Within the scope of its program to develop the legal environment of non-governmental organizations, Ökotárs / Hungarian Environmental Partnership Foundation (HEPF) has been playing a significant role in the revision of nonprofit status rules, the expansion of public and community participation,  the change of funding systems, the re-introduction of tangible incentives honoring the work of public benefit organizations as well as in the liquidation of legal difficulties preventing the provision of public tasks for more than 7 years. Contradictions in the relationships among NGOs, the State and local governments have already been detected by earlier analyses and researches, quite a few of them were supported by HEPF.

Similarly to the previous years, HEPF is poised to take part in the creation of an NGO-friendly legal environment in the future. By reason of the problems experienced and the deteriorating situation in the past few years, HEPF has set itself among others to review the regulation of the direct and indirect NGO funding and support systems as well as to form a legal environment suitable for the interests of NGOs. We are convinced that with new regulations providing financial sources for NGOs would be more effective and need fewer investments from all sides. 

By means of analyses by legal experts, HEPF acquired theoretic knowledge and through our grant-making experience of two decades, and also through operating the NGO Fund of the EEA/Norwegian Financial Mechanism, we acquired practical knowledge, too. In view of these, our goals are the following:

• simplify NGO funding system and increase its transparency, deregulation;
• liquidate the anomalies of public assignment system;
• reform the goals and rules of the public benefit status;
• present the contradictions of the system to politicians, NGOs, the media and the public.

During the program and via Civiljogok.hu, we intend to present our initiatives, theoretical, legal studies and practical experience that help the recognition and correction of regulatory issues. Apart from our initiatives, we collect news examining these issues and report our achievements in decision-making.

At the same time, we are constantly looking forward to feedback from the NGO side as well – to include them into the proposals for the reform - in order to take a prominent part in the formation of a truly realistic and serviceable legal environment.

Publicity of the internet and this page provides a forum for giving an account of positive and negative examples and thus forming a new community: the community of legally aware, supported and flourishing non-governmental organizations.