News and updates from BCSDN and the region
The Croatian Journalists’ Association (HND) has renewed its call for the full decriminalisation of offences against honour and reputation, urging the Government to remove insult and defamation from the Criminal Code as part of the upcoming legislative amendments. While welcoming Croatia’s new Anti-SLAPP law, HND warns that its safeguards do not extend to criminal proceedings,
Read more →Albania’s “Flamingo Revolution,” which began in opposition to controversial tourism developments affecting protected natural areas, has evolved into a broader anti-government movement demanding political accountability. The latest protests escalated into clashes between demonstrators and police outside Parliament, while journalist Vjolanda Peca of Citizens.al was reportedly arrested while covering the demonstrations, prompting renewed concerns over media
Read more →24 CSOs in Albania, including BCSDN member Partners Albania, have issued a joint public statement following the 2 July protests in Tirana, expressing concern over allegations of disproportionate use of force, ill-treatment of detained protesters, obstacles to effective access to legal counsel and independent medical examinations, and the risk of losing key evidence. The organisations
Read more →The European Parliament has adopted a Resolution on Serbia, reaffirming that the country’s progress towards EU membership depends on genuine democratic reforms and their effective implementation. The Resolution calls for tangible progress in the rule of law, judicial independence, free and fair elections, media freedom, the fight against corruption and organised crime, and stronger engagement
Read more →In an opinion article, former Montenegrin Deputy Prime Minister Jovana Marović argues that Montenegro’s accession process is becoming a testing ground for the European Union’s future enlargement policy. It explores how the EU is seeking to reconcile the geopolitical imperative of enlargement with growing concerns over democratic backsliding after accession. A stronger role for EU
Read more →Representatives of banks, the National Bank, the Financial Intelligence Office and CSOs met in Skopje to discuss the implementation of the revised Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Recommendation 8, which calls for a risk-based and proportionate approach to preventing the misuse of non-profit organizations for terrorist financing without restricting their legitimate work. Discussions focused on
Read more →More than 100 CSOs have addressed an open letter to the European Commission, expressing concern that proposed changes to the Better Regulation framework risk weakening evidence-based policymaking, transparency and democratic participation. The signatories argue that the reforms would disproportionately prioritize business interests by expanding urgency procedures, narrowing impact assessments, increasing reliance on targeted consultations and
Read more →During her visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kaja Kallas, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, reaffirmed that the country’s stability, sovereignty and territorial integrity are of strategic importance to the European Union. Meeting with members of the Presidency and political leaders, she stressed that sustained reforms remain the fastest path towards
Read more →During the second meeting of the Monitoring Committee for the Reform and Growth Facility (RGF), stakeholders reviewed progress in implementing North Macedonia’s Reform Agenda and discussed ways to strengthen oversight of the reform process. Contributing to the discussion, the European Policy Institute (EPI) highlighted the importance of ensuring structured, transparent, and meaningful participation of CSOs
Read more →The SafeJournalists Network has expressed concern over the targeting of researcher Getoarbe Mulliqi and journalist and academic Dinko Gruhonjić following the publication of their analysis on media reporting about dealing with the past in the Western Balkans. According to the Network, the authors were subjected to a smear campaign initiated by a Serbian tabloid, using
Read more →A new analysis by the EU System for an Enabling Environment for Civil Society (EU SEE) highlights the growing global use of “foreign agents” legislation to restrict civic space, limit access to funding and undermine the legitimacy of CSOs. Drawing on evidence from 86 countries through the EU SEE Early Warning Mechanism, it shows how
Read more →Seventeen years after introducing rules on public participation in lawmaking, Slovenia continues to fall short on ensuring transparent and inclusive legislative processes. According to newly published data, the current government adopted 1,945 laws, regulations, and rulebooks, but only 659 proposals (33%) were open for the required 30-day public consultation period. Compliance was particularly low in
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