For press enquiries, please contact Benjamin Goodwin: bgoodwin[at]civic-forum.eu
ECF in the news
Some highlights of coverage of our work in the international media.
EU Commission wants registry for foreign lobbyists
'The plan will be “deeply harmful to democracy and will fail in its stated intention of exposing covert foreign interference in EU policymaking,” said Alexandrina Najmowicz, secretary general of the European Civic Forum, an umbrella organization of NGOs and associations.'
We all lose if the Olympic surveillance state becomes the norm
'A gaggle of human rights groups – including Amnesty International, the European Civic Forum and Human Rights Watch – blasted the law, writing in Le Monde that it was “a worrying precedent,”'
Repression of pro-Palestine movements in Europe: the rule of law threatened, alerts European NGO
'The NGO estimates that at least 12 EU member states have taken disproportionate measures, including banning protests...'
20 international organisations call on the State to drop terrorism charges against Democratic Tsunami
'In a statement, they denounce that research limits fundamental rights and generates a "deterrent" effect on civil society. The text has been promoted by the European Civic Forum (ECF) and has the support of Amnesty International...'
The future of Europe: EU citizens take centre stage
'The EU is coming to the end of a major experiment in public debate: the Conference on the Future of Europe, ... What – if anything – has the conference achieved? Will true change come about? We discuss this with three guests who took part in the Conference itself.'
Pro-Palestine protests - between anti-Semitism and state repression
'Back in April, the NGO association European Civic Forum criticised in a report that numerous European countries had applied disproportionate repressive measures to pro-Palestinian protests.'
EU citizens’ panels likely to stay, but need to be adapted, experts say
'EU citizens' panels introduced after the Conference on the Future of Europe (CoFoE) mean deliberative democracy experiments will continue at the EU level, but they need to better adapt to citizens’ expectations and become more inclusive, experts say.'
Press releases
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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European CSOs publish seven new country reports on civic space trends across the EU
Today, we are launching seven new country reports that provide fresh, country-level insights into the environment for civil society across the EU in 2025. Each report highlights key national trends and points to the actions needed to better protect civic freedoms in Bulgaria, Denmark, France, Hungary, the Netherlands, Poland and Romania. The reports are part…...
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Welcome to the new Civic Space Watch: From monitoring to action
The European Civic Forum (ECF) is excited to finally share the new Civic Space Watch website, which goes live today! The new, refreshed site includes several new features, including a…...
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Natacha Kazatchkine appointed as new ECF Secretary General
Brussels, 12 January 2026 – Natacha Kazatchkine has been appointed as the new secretary general of the European Civic Forum. She began her position on 7 January. Natacha brings a wealth of experience to the role, having spent years as championing fundamental rights and civil society empowerment, including most recently at the Open Society Foundations…...
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European Commission publishes long-awaited Civil Society Strategy, in positive step forward
Brussels, 12 November 2025 — The European Commission has today published its Civil Society Strategy, which aims to support, protect, and empower civil society organisations and activists. The document, which civil society has long campaigned for, comes amid repeated political attacks on the very foundations of democracy, including on non-profit organisations and human rights defenders.…...
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Repression on protests in solidarity with Flotilla and Palestinian people: NGOs demand EU Council action
Brussels, 16 October 2025 — A coalition of NGOs, including the European Civic Forum, and the International Federation of Human Rights (FIDH) have condemned the violent…...
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