Brussels, Prishtina 10 November 2016 - On 09 November 2016, the European Commission published the Report for Kosovo 2016. The Political Criteria chapter among other includes an evaluation of main issues on civil society and the favourable environment for this sectors activities. The report acknowledges the progress achieved through the adoption of the Regulation on Minimum Standards, while it emphasizes the need for its effective and systematic implementation. Parallel to this it raises the concern about the lack of the political will to ensure the proper participation of civil society, which is expressed through the limited consultations on laws and strategies which carry special political and economic interests. Regarding the implementation of the Government Strategy for Cooperation with Civil Society, the report emphasizes the lack of commitment from many ministries and the lack of capacities and budget allocations, which hinder the implementation and raise doubts on the political will pertaining to this issue. While it recognizes as an achievement the identification of the public funds for civil society model and encourages the adoption of the respective regulations in this field, the report requires that all information on public funds available to CSOs are easily accessible for the public. Moreover, the report emphasizes that the legal framework on tax relief for donors remains unclear. Finally the report also finds the capacities of civil society in Kosovo to be unequal.