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 Civic Forum and organisations across the EU. In the context of widespread attacks on the non-profit sector, the announcement could not come at a more important time.
The European Civic Forum (ECF), which has driven calls for the strategy, has hailed the decision as a crucial moment for civil society in Europe. The announcement offers the opportunity to enhance democracy and to begin to turn the tide on years of shrinking civic space — from the Hungarian foreign agents law in 2017 right up to the latest attacks on European NGOs by MEPs from the European People’s Party (EPP).
It follows years of campaigning for a strategy to address the widespread challenges affecting the space for civil society in Europe — including hostile legislation, funding restrictions, smear campaigns and harassment, and SLAPPs — and to create an enabling environment for organisations and activists to exercise their essential roles in building inclusive societies and democracies that deliver for all.
The Civil Society Strategy will be a key milestone in the European Commission’s commitment to build democratic resilience. Civil society organisations (CSOs) and human rights defenders play an essential role in enabling democratic participation, reaching sections of society that are disillusioned with politics and current policies and, helping people to access and exercise their fundamental rights, bringing their voices and concerns to public debates. A strong and empowered civil society is essential to any healthy democracy.
This campaign for a strategy saw widespread mobilisations from CSOs on the frontline, notably the Reclaim our Civil Space project, run by Ökotárs-Hungarian Environmental Partnership Foundation in cooperation with CSOs from Bulgaria, Czechia, Poland, Romania, Serbia and Slovakia. In 2022, ECF and Civil Society Europe launched a call for a Civil Society Strategy, backed by more than 300 European CSOs, and by a European Parliament resolution. In the run-up to the 2024 European elections, a wide coalition led by Civil Society Europe and Social Platform took up the call in the Civil Society for EU campaign and won the backing of more than 100 newly elected MEPs.
The European Commission’s announcement is the result of this tireless campaigning as well as civil society’s cooperation with institutional partners in DG JUST,[1] the European Parliament,[2] and the European Economic and Social Committee,[3] as well as political leaders such as former Commission Vice President Věra Jourová, MEP Sergey Lagodinsky, and former MEP Anna Donáth, who have championed the role of independent civil society.
While the announcement is a very promising step, the details will be crucial to its success. ECF is ready to work closely with the institutions to ensure that this strategy lives up to its potential and delivers on its promise to support, protect, and empower civil society.
Commenting on the announcement, Vera Mora, ECF co-president, director of Ökotárs-Hungarian Environmental Partnership Foundation, said:
“We warmly welcome this positive development, which shows why civil society must be persistent in pursuing its goals — it may take time, but sooner or later, we get there.
“My organisation is ready to cooperate further with the institutions to make this strategy instrumental in creating an enabling environment for civil society in all EU member states.”
ECF Secretary General Alexandrina Najmowicz added:
“This is a much-needed recognition of the value of democratic civil society in Europe, at a time when its legitimacy in defending access to fundamental rights for all is under threat both from authoritarian and reactionary forces and from the institutions that are meant to protect it.
“The recent attacks on environmental CSOs are a stark reminder of these challenges.”
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Contact
Benjamin Goodwin, Communications and Campaigns Officer, European Civic Forum: bgoodwin@civic-forum.eu
About the European Civic Forum
European Civic Forum (ECF) is a pan-European network of nearly 100 associations and NGOs across 29 European countries. Founded in 2005 by our member organisations, we have spent two decades working to protect civic space, enable civic participation and build civil dialogue for more equality, solidarity, and democracy in Europe.
[1] See the EU 2022 Annual Report on the Application of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights: https://commission.europa.eu/publications/2022-charter-report-fra-summary-reports_en
[2] See the EP resolution on the shrinking space for civil society in Europe: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-9-2022-0056_EN.html
[3] See the EESC opinion on the European Democracy Action Plan: https://www.eesc.europa.eu/en/our-work/opinions-information-reports/opinions/european-democracy-action-plan