News and updates from BCSDN and the region
The European Civic Forum’s 2024 Civic Space report highlights concerning trends in civic freedoms across the EU and Western Balkans. Despite EU commitments to democracy, there is a decline in civic space, with restrictions on protests and civil society initiatives. The report notes challenges such as legal harassment, funding limitations, and a lack of dialogue
Read more →The UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association is calling for inputs on stigmatizing narratives and their impact on these rights. This input will inform the thematic report to the UN General Assembly’s 79th session. The report aims to analyze the spread of negative narratives against civil society and
Read more →The 2024 EU Elections Manifesto outlines six progressive proposals aimed at facilitating a just transition towards a more equitable and sustainable future in Europe. It emphasizes the critical point at which Europe finds itself, advocating for transformative policies to address ongoing crises in climate, health, socio-economic inequality, and migration. Key proposals include prioritizing a socially
Read more →The European Commission is preparing rule of law reports for EU member and candidate countries, set to be published on 3 July, though this date may change. The reports will use the same methodology for both groups to provide a clear comparison. President Ursula von der Leyen announced this initiative to help candidate countries progress
Read more →The Bosnian Serb Assembly has withdrawn the controversial Law on the Special Registry and Publicity of Non-Profit Organisations, known as ‘foreign agents’ law and, citing the need for further alignment with European standards. The law aimed to restrict NPOs from political activities, enforce registry enrollment, and increase oversight. International and regional warnings from the Venice
Read more →On April 24, the European Parliament officially adopted the new Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism legislative package. This package, proposed by the European Commission in July 2021, strengthens EU rules under six pillars. Key elements include the EU single rulebook regulation, the Sixth Anti-Money Laundering Directive, and the Anti-Money Laundering Authority regulation.
Read more →The CASE Coalition has classified a lawsuit initiated by Hrvatske šume d.o.o. (Croatian Forests Ltd, CFL) against an environmental activist as a SLAPP. CFL, a state-owned company managing Croatia’s forests, has filed three private prosecutions for criminal defamation against Vesna Grgić, an environmental activist and leader of the Green Squad. The organization, part of the
Read more →The 2024 report on global freedom of expression reveals a concerning trend: over half of the world’s population lives in countries facing expression crises. India’s shift into this category drove the increase. While some countries saw positive shifts, such as Brazil and Fiji, others regressed, like Burkina Faso and Ethiopia. Despite individual changes, the overall
Read more →Following the temporary interruption of the RTV Federation of BiH programs on May 8, the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) partners condemned the political management causing the crisis and violating citizens’ right to freedom of information. The dispute between BHRT and FTV led to a media blackout ordered by the BHRT management board, resolved a
Read more →A group of CSOs has written a letter urging the World Bank Group (WBG) to reinstate a civic engagement (CE) indicator in its Corporate Scorecard. The recently released Corporate Scorecard no longer includes this indicator, raising concerns about the WBG’s commitment to civic engagement. The CSOs propose adding a “Quality of Citizen Engagement and Social
Read more →There is a need for unrestricted funding for charitable organizations to enhance their strategic planning, financial stability, and operational efficiency. Drawing from research and experiences at the Institute for Voluntary Action Research (IVAR), it urges funders to trust organizations’ expertise and grant them greater control over spending. By shifting away from restrictive funding models, funders
Read more →Target group: CSOs registered and operating in Türkiye. Aim: To support women’s access to justice, increase legal awareness, empower women to claim their rights, and provide legal remedies and services, particularly for vulnerable groups of women. Amount: 15 000 EUR max Duration: 1 year (1 July 2024 – 1 July 2025) Deadline: 3 June Link
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