The European Union is entering a new phase in shaping its democracy instruments and funding framework, including the EU Civil Society Strategy, the European Democracy Shield, and the 2028–2034 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF). Decisions taken now will determine whether civil society in enlargement countries is structurally included in the accession process or remains marginalised. BCSDN’s new policy brief examines how these developments affect civic space, participation, protection, and funding for civil society in the Western Balkans and Türkiye.
Civic Space Embedded in the Accession Process
Civic space is increasingly addressed within rule-of-law monitoring and accession conditionality, but participation of civil society remains uneven and often ad hoc.
The brief calls for:
- Integration of civic space into accession benchmarks and conditionality, including monitoring of freedoms of association, expression, assembly, and access to funding
- Institutionalised structured participation, through predictable consultations and formal roles in reform monitoring
- Systematic use of civil society evidence in EU reporting, assessments, and political dialogue
- Early-warning mechanisms co-designed with civil society, linking alerts to concrete action
Enlargement Civil Society Protection and Resilience in EU Democracy Instruments
New EU democracy initiatives increasingly involve enlargement countries, yet safeguards for civil society participation and protection remain unclear.
Key priorities include:
- Inclusion of enlargement civil society in EU democracy governance mechanisms under the Civil Society Strategy and the Democracy Shield, including the European Centre for Democratic Resilience and related early-warning and anti-SLAPP mechanisms, with clear participation standards
- Strengthening protection against legal and political pressure, including misuse of “foreign interference” narratives
- Rapid support measures for organisations and activists under pressure
Funding Opportunities Hinge on CSO Inclusion and Safeguards
The transition from IPA to Global Europe will reshape funding for civil society, creating both opportunities and risks for independent organisations.
The brief recommends:
- Embedding civic space conditionality across funding frameworks
- Protecting dedicated and direct funding channels, including ring-fenced resources
- Ensuring funding reaches local CSOs directly, not primarily through intermediaries
- Enabling early access to EU programmes with simplified participation modalities
The choices made in the coming years will shape the role of civil society in enlargement. If safeguards remain declaratory, participation may stay consultative, funding diluted, and trust in the accession process weakened. If operational guarantees are embedded, civil society can act as a co-creator of reform, strengthening accountability, democratic resilience, and the credibility of enlargement.
Read the full policy brief HERE.