The intent is to establish priority areas of action as well as a sustainable, overarching  mechanism for FAO collaboration with civil society in the Europe and Central Asia region.
The potentially interested organizations and networks will initiate the process through the organization of a civil society consultation (16/17 April 2012 at the 28th FAO Regional Conference for Europe and Central Asia (ERC) (19/20 April 2012)  and 37th European Commission on Agriculture (ECA) ( 17/18 April 2012) as a preparatory meeting , to be held in Baku, Azerbaijan.
The planning session will provide background information on the preparation of the ECA and ERC, and will address CS attendance and participation at the ERC including the modalities to intervene as observers and presentation of a CS statement or other materials. The elements will serve to draft the programme of the NGOs/CSOs consultation at ERC, and assign roles and responsibilities for its implementation.