What's New

News and updates from BCSDN and the region

North Macedonia: Civil Society Calls for Stronger Role in Reform and Growth Facility Monitoring

During the second meeting of the Monitoring Committee for the Reform and Growth Facility (RGF), stakeholders reviewed progress in implementing North Macedonia’s Reform Agenda and discussed ways to strengthen oversight of the reform process. Contributing to the discussion, the European Policy Institute (EPI) highlighted the importance of ensuring structured, transparent, and meaningful participation of CSOs

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Serbia: SafeJournalists Warns Against Official and Media Targeting of Journalists and Researchers

The SafeJournalists Network has expressed concern over the targeting of researcher Getoarbe Mulliqi and journalist and academic Dinko Gruhonjić following the publication of their analysis on media reporting about dealing with the past in the Western Balkans. According to the Network, the authors were subjected to a smear campaign initiated by a Serbian tabloid, using

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Slovenia: Most Draft Legislation Still Bypasses Full Public Consultation

Seventeen years after introducing rules on public participation in lawmaking, Slovenia continues to fall short on ensuring transparent and inclusive legislative processes. According to newly published data, the current government adopted 1,945 laws, regulations, and rulebooks, but only 659 proposals (33%) were open for the required 30-day public consultation period. Compliance was particularly low in

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New Report Highlights Collective Care as Key to Sustaining Feminist and LGBTQI+ Movements in the Western Balkans and South Caucasus

A new report, Putting Out Fires till They Burn Out, examines how feminist and LGBTQI+ organisations in the South Caucasus and Western Balkans sustain their work amid war legacies, authoritarianism, economic insecurity, and shrinking civic space. Drawing on 87 interviews conducted between 2022 and 2024, alongside ethnographic research and grants analysis, the report argues that

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CIVICUS Highlights Emerging Youth-Led Civic Mobilisation in North Macedonia as Part of Global Civic Space Analysis

As part of its 2026 State of Civil Society Report, CIVICUS has launched a series of country interviews through its CIVICUS Lens initiative exploring the drivers and impact of emerging civic movements worldwide. The series accompanies the report’s focus on the global rise of Gen Z-led protests, identifying youth mobilisation as one of the defining

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European Civil Society Calls for an Ambitious EU Budget that Safeguards Investment in Civil Society and External Action

Ahead of the European Council discussions on the 2028–2034 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), a broad coalition of European CSOs has called for an ambitious EU budget that reflects the Union’s geopolitical, social and environmental challenges. The statement urges increased investment in social cohesion, research, education, climate action, culture and civil society, alongside a strong external

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CfP: EU Support for Systematic Sectoral Civil Society Participation for the EU Accession Negotiations and the Growth Plan Reform Agenda in North Macedonia (Deadline: 6 July)

Target Group: CSOs, sectoral CSO networks, and platforms in North Macedonia registered under the Law on Associations and Foundations for at least three years. The call supports both individual CSOs and existing civil society networks. Aim: To strengthen structured, systematic, and evidence-based civil society participation in North Macedonia’s EU accession negotiations and the implementation, monitoring,

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CfP: French Embassy North Macedonia – Civil Society Partnership Projects 2026 (Deadline: 15 July)

Target Group: CSOs and civil society actors in North Macedonia eligible for project partnership funding from the French Embassy. Aim: To support civil society projects aligned with French-Macedonian cooperation priorities, including democracy, cultural dialogue, and community development. Countries: North Macedonia Amount: Should not exceed EUR 5,000 and may represent no more than 75% of the total project budget. Duration: Max

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CfP: Strengthening Movements for Gender Equality (Deadline: 7 August)

Target Group: Coalitions of at least 3 legally registered non-profit organisations (CSOs, social enterprises, national/regional funds), with a focus on small and medium-sized grassroots organisations working on gender equality and supporting marginalised women, transgender, non-binary and gender non-conforming people. Networks and intermediaries are eligible if applying in coalition with grassroots organisations. Aim: To strengthen collaboration

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CfP: European Endowment for Democracy (EED) – Ongoing Call for Proposals (Deadline: 31 December)

Target Group: CSOs, civic movements, independent media, journalists, bloggers, youth groups, informal platforms, artists, and individual activists working to advance democracy. Official registration is not required. Aim: To support pro-democracy actors promoting pluralistic democratic systems, with a particular focus on organisations, initiatives, and individuals that cannot be supported through existing EU instruments or other donor

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CfP: DRK Foundation – Early-Stage Social Impact Funding (Deadline: Ongoing)

Target Group: Early-stage nonprofit and mission-driven for-profit organisations (up to 10 years old) operating in Africa, Europe, India, the United States, and, in selected cases, Latin America. Aim: To support innovative, scalable solutions addressing major social and environmental challenges affecting underserved communities. DRK prioritises organisations with demonstrated impact, sustainable business models, and strong potential for

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