News and updates from BCSDN and the region
The 2026 edition of Enlargement Days, organised by the European Committee of the Regions, will take place on 2–3 June under the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Bringing together local and regional authorities from the EU and enlargement countries, this year’s discussions will focus on Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI)
Read more →Albania has officially entered the concluding phase of its EU accession negotiations after fulfilling the Interim Benchmark Assessment Report (IBAR) requirements under Cluster 1 “Fundamentals”, becoming only the second candidate country after Montenegro to reach this stage. Speaking at the latest Intergovernmental Conference in Brussels, the EU Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos described the development
Read more →Five EU Member States- Austria, Italy, Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Slovenia have proposed a gradual, merit-based integration of Western Balkan countries into the EU Single Market, aiming to maintain enlargement momentum and strengthen the region’s alignment with the European Union. According to the proposal, candidate countries could progressively access additional EU programmes and policy areas
Read more →The newly launched Civic Space Report of the European Civic Forum (ECF), presented at the European Parliament in Brussels, raises serious concerns over the continued deterioration of civic space across the Western Balkans. The chapter dedicated to the region, authored by BCSDN, documents a widening gap between formal democratic commitments and the increasingly restrictive realities faced by CSOs, activists, journalists, and independent
Read more →The European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) adopted the 2025 reports on Albania and Montenegro at a time of renewed momentum for EU enlargement and increased attention to the credibility of the accession process in the Western Balkans. The reports welcome progress in both countries while stressing that further reforms remain necessary, particularly in
Read more →A proposed initiative in Bugojno to introduce local public order measures allowing police sanctions for “insulting” or “disturbing” content on social media has raised concerns among journalists, media experts, and CSOs in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The proposal follows a similar decision previously adopted in Kakanj, where local authorities expanded the definition of “public space” to include online platforms,
Read more →The newly launched RESILIO-ACCESS Monitor, an analytical tool designed to measure the resilience of the rule of law in EU accession countries, introduces a new approach to assessing both institutional capacity and the ability of democratic systems to withstand political pressure, democratic backsliding, and autocratisation attempts. By bringing together comparative data and resilience-focused analysis, the Monitor
Read more →In an open letter to EU institutions, BCSDN calls for clear safeguards, participation, and dedicated funding for civil society in the 2028–2034 MFF, warning that enlargement will depend on how commitments translate into real support. While the EU Civil Society Strategy and European Democracy Shield signal stronger recognition of civil society, current proposals—marked by more
Read more →Western Balkan countries risk losing over 700 million EUR from the EU Growth Plan by mid-2026 due to delays in implementing agreed reforms. The EU Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos warned regional governments to accelerate progress and fully utilise available funding. While initial disbursements have reached most countries, Bosnia and Herzegovina remains behind due to
Read more →The fifth European SLAPP Contest, organised by the CASE Coalition on 28 April, highlighted individuals and entities using lawsuits to silence critics across Europe. Winners included the Barabás Brothers (HELL ENERGY Ltd, Hungary) as SLAPP Addict of the Year, Belgian politician Claude Eerdekens as SLAPP Politician of the Year, Croatian judge Ivan Marković as SLAPP
Read more →Media freedom in the EU continued to deteriorate in 2025, despite the adoption of new legislation, according to the Liberties Media Freedom Report 2026. While instruments such as the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) and the Anti-SLAPP Directive were expected to strengthen protections, slow and often superficial implementation has limited their impact. Persistent concerns remain,
Read more →Reporters Without Borders has released its 2026 World Press Freedom Index, marking its 25th edition, warning of a global deterioration in journalism conditions, with 100 out of 180 countries recording a decline. Political pressure, growing authoritarian tendencies, and a weakened media market continue to undermine press freedom worldwide. In Europe and Central Asia, the region
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