News and updates from BCSDN and the region
The first Reform Agenda Update: Pilot Reform Monitor introduces mid-year reports on reform implementation in the Western Balkans. The key findings from the Reform Monitor reports, which track the implementation of the national reform agendas in the WB, reveal a persistent gap between political commitments and effective implementation, with many reform steps remaining pending. The
Read more →A new analysis by Alberto Alemanno for EUobserver reveals that policies originally intended for transparency are being weaponized across Europe to dismantle independent civil society. Under the guise of simplification, governments and EU institutions are imposing heavy burdens, with national laws (e.g., in Hungary and Slovakia) classifying EU funds as a form of foreign influence.
Read more →The European Parliament (EP) has delivered a powerful validation of civil society concerns, adopting a resolution that places stringent conditions on Serbia’s EU accession path. The text strongly condemns the escalating political polarization and state repression in the country, aligning directly with the alarms raised by the Balkan Civil Society Development Network (BCSDN) regarding shrinking
Read more →The “Resilient Voices: Western Balkans Civil Society in a Changing World” (Tirana, Oct 1, 2025) gathered over 150 CSOs, policymakers, and donors to confront escalating pressures on civic space, including smear campaigns and potential burdensome EU foreign funding regulations. The event culminated in the publication of a Declaration, which outlines concrete steps for CSOs, governments,
Read more →Balkan Civil Society Development Network Executive Director Biljana Spasovska, speaking at the OGP Global Summit in Vitoria-Gasteiz during the “Participation and Inclusion” Global Dialogue, highlighted the escalating crisis facing CSOs in the Western Balkans. The threat now includes new, problematic legislation alongside tactics like smear campaigns and arbitrary inspections, which effectively silence independent voices. Spasovska
Read more →The Vitoria-Gasteiz Declaration was officially adopted at the 2025 OGP Global Summit, securing almost 160 new endorsements. This major commitment unites governments, civil society, and partners in a shared global effort to strengthen democracy and protect civic space. The Declaration reaffirms the open government community’s core commitment to transparency, participation, and accountability as tools to
Read more →The UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, Gina Romero, has released a new report sounding the alarm over the escalating threats to civic space worldwide. According to the report, the erosion of these fundamental rights has been compounded by the dismantling of global aid systems and increasing
Read more →The “Guidelines on the Right to Peaceful Environmental Protest and Civil Disobedience” have been released, drawing on both the Aarhus Convention and international human rights treaties and standards. These Guidelines provide both guiding and operational principles to assist Aarhus Parties and other UN Member States in protecting environmental defenders who engage in peaceful protest, including
Read more →The Regional Conference “Resilient Voices: Western Balkans Civil Society in a Changing World”, co-hosted by BCSDN and Partners Albania, concluded successfully on October 1, 2025, in Tirana. The event gathered civil society representatives, policymakers, institutional actors, and donors from across the Western Balkans and the European Union. The conference addressed the sector’s challenges and opportunities,
Read more →BCSDN announces the upcoming release of its new policy research, “Donor Support, Civic Space, and the Future of Civil Society in the Western Balkans,” highlighting that independent civil society is both “indispensable and endangered” in the region. The research unpacks shifting priorities, funding modalities, and approaches to strengthening civic space in a time of geopolitical
Read more →On September 23, in Podgorica, the Berlin Process’s Civil Society Forum brought together civil society actors from across the Western Balkans ahead of the annual Berlin Proces, aiming to finalize key policy recommendations in the six policy areas: Common Regional Market and Growth; Gender and Diversity; Reconciliation and Dealing with the Past; Environment, Energy and Decarbonisation; Security;
Read more →The Serbian government is proposing an amendment to Article 290 of the Criminal Code, which would effectively criminalize road blockades and carry a potential penalty of imprisonment. The change removes the requirement that an obstruction must endanger life or property to be an offense, meaning halting transport services contrary to regulations is now sufficient for prosecution. Civil society
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