News and updates from BCSDN and the region
The recent Serbian elections underscored severe threats to democracy, characterized by violations of basic human rights and a lack of accountability among public authorities, reflecting a broader erosion of democratic values. In response to these issues, together with Civic Initiatives, on 17 April we hosted an online discussion on electoral integrity in Serbia amidst civic
Read more →The Liberties’ Media Freedom Report 2024 unveils a dire situation for media freedom and pluralism across Europe, with some countries facing the imminent collapse of their media landscapes. While the European Media Freedom Act offers some hope, it falls short of addressing the systemic issues. The erosion of media freedom is evident through widespread journalist
Read more →The EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) is conducting a consultation with its civil society network to gather insights on the added value of EU funding for fundamental rights and areas needing further development. The results will contribute to the European Commission’s 2024 Annual Report on the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights with a focus
Read more →ICNL’s report develops a typology of salient features of foreign influence registration laws to assess their potential impact on civil society and to help compare and contrast these laws across countries. It then shares key recommendations for substantive arguments against overbroad foreign influence registration laws and potential response strategies. Governments worldwide have implemented foreign influence
Read more →The upcoming European Parliament elections and the selection of a new European Commission in June 2024 present an opportunity for the EU to reaffirm its commitment to freedom of expression and access to information. ARTICLE 19 highlights key priorities for the incoming Commission, advocating for an open, fair, and inclusive information environment. These priorities include
Read more →SCiDEV raises concerns about Albania’s proposed parliamentary committee to address disinformation, questioning its necessity and scope. While acknowledging the importance of the issue, SCiDEV argues that existing mechanisms, like the Parliamentary Committee on Education and Means of Public Information and the Parliamentary Committee on Security, can handle the matter adequately. Reports on media freedom (Reporters
Read more →Despite opposition and criticism, Republika Srpska proceeded with its controversial proposed law on “foreign agents,” targeting the work of NPOs in the entity. The law would define “agents of foreign influence” as NPOs assisted by foreign entities that are engaged in political activities, try to influence public opinion and undermine the integrity and constitution of
Read more →The Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers adopted the Recommendation on countering the use of strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs). The newly adopted Recommendation provides a definition of SLAPPs, understood “as legal actions that are threatened, initiated or pursued as means of harassing or intimidating their target, and which seek to prevent, inhibit, restrict
Read more →ENCL’s latest position paper analyzes how the proposed Directive of the European Parliament and the Council establishing harmonised requirements in the internal market on transparency of interest representation carried out on behalf of third countries and amending the previous Directive may unnecessarily and disproportionately impact CSOs’ activities, as well as their freedom of expression, association,
Read more →The SafeJournalists Network expresses concern over coordinated efforts to undermine Citizens Channel, an independent media outlet in Albania. Recent actions to remove its content from Facebook, citing violations such as spam or rule-breaking, threaten independent journalism and citizens’ right to quality information. Such attacks not only infringe on journalistic rights but also intimidate other media
Read more →The European Centre for Not-for-Profit Law (ECNL), Liberties, and the European Civic Forum (ECF) scrutinize the European Union’s Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act), approved by the European Parliament on March 13. Despite being three years in the making, the AI Act fails to adequately safeguard fundamental rights and civic space. The organizations highlight five major
Read more →Romania faces a year of intense political campaigning as it organizes European, local, presidential, and parliamentary elections. Jornalists’ ability to successfully exercise the journalistic mission will be crucial for ensuring free and fair elections. Journalists must resist political pressure to report on political leaders, their programmes, and their records in office to ensure the public
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