Catalyst of Change
Supporting a vibrant civil society in Europe
Association Biom
biom.hrAssociation Biom is a civil society organisation and the partner of BirdLife International, founded in 2006. It focuses on the preservation, promotion, and popularisation of nature with a mission to preserve biodiversity for the benefit of nature and society. The organisation envisions Croatia as a country with rich biodiversity, thriving ecosystems, and wild species and habitats that people value and enjoy. This vision depends on greater environmental responsibility and engagement from the public, government, CSOs, and the business sector. The goal of Biom is to preserve nature, species, and habitats, with a particular focus on wild birds, environmental protection, and the sustainable use of natural resources.
About the Project
Green Forum – strengthening capacity for environmental justice in Croatia
Civil society organisations in Croatia face reduced democratic space to design environmental policies and limited resources for monitoring and advocacy. The goal of BIOM’s project is to strengthen cooperation in the existing Green Forum coalition, expand advocacy and promote active CSO involvement in preparing Sectoral Analyses that guide public funding. So far, BIOM has held various strategic advocacy and networking meetings for coalition members, hired a policy and advocacy officer, and ensured that the Green Forum was represented in all relevant working groups. Moreover, BIOM has established dialogue between CSOs and state institutions, such as the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Green Transition, to advocate for stable funding for CSOs. In the next phase of the project, BIOM will continue to hold strategic and advocacy meetings, design workshops and networking events for CSOs, and present a model for CSO participation in the creation of Sectoral Analyses.
Communication Outputs
Media Coverage
The Green Forum carried out an elaborate campaign to warn the public about the proposal to introduce a “prior screening procedure” to the Regulation on Environmental Impact Assessment. This proposal was unconstitutional and legally unfounded. The campaign worked and this proposal was revoked, while the success was covered by media outlets:
Zeleni protiv izmjena Uredbe o procjeni utjecaja zahvata na okoliš | Telegram.hr
Environmental Impact Studies: Between Nature Protection and Investor Interests – Climate Portal
Project Communications
Green Forum made a LinkedIn profile in order to be more active in the EU policy and advocacy space.
BIOM contributed to the Hands Off Nature coalition campaign, mobilising over 1800 Croatian citizens to participate in the European Commission’s ‘Call for Evidence’ against the simplification of environmental legislation, which was the biggest public consultation in EU history.
Funded by the European Union
name
Catalyst of Change: Protecting the Union values by supporting a resilient, engaged and vocal civil society for the promotion of women’s rights, environmental justice and anti-corruption
partner
European Center for Not-for-Profit Law Stichting (ECNL)
duration
1 January 2023- 31 December 2026
budget
3,411.982 EUR
