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New report documents continued decline in civic freedoms across Europe, with Brussels playing an ever-greater role
Unfounded attacks on NGO funding growing in EU, national parliaments Civil society increasingly cast as “foreign agents” New anti-protest legislation proposed in 7 EU countries Civil society continued to come under attack in 2025, with EU policies now playing a key role, according to a leading European NGO. The report, written by the European Civic Forum…...
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Defence of Democracy Package: ECF Responds to the latest European Commission Consultation
The European Civic Forum has responded to the latest European Commission consultation on the Defence of Democracy package. The…...
Civic Pride Awards 2023 – Celebrating outstanding activism
The Civic Pride Awards 2023 took place on 18 September in Brussels, celebrating four outstanding civil society organsiations and movements. The 2023 Civic Pride Award winners with ECF Vice President...
European Civic Academy 2023: Building collective empowerment
On 19-20 September, 100 activists, civic actors and academics gathered at the University of Kent’s Brussels School of International Studies for the sixth edition of the European Civic Academy. This...
ECF founder steps down as Co-president; new leadership team elected
Jean-Marc Roirant has stepped down after nearly two decades at the helm of the ECF. At the General Assembly in Brussels, members voted to elect Vera Mora as Co-President alongside Raffaella Bolini, as...
European Movement Italy – The Lisbon Treaty and the European Constitution
After more than a year of complicated negotiations conducted away from the spotlight and civil society, the rapporteurs of the European Parliament's Constitutional Affairs Committee finally filed in...
OFOP – Civil Society Proposals for Poland
2023 is a decisive election year in Poland. As the pre-election period approaches, the Polish Federation of Non-Governmental Organizations and other civil society organizations have teamed up to put...
Bündnis für Gemeinnützigkeit – Austrian organisation strengthens its position
Only nine months after the foundation of Bündnis für Gemeinnützigkeit (the umbrella organisation for NGOs in Austria) the organisation can report great success: Not only is the Austrian government in...
JOINT LETTER: The AI Act must protect the Rule of Law
Liberties, ECF, ECNL and 60+ other CSOs call on EU lawmakers to pass an AI Act with robust safeguards for fundamental rights and the rule of law...
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 “ the trust of Europeans to deal with their...