The Association for European Training and Information (AETI) is an independent voluntary non-profit organization established to promote European Union values and principles in the society.

AETI was founded in 2003 in Chisinau, Moldova by the participants of the Training of Trainers program "The European Union and Moldova: Transition processes and Strengthening the partnership". This program of InWEnt - Capacity Building International, Germany was implemented by the Institute for Public Policy (Moldova) and the Institute for European Politics (Berlin, Germany) in 2002-2003. It was financed by the Federal Foreign Office of Germany in the framework of the Pact of Stability for South East Europe. All of AETI members are internationally certified European Union Trainers and provide trainings in a wide variety of topics related to the EU.
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NEWS

International Conference "The European Union and Civil Society in Moldova"

On 12 June 2006 at Dedeman Grand Chisinau Hotel took place the international conference "The European Union and Civil Society in Moldova" organized by the Association for European Training and Information (Chisinau, Moldova) and European Citizen Action Service (Brussels, Belgium) with the financial support of Soros Foundation-Moldova and Charles S. Mott Foundation.

The purpose of this conference was to provide an overview for NGOs in Moldova of how the European Neighbourhood Policy works and how it relates to civil society, as well as how civil society can influence EU and EU-related decision-making. This conference was placed in the context of the current relations between the EU and Moldova, which tend to examine the funding opportunities existing in the country and available through the programmes of EU, EU Member states and private donors.

The conference brought together more than 70 participants, including about 40 representatives of the third sector in Moldova, officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration and from the European Commission's Delegation to Moldova, international experts from the European Institutions, Romania, Ukraine and Germany, as well as representatives of EU Member States' embassies to Moldova and private foundations.

The organizers provided all of the participants with a file of major strategic cooperation documents between Moldova and EU and materials on funding opportunities from EU, Member States and private foundations.

The conference was not intended as a one-off event, but as a testing ground for launching in Moldova the ECAS Information, Training and Scholarship programme based on the NGO capacity-building approach. For the organizers therefore it was not just about communicating information on Europe but listening to the participants. The outcomes of this debate will be considered as a first step of the needs assessment for launching the programme.

European Citizen Action Service (ECAS) was created in 1990 as an independent non-profit making organization to help individuals and associations to make their voices heard with the European Institutions. ECAS is now putting the experience to the service of NGOs in the new member states, accession and neighbouring countries, in particular through the "education" of NGOs about the European Union and the role of civil society.

The Association for European Training and Information (AETI) is a non-governmental organization founded in 2003 in Chisinau, Moldova by the participants of the Training of Trainers program "The European Union and Moldova: Transition processes and Strengthening the partnership". This program of InWEnt - Capacity Building International, Germany was implemented by the Institute for Public Policy (Moldova) and the Institute for European Politics (Berlin, Germany) in 2002-2003. It was financed by the Federal Foreign Office of Germany in the framework of the Pact of Stability for South East Europe.

AETI's main goal is to contribute to democratization of the society and rapprochement of the Republic of Moldova to the European Union through professional information, training and consulting. In the current context of the European Neighborhood Policy, AETI aims at contributing towards implementation of the EU-Moldova Action Plan, building awareness of the importance of EU-related processes in Moldova and mobilizing efforts of the society for aligning to European values, norms and standards. All of AETI members are internationally certified European Union Trainers and provide trainings in a wide variety of topics related to the EU

For additional information on the event
please contact Arina Kraijdan, Association for European Training and Information,
at 75 Alba-Iulia St., ste. 503, Chisinau, Moldova or at (373 22) 746631.