BCSDN has released its 14th analysis of the European Commission’s annual reports assessing civil society development in the Western Balkans and Türkiye. The largest ever Enlargement Package seems to show reinvigorated energy and greater prospects for accession than in the last decade, in spite of growing challenges such as political polarization and shrinking space for civil society. BCSDN’s analysis focuses on how the EC has assessed the environment of civil society in the Enlargement countries, comparing it with our Monitoring Matrix findings. The Commission acknowledges the crucial role of civil society in the Western Balkans and Türkiye’s accession, but highlights insufficient efforts for an enabling environment, with some countries regressing, raising concerns over freedom of association, assembly, and expression, as well as a lack of CSO-government cooperation. Read the full analysis here.
Source: BCSDN