News and updates from BCSDN and the region
Croatian CSOs, gathered in the informal network Forum 2021, through in-person consultations in five cities, as well as online consultations, to come to an agreement on the priorities for the Presidency of the Council of the EU from January to June 2020. They are cognizant that the Presidency of the Council of the EU presents
Read more →Three decades since the beginning of democratization processes, the Western Balkan countries have built a democratic façade by holding elections, by promulgating legal acts guaranteeing freedom of expression, or by constitutionally declaring a strict system of checks and balances. In reality, however, political elites rely on informal structures, clientelism, and control of the media to
Read more →Rendir APP is a self-assessment tool designed to improve CSO accountability. The Аpp helps CSOs identify their current strengths and it provides recommendations that the organizations can implement to improve the areas identified as weakest. The Global Standard for CSO Accountability includes 12 aspirational commitments: they focus not only in what organizations currently do, but
Read more →12 European CSOs unveiled their set of recommendations for a successful Conference on the Future of Europe. The recommendations emerged as outcome of a series of brainstorming sessions between European CSOs held in autumn 2019. The CSOs’ common key recommendations for the Conference on the Future of Europe are: an open mandate for the Conference;
Read more →CSOs are invited to contribute to the development of the UN coherent and systematic approach to protecting and promoting civic space. The feedback and recommendations received during the consultations will feed into the development of the UN’s overall approach and strategy on the protection and promotion of civic space. The target audience for this consultation
Read more →The Western Balkans Network The Future of the Welfare State (FWS), utilizing the Open Method of Coordination as a tool and the EU Pillar for Social Rights as a relevant policy framework, initiates coordination in education, social protection and social inclusion in the Western Balkans that includes: agreeing on elements of a common Western Balkans
Read more →CSOs are innovators, testing new approaches to both traditional and emerging problems. One of today’s issues creating an unprecedented challenge to civil society is the rise of populist leaders and their pervasive rhetoric, in different parts of the world. Populists have been adept at winning hearts and minds and creating or mining divisions in society,
Read more →Dear partners and members, 2019 has been a great year for internal growth and recognition of our work. At the same time, it has been a difficult year for the region, for civil society, and for citizens. We have seen a decline in democracy and civic space in many countries. We present a short recap
Read more →The Human Freedom Index presents a broad measure of human freedom, understood as the absence of coercive constraint. The findings in the HFI suggest that freedom plays an important role in human well-being, and they offer opportunities for further research into the complex ways in which freedom influences, and can be influenced by, political regimes,
Read more →The ongoing debate at the EU and Member State levels on the new enlargement methodology indicates that there is a different understanding across Europe on how to renew the accession process. The French veto over the start of EU accession talks with N. Macedonia and Albania, despite the EC’s recommendation, and a non-paper coming from
Read more →A group of CSOs appealed to Prime Minister Andrej Plenković for transparency during Croatia’s EU presidency in 2020 so as to contribute to legislative and lobbyist transparency in the Council of the EU. Transparency is the key first step in curbing excessive corporate influence, noticeable in the Council’s many negotiations on new regulations and directives.
Read more →Liberties’ team of experts has prepared a series of one-page briefings for the new arrivals, summarizing a bunch of civil liberties issues that we are dealing with: what the problems are, why they matter to the EU, and what we think the EU can do to solve them. CSOs are key to the proper functioning
Read more →