News and updates from BCSDN and the region
The study “Civic Engagement 2024” by BCSDN’s member Macedonian Centre for International Cooperation (MCIC) reveals important findings about citizens’ participation in various forms of association, non-partisan political activities, and volunteering, as well as the reasons for (non)involvement and motivation for civic engagement in North Macedonia. Nearly half of the citizens do not know which forms
Read more →A new report by the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN) reveals alarming trends in surveillance and censorship across the Western Balkans. Covering developments through the end of 2024 and early 2025, the study highlights how digital technologies are increasingly used to monitor citizens, suppress dissent, and restrict media freedom despite formal legal alignment with EU
Read more →Women journalists across Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Serbia are facing an escalating wave of gender-based violence and intimidation. From relentless online abuse to targeted smear campaigns, the attacks are growing in frequency and ferocity—especially on social media. Investigative reporters, in particular, are bearing the brunt of this aggression, often enduring daily sexist insults,
Read more →A new study by Metamorphosis examines how the EU Digital Services Act (DSA) could impact civil society organizations and investigative journalists in North Macedonia. As the country continues aligning with European standards, the DSA introduces stricter rules for content moderation, algorithm transparency, and the accountability of digital platforms. The research explores how civil society actors
Read more →A new report examines the state of civic education across 35 European countries, highlighting its crucial role in promoting active citizenship and democratic stability. Building on a 2023 study, the report includes 13 additional countries and underscores ongoing challenges faced by civic actors, such as funding shortages, lack of recognition, and the need to adapt
Read more →A year after the adoption of the EU Anti-SLAPP Directive, legal scholars and civil society actors continue to assess its scope and potential. In a recent EU Law Live op-ed, key reflections are offered on the strengths and remaining gaps in the directive’s design—particularly around cross-border applicability and procedural safeguards for victims. While the directive
Read more →Concentrated media ownership, declining public funding, and the dominance of tech giants in advertising continue to erode editorial independence, with more than half of journalists reporting interference from media owners. While Europe remains the region with the highest level of press freedom, the Western Balkans face mixed developments. Kosovo experienced the sharpest decline in the
Read more →At the European Commission’s annual Rule of Law report meeting, Civil Society Europe (CSE) called for urgent protection of civic space and fundamental rights. Co-chaired by CSE and Caroline Hansen from the Human Rights and Democracy Network (HRDN), the session emphasized coordinated efforts in Brussels and across Europe to safeguard democracy against political threats. Reflecting
Read more →Civil Society Europe has announced the recipients of the 2025 Civil Dialogue Award, celebrating organisations that have demonstrated outstanding commitment to advancing structured civil dialogue and protecting civic space across Europe. The European Civic Forum was recognised for leading the #EUCivilDialogueNow campaign, pushing for a formalised framework for civil society participation at the EU level.
Read more →Kosovo’s Constitutional Court has annulled the controversial Law on the Independent Media Commission (IMC), marking a significant victory for media freedom and civil society in the country. The Court found that several provisions of the law undermined the independence of the IMC, including the method of proposing its members, criteria for dismissing the chairperson and
Read more →On 7 January, Meta ended its fact-checking program, introducing the “Community Notes” system that allows users to add context to posts. This has relaxed restrictions on sensitive topics like immigration and gender, which might permit hate speech under the guise of political discourse. An analytical commentary compares these shifts to the surge of hate speech
Read more →More than 2,000 media outlets globally have begun the Journalism Trust Initiative (JTI) certification process led by Reporters without Borders (RSF) to enhance media ethics. The JTI involves a self-assessment against 130 criteria using the JTI-app, publishing a transparency report, and an optional external audit for certification. Ten media outlets successfully completed the JTI self-assessment
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