News and updates from BCSDN and the region
BCSDN announces the upcoming release of its new policy research, “Donor Support, Civic Space, and the Future of Civil Society in the Western Balkans,” highlighting that independent civil society is both “indispensable and endangered” in the region. The research unpacks shifting priorities, funding modalities, and approaches to strengthening civic space in a time of geopolitical
Read more →On September 23, in Podgorica, the Berlin Process’s Civil Society Forum brought together civil society actors from across the Western Balkans ahead of the annual Berlin Proces, aiming to finalize key policy recommendations in the six policy areas: Common Regional Market and Growth; Gender and Diversity; Reconciliation and Dealing with the Past; Environment, Energy and Decarbonisation; Security;
Read more →The Serbian government is proposing an amendment to Article 290 of the Criminal Code, which would effectively criminalize road blockades and carry a potential penalty of imprisonment. The change removes the requirement that an obstruction must endanger life or property to be an offense, meaning halting transport services contrary to regulations is now sufficient for prosecution. Civil society
Read more →Kvinna till Kvinna and its partner organizations have submitted their input to the 2025 EU Enlargement Package, continuing a seven-year effort to produce a gender analysis of the European Commission Country Reports for the Western Balkans. The analysis aims to strengthen gender mainstreaming within the EU accession process. This year’s review shows that more work
Read more →We are pleased to announce that on 1 October 2025 in Tirana (Albania), BCSDN, together with Partners Albania, will host the regional conference “Resilient Voices: Civil Society in a Changing Western Balkans.” This high-level event will bring together civil society actors, EU institutions, national governments, and donors to explore the shifting civic landscape in the
Read more →The consultation on the first-ever EU Civil Society Strategy is now closed, and BCSDN is proud to have submitted its contribution, endorsed by 107 other CSOs in the region and beyond. This strong collective backing sends a clear message: civil society across the Enlargement region and beyond is united in calling for a coherent, ambitious,
Read more →The newly released Global State of Democracy (GSoD) Report 2025 paints a sobering picture of the current global climate of radical uncertainty, with political turbulence in the United States highlighting wider patterns of democratic fragility and declining trust in multilateralism. The data show that in 2024, more than half of all countries assessed (94, or
Read more →Following European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s annual State of the Union speech, Civil Society Europe and over 35 other organizations released their own report. While they welcomed commitments on the rule of law and media resilience, they are calling for bolder action, including the creation of a European Electoral Authority and a formal
Read more →A recently published recording has revealed alleged backroom deals to silence independent media in Serbia, intensifying concerns over the country’s media freedom. The private conversation, exposed by OCCRP and KRIK, suggests political pressure to remove Aleksandra Subotić, the executive director of United Media, which owns critical broadcasters N1 and Nova S. This incident follows a
Read more →The European Commission is preparing the first-ever EU Civil Society Strategy, a framework that will set the direction for how the Union protects, funds, and engages with civil society in the years to come. BCSDN prepared a contribution to the EC’s Call for Evidence on the Strategy, underlining one overarching principle: the EU must apply
Read more →The Council of Europe’s Steering Committee on Democracy (CDDEM) has opened a public consultation on draft parameters for implementing the Reykjavik Principles for Democracy, adopted at the 2023 Reykjavik Summit. The text builds on Council of Europe standards in democracy, human rights and the rule of law, aiming to help member states and stakeholders identify
Read more →A new Brussels Liaison Office was inaugurated on 28 August 2025, marking a strategic expansion of FRA’s presence in the EU capital. The office aims to deepen collaboration with EU institutions, Member States’ Permanent Representations, umbrella civil society organisations, and other Brussels-based stakeholders. Its establishment will enable more timely input, stronger stakeholder engagement, and enhanced
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