News and updates from BCSDN and the region
On 19 June 2025, the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina adopted its first national Strategy for Creating an Enabling Environment for the Development of Civil Society 2025–2029, alongside an action plan for 2025–2026. The strategy sets four key goals: improving transparency and efficiency of public funding for CSOs, strengthening legal guarantees for CSO
Read more →A new BIRN analysis highlights persistent failures across the Balkans in implementing freedom of information (FOI) laws. While most countries in the region have adopted legal frameworks guaranteeing public access to information, enforcement remains weak and inconsistent. Authorities often delay responses, deny requests without justification, or impose unreasonable fees, with little risk of sanctions. Oversight
Read more →Metamorphosis Foundation’s latest shadow report finds that media freedom in North Macedonia continues to face systemic threats. Journalists report persistent harassment, self-censorship due to politically motivated editorial pressure, and a lack of transparency in media ownership. Regulatory bodies remain weakly resourced and prone to political influence, and public service media are often used to disseminate
Read more →The European Parliamentary Forum on Sexual and Reproductive Rights (EPF) unveiled its latest flagship report, The Next Wave: How Religious Extremism Is Regaining Power, during a high-profile event held on 26 June 2025 at the European Parliament in Brussels. The report analyzes the resurgence and transformation of anti-gender networks, focusing on how these groups have
Read more →The third Regional Report of the EU’s Assessment against the DG ENEST Guidelines for EU Support to Civil Society in the Enlargement Region 2021-2027 has been released. This annual report, compiled by the EU TACSO 3 team, provides a regional overview to spotlight notable positive and negative developments within Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro,
Read more →In a significant shift in parliamentary dynamics, the European Parliament on Thursday voted to establish a working group dedicated to scrutinizing EU funding of NGOs. This move, spearheaded by the center-right European People’s Party (EPP) and supported by right-wing factions including the ECR and far-right PfE, aims to increase oversight of civil society organizations, which
Read more →An urgent call for a systematic and institutional approach to combat foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI) in North Macedonia was issued today at an expert meeting in the Assembly of the Republic of North Macedonia. Organized by the Parliamentary Committee on Defense and Security and the Institute of Communication Studies (ICS), the session highlighted
Read more →BIRN has released “Serbia on the Streets,” a new, free e-book compiling Balkan Insight’s extensive coverage of the student-led protest movement that swept Serbia from November 2024 to May 2025. Available now for free download in PDF and EPUB formats, the collection begins with the tragic Novi Sad railway station disaster on November 1, 2024,
Read more →The Fundamental Rights Report 2025 paints a stark picture of the ongoing threats to fundamental rights across Europe. The report covers all 27 EU Member States as well as Albania, North Macedonia, and Serbia. With democracy under siege, the report exposes alarming trends, including a rise in violence against women and serious rights abuses at EU
Read more →A recent report released by BIRN Serbia and Internews Kosova reveals that Kosovo and Serbian media tend to concentrate primarily on crises and incidents when covering the complex relationship between the two nations. The report, titled “Journalistic Perspectives on Serbia-Kosovo Relations,” argues that this limited scope contributes to growing mistrust and the spread of misinformation,
Read more →In a significant move, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) General Assembly convened on June 3 in Budapest, to express deep concern over the alarming rise in attacks, threats, and pressure on journalists in Serbia. The resolution was put forth by the Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (NUNS) and the Trade Union of Culture, Arts,
Read more →In a vigorous response to proposed amendments to the Electoral Code in North Macedonia, various civic initiatives presented their demands to Parliament on May 30, calling for markedly easier conditions for independent candidacies. These groups are advocating for a maximum requirement of just 50 signatures for independent lists, permission to gather signatures outside State Election
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