News and updates from BCSDN and the region
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 →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
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