Civic Space Update: Enabling civil society to uphold EU values and strengthen democracy
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The continuing challenges to civic space in the EU are confirmed by data collected by FRA and others. While their nature and depth vary across the Member States and depend on the area of activity of the CSOs, several patterns recur across countries and across time, with several of the identified problems becoming more serious in recent years, such as the availability of and access to funding.
Without a comprehensive and clear overview of the situation within a given Member State and across the EU, efforts of national authorities, the European Commission, NHRIs, Ombudsman institutions and CSOs risk being less targeted, coordinated and effective. More efforts are therefore needed to monitor the situation and look at civic space in a holistic manner. Strategies, action plans and individual measures are only as effective as their implementation. Monitoring by public authorities, NHRIs, Ombudsman institutions, CSOs and other civic space actors can help ensure that policy is targeted and adjusted effectively to meet its set objectives.
The recommendations laid down in this report can be instrumental for the EU and its Member States when designing the way forward for civic space in the EU. Taken together, they seek to provide a blueprint for better monitoring of civic space developments at the EU and national levels, the development of national strategies and measures that prevent challenges to an enabling environment, strengthening the protection of civic space actors, securing access to funding, and allowing for enhanced participation and engagement in law- and policymaking as a key pillar of a healthy and resilient democracy.
