Last month, Ursula von der Leyen presented her new team of Commissioners-designate, including Commissioner-designate for Democracy, Justice, and the Rule of Law Michael McGrath. At ECF, we’re pleased to see that, in these mandates, the Commission recognises protecting...
Today, the European Civic Forum and Civil Society Europe, leading an informal coalition of Civil Society Organisations, present the Mapping paper and the Pathways paper for a Protection Mechanism for Human Rights Defenders and Civil Society Organisations in Europe. ...
September is always a busy month in Brussels. Every year la rentrée ensures that summer holidays are soon forgotten about. This year, this is especially true. Speculation (and political drama) surrounding the unveiling of the new European Commission portfolios...
The European Commission’s Rule of Law monitoring process is not fit for purpose, according to a leading European NGO, as the body publishes its annual report on the issue. In a statement published today assessing the reporting process over the last five years the...
2024 marks the fifth year of the European Commission's annual Rule of Law Report cycle. Aside from assessing this year’s report, this moment is an opportunity to reflect on the tangible outcomes of these reports and how to address their shortcomings in the future. At...
The EU Needs To Urgently Protect Civic Space in Hungary The undersigned organisations call on the European Commission and EU Member States to take immediate action to protect civic space in Hungary and express our unwavering...
Hungary holds the presidency of the Council of the EU between 1 July and 31 December 2024. Two CSO networks - the Great Lakes and Wetlands Alliance and the Civilisation Coalition - launch the Civil EU Presidency together to amplify the voice of civil society during...
Civic freedoms in decline in the EU and Western Balkans EU policies contributes to shrinking space for civil society Restrictions against protests showing solidarity with the Palestinian people across the EU Ahead of the EU elections, a new report released by the...
In a new analysis, ECF, Liberties and the European Center for Not-for-profit Law assess the AI Act from a civic space and rule of perspective. The unaccountable and opaque use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), especially by public authorities, can undermine...
A group of European and international NGOs have urged the Spanish authorities to protect fundamental freedoms after a court launched an investigation into 12 Catalan activists, accusing them of terrorism. The call comes after a large gathering of journalists, civil...