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Europe experiencing “dangerous rollback of civic freedoms”, warns damning new report in “wake-up call” to EU leaders
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 campaigners targeted Government ministers in several states question international human rights law Europe is experiencing a dangerous rollback of civic freedoms,…...
Read MoreNovact: Defender a Quien Defiende Launches its Annual Report about the state of protest in Spain
From the platform Defender a quien Defiende we present the annual report on the state of the right to protest in Spain, which reveals an alarming increase in repression. In 2024, 1,140 rights...
European Civic Micro-Grants fund projects across Europe
The European Civic Micro-Grants, an initiative led by ECF, plays a pivotal role in strengthening democracy and civic engagement across Europe. By providing crucial financial support to organisations...
Net4Defenders — Project partners advance work on civic space and protection of human rights
Over the past few months, ECF has been enhancing the work on the protection of civil society and human rights defenders across Europe, including through the Net4Defenders project. As civic space...
We are hiring: Civic Space Assistant (trainee)
We’re looking for a politically savvy, sociable and passionate person at the start of their career to support and contribute to our research and advocacy on…...
In historic decision, European Commission promises strategy to support, protect, and empower civil
The European Commission has today published its 2025 work programme, including a pledge to introduce a Civil Society Strategy — a historic decision that follows years of campaigning by the European...
We are hiring: Administrative and Financial Manager
Are you a professional in administrative and financial management, bilingual in French and English, and would like to put your skills to good use in an…...
Joint statement — AI as it is being developed is fuelling a global system of exploitation
In an op-ed published in Le Monde, a coalition of organisations including Amnesty International and LDH (Ligue des droits de l'Homme) recommends placing human rights and environmental justice at the...
January 2025: 20 years of ECF
Welcome to our first newsletter of 2025! In this edition: ECF celebrates its 20th anniversary, Civil Society Europe's statement on the NGO…...
As ECF celebrates its 20th anniversary, its mission is more important than ever
2025 will mark the 20th anniversary of ECF’s founding. In 2005, representatives from civil society organisations across the continent gathered at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg to set up a...












