On 17 June, the European Civic Forum hosted its annual policy debate, in cooperation with the National Federation of Polish NGOs (OFOP), and the Stefan Batory Foundation. The conference, which took place in Warsaw, was titled “Strengthening democracy and the Rule of...
On 17-18 June, ECF members and staff gathered in Warsaw for our Annual General Assembly. This year’s AGA was particularly special as in 2025, we are celebrating our 20th anniversary as a network. Back in late 2005, representatives of associations and NGOs from across...
Today, Europe is grappling with complex and interconnected crises, including climate change, growing economic precarity, and an increased sense of insecurity following the Russian aggression against Ukraine and the recent developments in terms of foreign policy of the...
Rise of far-right accompanied by a deliberate strategy to delegitimise civil society, through smear campaigns, SLAPPs, and restrictive “foreign agents” legislation Right to protest increasingly under attack, with Palestine solidarity and environmental justice...
More than 70 NGOs have sounded the alarm over Italy’s new Security Decree, warning it poses a serious threat to democracy amid a systemic deterioration of the rule of law. In a letter[1] to Michael McGrath, the EU Commissioner responsible for democracy and the rule of...
Welcome to the latest ECF newsletter. In this edition: over 570 NGOs call for an end to the attacks on civil society, why we have developed an Early Warning and Alerts System, plus: stay tuned for our latest Civic Space Report!
Today, we are launching the Early Warning and Alert System, aimed at systematising the collection of civic space developments, reporting on early signs of civic space deterioration, and calling on EU institutions to act before the situation further deteriorates. The...
10 April at 11:00-12:30 CET Organised by ECF and ECNL within the MACS project Across Europe, civic space is under increasing pressure. Fundamental rights such as the freedoms of association, peaceful assembly, and expression are being challenged by repressive...
Over 100 European NGOs have signed a statement expressing solidarity with the Serbian people and criticising the EU's response to the escalating repression of the anti-corruption movement. In the statement, coordinated by the European Civic Forum and the Balkan Civil...
Welcome to the February edition of our newsletter. Inside, you will find our reaction to the European Commission's work programme, updates from our Net4Defenders project, information about last year's European Civic Micro-Grants, and more!