Following the EU Delegation’s consultation with civil society, Partners Albania submitted its written contribution to the programming of EU financial assistance to Albania under the next Multiannual Financial Framework. The contribution calls for greater focus on the effective implementation, monitoring and accountability of reforms, alongside stronger democratic governance, civic participation and an enabling environment for civil society. Partners Albania emphasises that future programming should combine project-based funding with long-term institutional support, including operational and core funding, enabling CSOs to retain expertise and contribute consistently throughout Albania’s EU accession process. It also calls for dedicated and predictable funding for civil society…
Author: anja
Bosnia and Herzegovina still lacks a state-level Law on Citizens’ Initiative, leaving citizens without a unified framework for direct participation in decision-making. The Aarhus Centre in BiH has submitted a draft law to the Parliamentary Assembly, aiming to establish clear rules for launching citizens’ initiatives and ensure that institutions respond to issues of public interest. The proposal also introduces Anti-SLAPP protections for citizens, activists and journalists, seeking to prevent legal proceedings from being used to intimidate, financially exhaust or silence those participating in public debate. The Anti-SLAPP provisions draw on the EU Anti-SLAPP Directive and international practice, adapted to BiH’s…
BCSDN is launching the Regional Civic Space Early Warning System & Response Mechanism, a 12-month pilot aimed at identifying emerging civic space threats earlier and helping translate existing evidence into timely engagement and response. Across the Western Balkans and Türkiye, pressures on civil society often develop gradually. Restrictive legislation, administrative and financial pressures, intimidation, attacks and limitations on participation can accumulate over time, while responses often come only after problems have escalated or restrictive practices have become entrenched. Although existing monitoring provides substantial evidence, there is still a gap between identifying risks and acting on them. The new pilot aims…
BCSDN is launching the Regional Civic Space Early Warning System & Response Mechanism, a 12-month pilot aimed at identifying emerging civic space threats earlier and translating existing evidence into timely engagement and response. Across the Western Balkans and Türkiye, restrictive legislation, administrative and financial pressures, intimidation, attacks and limitations on participation can accumulate, while responses often come only after problems have escalated. Building on more than a decade of regional monitoring through BCSDN’s Monitoring Matrix, the pilot will develop and test an approach for detecting and validating emerging risks, assessing their significance and connecting them with relevant response pathways. The…
For the third consecutive year, BCSDN analyses the European Commission’s Rule of Law Report Country Chapters for Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia through a civic space lens, comparing the Commission’s findings with evidence from our Monitoring Matrix. The 2026 analysis brings the EC’s findings together with our monitoring to identify key civic space concerns, additional pressures, and whether existing safeguards can respond before further deterioration takes hold. Key findings Civic space remains under pressure. While the EC captures many individual concerns, our monitoring shows how legal, administrative, financial and digital pressures can accumulate and progressively restrict civic space. Fundamental…
BCSDN’s analysis of the 2026 European Commission Rule of Law Reports, compared with findings from its Monitoring Matrix, highlights continued pressure on civic space across Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia. While the EC captures many important concerns, BCSDN’s monitoring provides a broader picture of implementation gaps and accumulating legal, administrative, financial and digital pressures affecting civil society. The analysis also points to fragile CSO funding and persistent gaps between formal participation and meaningful influence, including in EU accession processes. Similar developments across EU Member States show that these concerns extend beyond the enlargement region. BCSDN calls for stronger civic…
Throughout June and July, BCSDN member Partners Albania organised three regional consultation meetings under Thematic Working Group on Civic Space and Democratization, bringing together around 50 civil society, media, think tank representatives and experts from across the Western Balkans. The consultations provided a space to identify shared challenges affecting civic space and democratic development, exchange experiences and develop evidence-based recommendations. The contributions will inform the Working Group’s recommendations report, which will be discussed at a regional meeting in September before being finalised and presented at the Civil Society and Think Tank Forum in October 2026. Find more here. Source: Partners…
The European Democracy Shield marks an important recognition of democratic resilience as a European security imperative, but its success will depend on concrete action rather than new structures, according to EU CRTA. This is particularly relevant for the Western Balkans, one of Europe’s most exposed democratic frontlines, where civil society, independent media, researchers and human rights defenders continue to expose corruption, monitor elections and defend civic space amid growing pressure. The analysis stresses that candidate countries should not remain outside the Shield’s operational architecture and calls for Western Balkan democratic actors to be integrated into European early-warning systems, information-sharing mechanisms…
KoneKtor 2026 will bring together foundations, donors and civil society in Chișinău to examine how philanthropy can respond to rising authoritarianism, shrinking civic space and growing pressure on communities. The event will explore what authoritarianism looks like today, who is most at risk, and how philanthropic actors can help protect vulnerable groups, support independent media and culture, and strengthen networks of resilience. Discussions will also look at responses across areas such as digital safety, climate, culture and media, highlighting both existing approaches and opportunities for stronger cross-sector action. The event will take place from 14 to 16 October 2026 with…
A new civil society report following the first UN Global Dialogue on AI Governance calls for a more inclusive, equitable and human rights-based approach to governing artificial intelligence. Developed by five civil society coalitions, the report welcomes the Dialogue as a step towards international cooperation but identifies gaps in civil society participation, representation of marginalised groups and integration of human rights. It calls for stronger accountability and human oversight, representative data and local participation, safeguards against harmful AI uses, and greater attention to AI’s social, environmental and gender impacts. Ahead of the second Global Dialogue, civil society urges broader regional…