On 13 October 2026, all six Western Balkan countries, Moldova and Ukraine were associated with the European Centre for Democratic Resilience, strengthening cooperation between EU Member States and enlargement partners. Established in February 2026 as a core component of the European Democracy Shield, the Centre serves as a hub for exchange between EU institutions, Member States and civil society. The association aims to deepen practical cooperation on electoral integrity, resilience against hybrid threats, countering foreign information manipulation and interference, and protecting democratic institutions and actors. Implementation will begin through priority projects identified jointly with Member States, including crisis-management exercises, exchanges on common concepts and methodologies, work on measuring resilience, and training on the protection of journalists and civil society. The initiative recognises that enlargement partners face many of the same threats to democracy as EU Member States and can contribute valuable experience to addressing them. Read more here.
Source: European Commission