News and updates from BCSDN and the region
Target Group: Environmental CSOs in BiH working on local environmental development and protected areas. Aim: To support environmental CSOs in developing and implementing local solutions, while strengthening capacities and building trust and partnerships with local authorities and protected area managers. Countries: BiH Amount: Maximum grant amount: 30,000 KM ( ≈ 15,300 EUR) Duration: 12 months
Read more →Target Group: Western Balkans CSOs Aim: To empower CSOs to provide independent monitoring, advocacy, and sector-specific perspectives on the implementation of the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans (GPWB). Countries: Western Balkans 6 Amount: EUR 314,620 is allocated to support up to 20 grants (10–12 months each), with a maximum of EUR 16,000 and an
Read more →Target Group: CSOs, media actors, human rights organisations, and democracy-focused stakeholders operating in BiH. Aim: To support actions that strengthen civil society, independent media, human rights protection, and democratic development across BiH through EU-funded action grants. Focus Areas (LOTS): Media; Rule of Law; Reconciliation (sport & culture); CSO Resource Centre; Human Rights and Democracy. Countries:
Read more →Target Group: Public and private entities based and registered in CEI Member States (public/public equivalent bodies, private entities, NGOs/CSOs). International Organisations can also apply. Individuals cannot apply. Aim: To strengthen cooperation among CEI Member States, in line with CEI strategic objectives and the Plan of Action, by supporting activities that advance European integration and sustainable
Read more →Short Description: The Economic Policy Institute (EPI) is inviting applications for the 26th edition of its Summer Seminar for Young Public Policy Professionals. The programme brings together young professionals from public institutions, think tanks, and research centres across Central and Eastern Europe to exchange with international experts on regional cooperation, governance, and current political, economic,
Read more →Short Description: The Prize, created in 2013, aims to reward outstanding civil society action in defending human rights in Europe and beyond. Candidates should have made a real difference to the human rights situation of a given group, been instrumental in uncovering large-scale systemic violations, or have successfully mobilised public opinion or the international community
Read more →Short Description: A participant-driven forum bringing together young leaders to explore agency and resilience in a fragmented world, exchange ideas, and develop solutions to contemporary global challenges. Target Group: Young professionals, leaders, and changemakers from around the world. Countries: Global (open internationally) Location: Kranjska Gora and Bled, Slovenia Duration: 27 August – 1 September 2026
Read more →Short description: The Think Visegrad Fellowship offers short-term research opportunities for experts from outside the Visegrad region to engage with leading think tanks in Central Europe. Fellows develop a policy paper and deliver a public presentation on a topic aligned with the host institute’s work. Target Group: Expert fellows from non-Visegrad countries (i.e. outside Czech Republic,
Read more →BCSDN contributed to a high-level meeting in Brussels on establishing a European Community of Practice for Human Rights Defenders, hosted by OHCHR. The initiative aims to strengthen coordination, communication, and protection mechanisms for defenders across Europe, though key aspects such as geographic scope are still under discussion. Representing BCSDN, Simona Mladenovska highlighted the need for
Read more →The EU Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos has dismissed a proposal by Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama and Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić to accelerate EU integration for candidate countries without full membership rights. The proposal suggested allowing access to the EU single market and the Schengen area without granting veto power, effectively creating a two-tier
Read more →The Liberties Rule of Law Report 2026 highlights a deepening rule of law crisis across the EU, marked by persistent democratic decline and a widening gap between recommendations and implementation. Drawing on input from nearly 40 organisations, the report finds that 93% of previous recommendations remain unimplemented, with many countries stagnating or backsliding, and some
Read more →A new discussion paper by International IDEA warns that democracy in the Western Balkans is entering a period of deep uncertainty, shaped by shifting global dynamics and internal structural challenges. The report explores how the region’s democratic future could evolve by 2040 through four alternative scenarios, ranging from successful EU-driven consolidation to authoritarian decline. The
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