News and updates from BCSDN and the region
At the Berlin Process Summit in October, the Civil Society and Think Tank Forum (CSF) presented policy recommendations to leaders from the Western Balkans, EU, and UK. Developed by over 115 civil society organizations across seven thematic groups, these recommendations focused on pressing issues: EU integration, reconciliation, gender diversity, energy, climate change, environmental protection, and
Read more →Foreign agents’ laws, already widespread across Europe, are now encroaching on the Western Balkans and Turkey. How can civil society effectively respond to the rising trend? Can dynamic accountability approaches counter harmful narratives? BCSDN is hosting a two-day virtual event, on November 6th and 8th at 14h CET to explore these pressing questions. During the
Read more →The European Commission’s latest Enlargement Package evaluates the progress of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine, and Türkiye on their EU accession paths. Civil society in the Western Balkans operates in diverse conditions, from largely enabling in Kosovo, Montenegro, and North Macedonia, to challenging in Albania and constrained in
Read more →EESC hosted the Enlargement High-Level Forum in Brussels on October 24, where over 140 representatives from civil society, governments, and EU institutions, including BCSDN members’ representatives, as a part ECMI initiative discussed the critical role of civil society in the EU accession process. The forum emphasized a collaborative approach for a “values-driven” enlargement, aligning candidate
Read more →BCSDN member, Center for Civil Society Promotion (CPCD), published the 2023 report on the civil society environment in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The report outlines both enabling aspects and critical challenges faced by CSOs. While CSOs maintain certain freedoms, such as the ability to register and operate with access to foreign funding, numerous obstacles persist. Key
Read more →Serbia and North Macedonia are rethinking EU membership, exploring alternatives that promise economic benefits without the EU’s demands. While the EU has promoted integration with the Western Balkans—most recently through the Berlin Process summit and a 6 billion EUR growth plan—progress remains mixed. North Macedonia’s path has stalled due to Bulgaria’s constitutional demands, while Serbia’s
Read more →The Coalition Against SLAPPs in Europe (CASE), the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF), and the Council of Europe will co-host the second European Anti-SLAPP Conference on November 14, 2024. The event will focus on combating SLAPPs—strategic lawsuits intended to intimidate and silence those exercising their rights to public participation. The conference will
Read more →Following the initiative by our Serbian member, Civic Initiatives, BCSDN facilitated high-level advocacy meetings in Brussels from October 1-3 to raise awareness of the growing crackdown on civic freedoms in Serbia. A public hearing in the European Parliament, hosted by Green MEPs Gordan Bosanac and Vladimir Prebilič, featured Serbian activists and CSO representatives, including Uroš
Read more →Civic Initiatives has released an updated version of their analysis on the repressive government’s mechanisms used in Serbia, supplementing it with new data and refreshing key sections. The report highlights how protests against lithium mining reflect broader demands for transparency, rule of law, and democratic governance. Over just ten days, these actions led to 41
Read more →The 2024 Civil Society and Think Tank Forum of the Berlin Process took place from October 9-11 in Berlin, celebrating its 10th anniversary. The event gathered over 115 organizations from the Western Balkans and the EU to discuss critical topics such as EU integration, energy transition, rule of law, gender and diversity, and others. Anja
Read more →The European Civic Forum, Civil Society Europe, and Liberties released two papers for establishing a protection mechanism for human rights defenders (HRDs) and CSOs in Europe. The Mapping Paper provides an overview of the existing protection landscape, identifying gaps and challenges faced by HRDs and CSOs, while the Pathways Paper proposes strategies to enhance this
Read more →The document answers key questions and clarifies common misconceptions about the proposed Directive on third-country interest representation. It highlights that the Directive would have failed to detect recent instances of foreign interference, such as Qatargate and Russiagate, and suggests it could negatively impact civic space and academic freedom. The Directive is already being used to
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