The European Commission has launched a Call for Expression of Interest for membership in the new Civil Society Platform, a key deliverable of the EU Strategy for Civil Society. The Platform will provide a permanent and structured framework for dialogue between the Commission and civil society on democracy, the rule of law, fundamental rights, equality and civic space, with the possibility of expanding to other policy areas over time. Up to 30 CSOs from EU Member States, as well as EU candidate and potential candidate countries, will be selected for a three-year mandate, including two seats reserved for organisations active…
Author: anja
The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) will host its High-level Debate on EU Enlargement 2026 on 16 July in Brussels, bringing together EU institutions, governments and organised civil society to discuss the future of enlargement. The event will be opened by EESC President Séamus Boland and Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos, while Valentina Superti, Director for the Western Balkans at DG ENEST, will deliver the concluding remarks. Discussions will examine how enlargement can strengthen Europe’s security, democratic resilience and preparedness, including through closer cooperation with civil society and social partners. A second panel will explore socio-economic convergence, the implementation…
Thirty European civil society networks, including BCSDN, have urged the Council of the European Union to strengthen, not reduce EU investment in democracy by increasing the AgoraEU budget and safeguarding funding for the CERV+ programme in the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF). The joint letter warns that proposed budget cuts come as CSOs across Europe face shrinking civic space, restrictive legislation, judicial and administrative harassment, disinformation campaigns, and growing financial pressures that threaten their sustainability. The organisations emphasise that robust support for civil society is essential to protect fundamental rights, strengthen democratic resilience and enable meaningful citizen participation. They call…
The Annual Western Balkans Perception Surveys 2026, conducted under the WeBalkans project, show that public support for the European Union remains strong across the Western Balkans, with Serbia standing out as the only country where support for EU membership does not exceed 60%. Albania records the most positive perception of the EU (82%), followed by Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, while only 28% of Serbian respondents hold a positive view of the EU. The findings also highlight increasingly diverse public attitudes towards European integration and global geopolitical actors across the region. While trust in the United States…
24 CSOs in Albania, including BCSDN member Partners Albania, have issued a joint public statement following the 2 July protests in Tirana, expressing concern over allegations of disproportionate use of force, ill-treatment of detained protesters, obstacles to effective access to legal counsel and independent medical examinations, and the risk of losing key evidence. The organisations call on the authorities to guarantee the right to peaceful assembly, preserve all relevant evidence, conduct independent forensic examinations where appropriate, and ensure a prompt, impartial and effective investigation into all allegations of misconduct. They also urge public officials to refrain from statements that could…
The European Parliament has adopted a Resolution on Serbia, reaffirming that the country’s progress towards EU membership depends on genuine democratic reforms and their effective implementation. The Resolution calls for tangible progress in the rule of law, judicial independence, free and fair elections, media freedom, the fight against corruption and organised crime, and stronger engagement with civil society. Rapporteur for Serbia Tonino Picula stressed that the accession process has effectively stalled due to democratic backsliding, weak implementation of reforms and insufficient alignment with EU values and foreign policy. These concerns were echoed by eight EU member states, which opposed opening…
In an opinion article, former Montenegrin Deputy Prime Minister Jovana Marović argues that Montenegro’s accession process is becoming a testing ground for the European Union’s future enlargement policy. It explores how the EU is seeking to reconcile the geopolitical imperative of enlargement with growing concerns over democratic backsliding after accession. A stronger role for EU accession treaties is proposed, transforming them from technical legal instruments into frameworks that ensure the continued protection of the rule of law, judicial independence and democratic governance after membership. Future treaties could establish clear safeguard clauses, predefined compliance assessments, corrective measures and transparent financial conditionality…
Representatives of banks, the National Bank, the Financial Intelligence Office and CSOs met in Skopje to discuss the implementation of the revised Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Recommendation 8, which calls for a risk-based and proportionate approach to preventing the misuse of non-profit organizations for terrorist financing without restricting their legitimate work. Discussions focused on inconsistent interpretations of the definition of non-profit organizations, documentation requirements, cash transactions, banking practices affecting organizations from high-risk countries, and the need for clearer national guidance and secondary legislation. Participants proposed strengthening cooperation between regulators and banks, introducing a trust label for CSOs, and providing…
More than 100 CSOs have addressed an open letter to the European Commission, expressing concern that proposed changes to the Better Regulation framework risk weakening evidence-based policymaking, transparency and democratic participation. The signatories argue that the reforms would disproportionately prioritize business interests by expanding urgency procedures, narrowing impact assessments, increasing reliance on targeted consultations and discouraging Member States from adopting higher social and environmental standards than those required by EU legislation. They also warn against introducing sunset clauses and other mechanisms that could weaken existing protections. The organizations call on the Commission to align the revised Better Regulation Guidelines with…
During her visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kaja Kallas, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, reaffirmed that the country’s stability, sovereignty and territorial integrity are of strategic importance to the European Union. Meeting with members of the Presidency and political leaders, she stressed that sustained reforms remain the fastest path towards EU accession, while noting that public support for EU membership continues to be exceptionally high. Kallas warned that reform momentum has stalled over the past two years and that Bosnia and Herzegovina is already losing funding under the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans due…