News and updates from BCSDN and the region
BCSDN is actively addressing civic space threats in Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina, calling national authorities to reverse harmful policies, notably recent amendments to the Republika Srpska Criminal Code and the draft ‘foreign agents’ law. Emphasizing the need for protected civic space and fundamental rights, BCSDN’s advocacy towards the EU is evident in monitoring and
Read more →The report on Bulgaria from the Fifth Evaluation Round by the Council of Europe’s Committee of Experts on Anti-Money Laundering Measures (MONEYVAL) evaluates the implementation of Financial Action Task Force (FATF) recommendations and assesses the effectiveness of Bulgaria’s AML/CFT system. Furthermore, the report offers recommendations for additional analysis and improvements in the country. Read more
Read more →On October 27, 2023, the FATF’s fourth Plenary, concluded in Paris. Delegates from the FATF’s Global Network and international organizations discussed key issues related to money laundering, terrorism financing, and proliferation financing. The Plenary addressed the Middle East situation, agreed to publish a report on Crowdfunding for Terrorism Financing, and made revisions to Recommendation 8.
Read more →The European Parliament adopted its position on the draft European Media Freedom Act. Ahead of the trilogues, Liberties reflects on the positive developments in the draft text, as well as some rejected amendments concerning media privilege and spyware. During the legislative process, multiple changes were made to the original text of the Act, and it
Read more →The Policy Brief advocates for increased financial support from governmental institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina at all levels to facilitate media creation and maintenance by minority groups. It underscores the imperative for mainstream and national media in the country to significantly amplify their production of content related to various minorities. It explains that this initiative
Read more →In an interview with Aida Daguda and Dajana Cvjetkovic from the BCSDN member CPCD, CIVICUS highlights the concerning deterioration of civic space in BiH. Expressing their concern about the rapid deterioration of civic space in BiH and the introduction of two new pieces of legislation in Republika Srpska. The first bill reintroduced criminal defamation into
Read more →The analysis prepared by MCIC provides a brief overview of the origins of the idea to create the Council, the formation of the Council, and its functioning until the end of 2022. Particular focus and detail are given to its functioning in 2022 and the implementation of the Council’s Work Program for 2022. Despite the
Read more →The National Convention on the European Union condemns the malicious and organized tabloid campaign to which the Belgrade Centre for Security Policy (BCSP), Igor Bandović and Bojan Elek, director and deputy director of this organization, are exposed. The systematic misuse of tabloids and other media to ruin the reputation of civil society organizations has become
Read more →Slapp lawsuits against public participation, as coined by University of Denver professors George Pring and Penelope Canan, translate d.o.o. are strategic lawsuits against public participation, essentially lawsuits by the most powerful and rich with the aim of silencing public interest issues. The first to be attacked by these lawsuits are journalists who, according to the
Read more →According to PACE’s Culture Committee, there is an urgent need for all Council of Europe member states to act together against SLAPPs – frivolous, vexatious, or malicious legal proceedings that aim to intimidate, harass, or silence their targets, thus threatening the public. European governments should enact powers to dismiss manifestly unfounded or abusive litigation, require
Read more →The newly released Civil Society State of the Union Report offers valuable insights and recommendations on meaningful actions. The report urges the EUI and member states to adopt a strategy that recognizes CSOs as allies in designing and implementing people-centered and human rights-based policies that foster inclusive public participation. To establish ethical frameworks that allow
Read more →Civil Society Europe published the Civil Society State of the Union report which provides recommendations to EU institutions, member states, and other stakeholders, including some specific to funding or fundraising. The report’s first recommendation is the creation of a strategy to “defend a safe and enabling environment for civil society”. This would include measures to
Read more →