The European Commission has published its annual Rule of Law report, for the first time extending its findings beyond EU member states, including Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia. This reflects countries’ progress in the EU accession process and highlights enhanced EU support for rule of law reforms.
This Report analyzes the four main pillars concerning the rule of law: justice systems, anti-corruption frameworks, media pluralism and freedom, and other institutional issues linked to checks and balances. It highlights the importance of consolidating democratic structures, upholding the rule of law, and protecting fundamental rights in EU enlargement countries.
The report presents the civil society environment in each country, noting challenges for CSOs in Albania and North Macedonia, a narrowed landscape in Montenegro, and a lack of enabling conditions in Serbia. Using the Civicus Monitor rating, the Commission marks the civic space in Albania, North Macedonia, and Montenegro as narrowed, while Serbia, as obstructed.
The key highlights on civil society environment in the countries are:
Albania: CSOs face challenges due to cumbersome registration, limited public funding, and delays in establishing a National Electronic Register of Non-Profit Organisations. While laws guarantee free assembly and association, practical implementation issues persist. Deep political polarization affects the law-making process. Despite legal improvements in freedom of expression and access to information, significant shortcomings remain in protecting journalists from attacks and smear campaigns. Financial viability is hindered by inadequate funding and a lack of tax incentives.
Montenegro: The legislative process faces challenges with inadequate public consultation. Although the right to access information is legally guaranteed, practical limitations persist. The Strategy for Cooperation 2022-2026 aims to support civil society but has seen limited improvement in funding and involvement. Ministries are required to consult CSOs for public funding, yet implementation is inconsistent, indicating a need for better coordination and strategic planning.
North Macedonia: Civil society operates in an enabling environment but faces challenges in sustainable policymaking engagement. Legislative amendments have improved journalist safety by imposing harsher penalties for intimidation and restricting SLAPPs. The country has an electronic consultation system for legislative transparency, though not all draft laws are published. The Strategy for Cooperation with CSOs aims to support their involvement, but implementation issues persist. Access to public information is legally protected, yet practical limitations remain.
Serbia: Civil society operates in a constrained environment, with insufficient support and frequent smear campaigns against activists The law-making process faces challenges with limited public consultation and transparency. Although the legal framework guarantees access to information, journalists often encounter refusals and limitations in practice. Recent increases in SLAPPs and attacks on journalists highlight significant risks to media freedom. The newly established Council for Civil Society aims to improve support, but progress remains limited.
Curious about BCSDN’s detailed opinion on the EC Rule of Law report findings for accession countries? Stay tuned to our communication channels for an EC RoL analysis based on BCSDN’s regional monitoring, coming soon.