News and updates from BCSDN and the region
The EFA European Fundraising Forum will bring together fundraisers, sector leaders and stakeholders on 19 November 2026 in Leuven to discuss developments shaping fundraising and philanthropy across Europe. The Forum will explore how regulation, technology and changing civic space are affecting fundraising, alongside questions of purpose, impact and long-term sustainability. Participants will exchange perspectives on
Read more →The EU’s Growth Plan is reshaping the enlargement process by making financial support increasingly conditional on the delivery of measurable reforms rather than commitments alone. Through performance-based funding and Reform Agendas, the initiative strengthens the link between democratic reforms, gradual integration into the EU Single Market and eventual accession. At the halfway point of implementation,
Read more →The European Commission is expected to reallocate funding under the Reform and Growth Facility for the Western Balkans to countries demonstrating stronger reform performance. According to EU officials, Montenegro, Albania and North Macedonia are set to benefit from the redistribution after making the most progress in implementing agreed reform agendas. In contrast, Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Read more →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
Read more →Negotiations on the EU’s 2028–2034 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) have intensified following a proposal by the Cyprus Presidency to reduce the European Commission’s nearly EUR 2 trillion budget proposal by 2%. While southern and eastern Member States have largely welcomed the proposal, particularly the protection of agricultural and regional funding, fiscally conservative countries led by
Read more →The European Commission has released a new package of funding under the Reform and Growth Facility for the Western Balkans, allocating €49 million to Albania, €44.2 million to Montenegro, and €65.7 million to North Macedonia. The disbursement follows the Commission’s positive assessment of reform progress in areas including business competitiveness, innovation, education, and digitalisation. Part
Read more →Growing concerns are emerging over the future of EU support for civil society after reports revealed that several established pro-European think tanks and advocacy organisations have lost operating grants under the European Commission’s CERV programme. Organisations such as the European Policy Centre, the Jacques Delors Institute, and the Robert Schuman Foundation are among those affected,
Read more →Slovenia has renewed its partnership with Iceland, Norway, and Liechtenstein under the EEA and Norway Grants framework for 2021–2028, securing €50 million to support democratic resilience, social inclusion, public health, and local development. Civil society remains a key priority within the new funding period, with the EEA Civil Society Fund continuing to support grassroots initiatives,
Read more →The European Commission is reportedly withholding disbursement of Serbia’s Growth Plan funding following concerns over recently adopted judicial laws that raised questions regarding judicial independence and alignment with EU rule of law standards. The reported decision reflects the increasingly conditional nature of EU financial support under the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans, where access to funding is tied
Read more →A new analysis by the Center for Global Development (CGD) examines growing tensions surrounding the EU’s proposed redesign of the Global Europe Instrument, the Union’s main financing tool for external action and development cooperation. While welcoming the instrument’s increased flexibility and stronger focus on infrastructure, investment, and geopolitical realities, the analysis warns that the proposal
Read more →A recent report by Peace Direct examines how funding approaches can better support civil society, particularly in the context of declining official development assistance and increasing pressure on local actors. Based on research and consultations with funders and grantee partners, the report identifies flexible funding as a key approach, highlighting that core or unrestricted funding
Read more →Official development assistance (ODA) fell to USD 174.3 billion in 2025—a sharp 23.1% drop and the largest annual decline on record, reversing gains made since the start of the 2030 Agenda. The contraction was driven largely by cuts from major donors, with the United States alone accounting for most of the decrease. Both bilateral and
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