Liberties Launches Civic Space Tracker to Monitor Legal Threats Across the EU
The Civil Liberties Union for Europe (Liberties) has launched a new Civic Space Tracker, a digital tool for monitoring legal threats to civic space across…
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News and updates from BCSDN and the region
New Western Balkans Recommendations Link Digital Platform Governance with Fundamental Rights and Media Freedom
Civil society, media and other stakeholders in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia have developed 197 recommendations aimed at improving digital platform…
Read more →Daphne Caruana Galizia Case Raises Renewed Concerns over Protection of Journalists and SLAPP Victims
The Coalition Against SLAPPs in Europe (CASE) has expressed serious concern following the acquittal of Yorgen Fenech, who had been standing trial for complicity and…
Read more →25 Years of BCSDN: Celebrating Our Journey with a New Website
We are excited to introduce the new BCSDN website — a refreshed, accessible and easy-to-navigate space designed to better reflect who we are today. Explore BCSDN’s work on civic space, EU policies and enlargement, and donor strategies and practices, with research, analyses, projects and resources now easier to find. The website also tells more of
Read more →When Speaking Out Comes with a Lawsuit: BCSDN Launches Regional Campaign Against SLAPPs
BCSDN and members are launching a regional campaign against Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs), drawing attention to how abusive legal action can be used to intimidate, exhaust and silence those speaking in the public interest. Across the Western Balkans, journalists, activists, CSOs, environmental and human rights defenders, and citizens can face legal pressure whose
Read more →2026 OECD Global Forum on Building Trust and Reinforcing Democracy (12-13 October, Paris)
The 2026 OECD Global Forum on Building Trust and Reinforcing Democracy, taking place on 12–13 October in Paris, will focus on how democratic governments can become more responsive and resilient in a period of rapid change and disruption. Under the theme “Government Unstuck: Resilient Democracies in a Fast-Changing World,” the Forum will address declining public
Read more →Global Conference on Electoral FIMI and Democracy- Call for Panel Contributions (Deadline: 18 September)
International IDEA is inviting organisations to submit panel proposals for the Global Conference on Electoral Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI) and Democracy, taking place on 3–4 March 2027 in Chișinău, Moldova. The conference will bring together CSOs, researchers, public institutions, regulators and policy actors to exchange evidence, methods and strategies for strengthening democratic resilience
Read more →Possible Now, #Shift the Power Global Summit (Kathmandu, Nepal 2 – 4 December 2026)
The Possible Now Summit, taking place in Kathmandu, Nepal, from 2–4 December 2026, will bring together people exploring new approaches to social change, solidarity and collective action. Emerging from the 2023 #ShiftThePower Global Summit in Bogotá, Possible Now seeks to connect innovative but often isolated practices and experiments into a broader ecosystem capable of challenging
Read more →EU SEE Analysis Highlights Key Challenges for Civil Society Across Regions
The EU System for an Enabling Environment (EU SEE) analysis of 1,218 recommendations from 54 Country Focus Reports identifies recurring challenges affecting civil society across regions. Access to sustainable resources emerges as the leading concern, driven by declining traditional donor funding, dependence on short-term project support and administrative barriers that particularly affect smaller and local
Read more →BCSDN to Pilot a Regional Civic Space Early Warning System
BCSDN is launching the Regional Civic Space Early Warning System & Response Mechanism, a 12-month pilot aimed at identifying emerging civic space threats earlier and translating existing evidence into timely engagement and response. Across the Western Balkans and Türkiye, restrictive legislation, administrative and financial pressures, intimidation, attacks and limitations on participation can accumulate, while responses
Read more →How Far Can Civic Space Deteriorate Before Safeguards Step In? BCSDN Analysis on EC RoL Report for Accession Countries
BCSDN’s analysis of the 2026 European Commission Rule of Law Reports, compared with findings from its Monitoring Matrix, highlights continued pressure on civic space across Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia. While the EC captures many important concerns, BCSDN’s monitoring provides a broader picture of implementation gaps and accumulating legal, administrative, financial and digital pressures
Read more →Regional Consultations Shape Civic Space Priorities Ahead of the Civil Society and Think Tank Forum
Throughout June and July, BCSDN member Partners Albania organised three regional consultation meetings under Thematic Working Group on Civic Space and Democratization, bringing together around 50 civil society, media, think tank representatives and experts from across the Western Balkans. The consultations provided a space to identify shared challenges affecting civic space and democratic development, exchange
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