News and updates from BCSDN and the region
For the 11th time, BCSDN Western Balkans members are conducting an annual survey to evaluate the state of civil society enabling environment in the region. The aim is to understand the challenges faced by CSOs in the past year, enabling responsible and evidence-based advocacy for improving policies and practices related to civil society in each
Read more →Wealthy and powerful individuals, particularly politicians and businesspeople, employ various tactics to threaten and sue public watchdogs exposing crime and corruption. Despite facing mental and financial challenges, journalists, activists, and academics persevere to safeguard democracy. The lack of consequences for SLAPP litigants, who often make baseless accusations, fosters a culture of impunity. The CASE coalition
Read more →Civil Society for EU Manifesto calls on future EU leaders to recognize, support, and fully engage with civil society, emphasizing its pivotal role in promoting rights, amplifying underrepresented voices, and aiding governments in addressing people’s needs. Ahead of the 2024 EU elections, the campaign urges endorsement of a manifesto for improved civic space and civil
Read more →The European Commission’s proposed directive, part of the Defence of Democracy package, aims to establish common transparency standards for interest representation activities conducted on behalf of third countries within the internal market. The directive seeks to address concerns about “covert foreign interference” but faces criticism by CSOs. The European Civic Forum argue that the directive
Read more →The EU Agency for Fundamental Rights’s (FRA) annual civic space consultation, covering the year 2023, has been recently launched. The survey is open to all CSOs working in an EU Member State and in Serbia, Albania, and North Macedonia (which are Observer members to the FRA), or at the EU level. Even CSOs who are
Read more →On behalf of the European Commission, and DG NEAR, the EU TACSO 3 project invites CSOs from Western Balkans and Türkiye to take part in the second assessment against the DG NEAR Guidelines for EU Support to Civil Society in the Western Balkans and Türkiye 2021-2027. This assessment aims to assess the situation against the
Read more →Catalyst Balkans and BCSDN present the third edition of “Mapping Donors in the Western Balkans”. The report provides valuable insights into the current donor landscape, focusing on bilateral, multilateral, and private foundations, and corporate donors supporting civil society. Key questions addressed include the donors’ activity levels, areas of focus, and interactions with funded organizations. The research
Read more →The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) is inviting representatives from employers’ organizations, trade unions, and CSOs in EU candidate countries to apply for the role of “enlargement candidate members” (ECMs). This initiative allows for the active involvement of civil society from candidate countries in the EESC’s work as external participants. The ECMs will contribute
Read more →In early 2023, the Georgian Parliament introduced two draft laws on foreign funding for civil society and media, which drew criticism for violating international standards. ECNL and ICNL conducted analyses of the two draft laws, presenting how they would violate international standards and harm the Georgian people Despite strong political support, mass protests pressure from CSOs,
Read more →The Investigative Journalism for Europe (IJ4EU) fund presents its fifth edition, offering 2 million EUR in grants for cross-border investigations across Europe. Open to journalists across greater number of countries than before, the program includes grants of up to 50,000 EUR, along with training, mentoring, legal help, and new collaboration tools. IJ4EU, led by the
Read more →DLA Piper, ECNL, and PILnet present the Global Nonprofits Guide, a free tool facilitating the navigation of nonprofit laws worldwide. This resource assists in establishing nonprofits, covering diverse legal aspects, from registration and governance structures to compliance with employment and tax regulations. The guide includes information on reporting requirements, funding rules, and the process of
Read more →In response to civic space threats in Republika Srpska, BiH, including amendments re-criminalizing defamation and the adoption of the draft ‘foreign agents’ law,’ BCSDN conducted the online discussion ‘Defending Civic Space in the Balkans’ on November 9. The event put focus on several regional advocacy efforts aimed at drawing regional and international attention to the
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