About European Civic Forum
European Civic Forum (ECF) is a pan-European network of nearly 100 associations and NGOs across 29 European countries: big federations of associations deeply rooted in local constituencies, national platforms of NGOs uniting hundreds of thousands of NGOs, human rights and campaigning organisations, but also smaller groups working at community level or engaging with the public on local issues.
We believe that associations are crucial to organise and channel citizens’ needs and aspirations to institutions. From one country to another, civic organisations have different status and modus operandi. The tasks they perform also vary. But everywhere they are in the front line witnessing the precarious situations people suffer from, trying to respond to people’s needs for effective access to rights, and highlighting the limitations and adverse consequences of public policies.
Who we are
European Civic Forum is governed by the General Assembly of its members. The Board of Directors, made up of representatives from across our network, defines the overall strategy and work plan, and the Steering Committee implements these decisions.
Our day-to-day management and outputs are led by our Secretariat, with offices in Brussels and Paris.
What we do
Advocacy
We advocate and campaign for the defence of civic space and the recognition of civil society organisations in the policy-making process.
Network & Capacity Building
We connect civil society actors transnationally and across sectors through conferences, forums and alliances.
Monitoring
We monitor civic space across Europe and report on developments for Civic Space Watch and Civicus Monitor.
Latest news
State of the Union: Concrete human-centred policies able to “earn people’s trust” are missing.
In the opening words of her State of the Union address, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen rightly pointed out the need for institutions to “[earn] the trust of Europeans to deal with their aspirations and anxieties.” However, what followed did not explain how to achieve that goal. Four years into this Commission’s term, the speech offered almost no policies to address underlying problems, instead asking merely for a bunch of reports on persistent and well-known issues.
Announcing the winners of the 2023 Civic Pride Awards!
The European Civic Forum has announced the winners of its 2023 Civic Pride Awards! The awards recognise the inspiring work of civil society organisations and movements.
Summer 2023: European Commission publishes Rule of Law report
On 5 July 2023, the European Commission published its fourth annual report reviewing the Rule of Law infrastructure and developments in 27 Member States in 2022.
