News and updates from BCSDN and the region
The briefing paper prepared by the informal coalition of EU CSOs on the Defence of democracy Package coordinated by Civil Society Europe outlines concerns regarding the European Commission’s proposal for a directive on transparency of interest representation on behalf of third countries as part of the Defence of Democracy package. The proposal is criticized by
Read more →The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) congratulates BiH and its citizens for the decision of the European Council to open accession talks with the country. 110 local CSOs, including BCSDN member Center for Civil Society Promotion (CPCD), believe this is pivotal moment for the country’s political, economic, and social progress. Emphasizing EU accession as
Read more →The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has recommended Kosovo for membership, subject to fulfilling a comprehensive set of commitments and obligations upon accession. The Assembly’s opinion, passed by a majority vote, highlights the potential benefits of membership, such as strengthening human rights standards and ensuring access to the European Court of Human
Read more →Curious about recent concerns over manipulated elections in Serbia? Wondering how citizens are mobilizing amidst these irregularities? How do government responses impact civic engagement, and what successful advocacy strategies have emerged amid challenges? BCSDN and Civic Initiatives are organizing an online discussion, scheduled for April 17th at 11 am CET via Zoom, to address these
Read more →As part of our efforts to provide a more enabling civil society environment, and to inform our audience about recent civil society developments in the region, we present our periodical civil society updates. Divided into three areas based on our flagship tool, the Monitoring Matrix, the April 2024 report highlights ongoing challenges and progress in
Read more →In its latest Nations in Transit report, Freedom House reveals that all Western Balkan countries remain categorized as hybrid or transitional regimes. In 2024, Freedom House introduced new labels to indicate differences between hybrid regime types depending on the overall trajectory of democracy in the last five years – differentiating between “autocratizing hybrids”, “democratizing hybrids,
Read more →Ahead of the European Commission’s fifth annual rule of law report in July 2024, 39 CSOs across the EU urge action to enhance the effectiveness of the rule of law dialogue, improve reporting impact, and combat systematic human rights violations in EU Member States. CSOs emphasize the need for a transparent, participatory, and rule of
Read more →Open Gov Week is a global initiative promoted by the Open Government Partnership (OGP) to raise public awareness of the values of open government. On this occasion, reformers will come together in public debates, assemblies, hackathons, and webinars, and by sharing stories and good practices will accelerate solutions to respond most pressing problems and advance
Read more →BCSDN’s 18th Annual Council Meeting held in Vienna focused on reviewing past achievements, future plans, and adopting the new BCSDN Strategy 2024-2027. The meeting emphasized the importance of inclusive discussions, supported by Peace Nexus, to enhance monitoring, evidence-based advocacy, and stakeholder awareness. Significant milestones included the effectiveness of the Monitoring Matrix in advocating for an
Read more →The EU approves membership negotiations with BiH, eight years post-application, following the European Commission’s recognition of BiH’s progress in aligning with EU standards. The president of the European Council, Charles Michel welcomed the decision, affirming BiH’s place in the European family. President of the EC von der Leyen hails historic advancements, including foreign policy alignment
Read more →RECLAIM, an initiative aiming to counter the EU’s democracy crisis and the increasing global disregard for human rights, launches an EU Law Helpdesk to aid European CSOs combating government efforts to restrict civil society. Autocratic-leaning governments enact laws limiting CSO operations, violating democratic principles. RECLAIM offers legal counseling, assisting in constructing arguments, suggesting procedural avenues,
Read more →Western Balkans leaders, under the Berlin process, launched the Common Regional Market initiative, centered on the four freedoms and including digital, investment, innovation, and industry policies. The Western Balkan countries undergo different progress and challenges of the Common Regional Market initiative, focusing on the ratification status of mobility agreements. While Montenegro ratified all four agreements,
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