News and updates from BCSDN and the region
The European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) adopted Rapporteur for Serbia Tonino Picula’s report on Serbia, with 51 votes in favor, 14 against, and 10 abstentions. The final report is considerably stricter than the initial draft, assessing Serbia as having made limited or no progress in democratic governance, the rule of law, media freedom,
Read more →EESC convened the EU–Western Balkans Civil Society High-Level Conference in Vienna on 29 May under the auspices of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Bringing together civil society representatives, policymakers, social partners, EU institutions, and stakeholders from the Western Balkans and EU Member States, the event focused on how to strengthen
Read more →A non-paper signed by Germany, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg proposes a general template for future accession treaties to ensure that forthcoming EU enlargements strengthen rather than strain the Union. The document calls for enhanced safeguards in the rule of law, including a binding non-regression clause and an extended safeguard clause covering democratic principles
Read more →BiEPAG published an analysis of the 2026 EU–Western Balkans Summit, examining the implications of the new Merz–Macron proposal on gradual integration and the future of EU enlargement. The analysis explores opportunities for deeper integration of candidate countries into EU policies and the Single Market before full membership, while also warning against rewarding limited reforms and
Read more →What began as a reaction to the Novi Sad railway station tragedy has evolved into one of Serbia’s largest civic mobilisations in recent history. Led by students and supported by citizens, workers, academics, farmers, and trade unions, the movement has grown into a broader call for accountability, institutional responsibility, transparent governance, and democratic renewal. At
Read more →BCSDN participated in the EU–Western Balkans Civil Society High-Level Conference organised by the EESC in Vienna under the auspices of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU. Held ahead of the upcoming EU–Western Balkans Summit, the conference brought together representatives of EU institutions, governments, CSOs, and policy experts to discuss enlargement, democratic resilience,
Read more →CSOs across the Western Balkans and Türkiye are invited to contribute to the 2025 assessment of the DG NEAR Guidelines for EU Support to Civil Society 2021–2027, conducted by Hajde4EU on behalf of the European Commission (DG ENEST). The survey explores key issues affecting civil society, including civic space, legal frameworks, public funding, and CSO
Read more →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 →