608-218-177-6 а) Национална агенција за европски образовни програми и мобилност - Македонија - 2007-2012 - Истражувања COBISS.MK-ID 93957386 CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Now we see Bosko Nelkoski, former Director of the National Agency, in an extended and upgraded version of the past. His character becomes All data collected as part of this research indicates to a reasonably more and more interesting. Bosko Nelkoski was appointed to the position grounded suspicion that in 2012 the National Agency for European Head of the National Agency coming from the leading party’s Youth Educational Programmes and Mobility (hereinafter: the National Agency) Alliance, in other words: a politically active person. Apart from being the has yet again awarded project grants in an unfair and biased manner to head of this important institution, Nelkoski appears as director of the the benefit of the same privileged group of civil society organizations non-governmental Pan-European Alliance, and manager of an agricultural (CSOs) as previously. In all fairness, CSOs from the Republic of Macedonia firm. In addition, Bosko Nelkoski is the founder of CSO Youth Forum Eye with relevant capacity are rightfully awarded grants by various donors from Struga (his birthplace), associate and trainer of most CSOs that and they, in turn, demonstrate excellent results in their work. The main have benefited from grants awarded by the National Agency, but also by reason behind this institutionally refashioned scandal is identified Brussels (Career Centre from Bitola, Council of Youth NGOs, Youth Creative in the fact that crime continues to go unsanctioned in the Republic Centre from Veles, Macedonian Youth Press, Youth Development Fund from of Macedonia, as well as that 2010 correction measures proved to be Ohrid, Denica, etc.). Through his father, Trajce Nelkoski, Bosko Nelkoski’s inadequate. Personal relations between some National Agency employees name is linked to CSOs Centre for Ruran1 Development in Southeast Europe and specific representatives of grant-awarded CSOs continue to exist, and Fund for Inter-Regional Cooperation, as well as the privately-owned giving leverage to a handful of organizations compared to other CSOs in company Agronomija Organika, whose founders are two persons who are Macedonia, and thereby significantly hindering open competition under also heads of sectors at the National Agency, both recruited by Bosko equitable and fair terms and conditions. Nelkoski himself. One of the founders comes from Delcevo, while the The main character in this episode is yet again Bosko Nelkoski, other is from Skopje, the seat of the company however is village Draslajca, former Director of the National Agency, who was never sanctioned, not which is the birthplace of Bosko Nelkoski’s father who – by the way – is even dismissed from office for the malpractices performed in 2009. also a three-time beneficiary of agricultural subsidies awarded by the Obviously, Nelkoski’s handpicked dream-team stayed loyal to him Government of Republic of Macedonia. and continued to award grants to “familiar” organizations. This time Obviously, “First Brussels, then Skopje” approach works as clockwork. however, the practice seems fine-tuned: first, the organizations apply Same non-governmental (para)youth organizations appear as grant- on centralized Calls for Proposals from Brussels. Getting a grant from beneficiaries of the National Agency, but also as beneficiaries of the Brussels is not as difficult as one might imagine, especially having in Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (hereinafter: the mind that the National Agency discloses actual information on Calls for Executive Agency) from Brussels, under centralized actions. Except Proposals only to a “special” group of privileged organizations. As soon for Career Centre, Volunteers Centre and several other organizations, as the project application is approved by Brussels, the organization receives a green light for becoming “successful” bidder in the National 1 Agency as well. Such a practice is perfect alibi for the National Agency’s Translator’s note: the word ‘rural’ is misspelled on purpose, as explained later in the document. To convey the truthfulness of the text, conscious misspelling was made in “impeccable grant-giving track record”. the English translation as well. 7 Seventeenth quarterly accession watch report Brussels has approved funds for the organizations enlisted in Table 1 made to cover up the actual addresses (for example, Council of Youth NGOs that provides an overview on the number of projects approved and the appears as a grant-beneficiary in 8 projects (total value of 158,582.50 relevant project amounts. EUR) and relevant contact information for each of these 8 project No. of Funds awarded until applications submitted to Brussels include an address different from the No. Organization projects 2011 (in EUR) organization’s official seat. Cases are identified where an entire group 1. Volunteers Centre Skopje 19 385.628,00 of non-governmental organizations use one address (for example, Fund 2. Youth Forum Eye 11 235.211,50 for Inter-Regional Cooperation shares the same address with Youth Forum 3. Macedonian Youth Press 8 166.698,00 Eye). In that regard, it should be noted that Trajce Nelkoski, father of 4. Council of Youth NGOs 8 158.582,50 the former Director of the National Agency, appears as the organization’s 5. Youth Development Fund 5 101.611,00 founder and is probably the oldest youth activist in the World. Coordinated 6. Centre for Ruran Development in Southeast Europe 5 92.104,00 activities are also identified in terms of (re)registration of CSOs. Various 7. Denica 4 66.214,00 changes are made to the records kept by the Central Register of the 8. Quantum 2 29.696,00 Republic of Macedonia, ranging from change of authorized persons to 9. Youth Creative Centre 1 24.941,00 changes made to the organizations’ names and/or seats (for example, 10. Fund for Inter-Regional Cooperation 1 23.384,00 Centre for Ruran Development, which raises the question on why the 11. Clear Future 1 18.418,00 Central Register enlisted an organization with a spelling mistake in its Total 1.302.488,00 title?). This group also includes organizations whose non-governmental Table 1 – Centralized projects status is suspicious, judging on the basis of their activities (for example, The analysis shows that the total amount of “suspicious” funds Denica is known to the Macedonian public as the organizer of counter- exceeds 1.3 million EUR, which is a rather significant figure that should protests on Skopje square related to the construction of a church), etc. raise concerns in the European Commission. It seems that the same group Although the seat of the Macedonian Youth Press is in Struga, in of people has applied with different projects on the Calls for Proposals several projects Skopje-based addresses are enlisted such as Blvd. announced by Brussels. We see the same founders submitting different Kozjak 9a, in Kisela Voda. project applications from one address or vice versa (for example, although This analysis shows that the reason for such behaviour on the part of its seat is in Struga, Macedonian Youth Press has applied with several the National Agency is the fact that its institutionalization from the very projects with an address in Skopje). The people responsible for project beginning was full of flaws, dating back to the time when the Law on implementation are related to the employees at the National Agency, Establishing the National Agency was adopted. Despite the warnings of but are skilful in disguising their connections (Verica Kocevska, Bosko the opposition, the ruling coalition adopted the law that later enabled all Nelkoski’s wife, is indicated as the contact-person in one of these projects these abuses and malpractices. Unfortunately, even the amendments to and she – purposefully or not – decided to use her maiden name, although the law, adopted after the abuses and malpractices were publicly disclosed, she took her husband’s family name when she got married). Attempts are did not correct the situation. The main perpetrators were not sanctioned. 8 Neither was Bosko Nelkoski sanctioned, nor were the employees – recruited 2. Possible involvement of the audit-company Effect Plus in the scheme by him personally – changed. It should be noted that in February 2010, the should be investigated; Foundation Open Society – Macedonia (FOSM) raised an initiative