Only Bulgaria and Lithuania Have a Permanent Body for the Protection and Support of Civil Society Organizations → ima pravopisni greshki na bg

The European Commission publishes its annual report on the implementation of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights

The European Commission has released its annual report on the implementation of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. This year’s report is dedicated to civic space and its role in safeguarding and promoting the fundamental rights guaranteed by the Charter of Fundamental Rights (CFR). The report’s findings underscore that the work of civil society organizations and fundamental rights defenders is essential to the practical application of the Charter. Therefore, additional efforts are needed across the EU to support them, including by improving the environment in which they operate.

The European Commission highlights the establishment of the Civil Society Development Council (CSDC) in Bulgaria as a positive step toward improving communication between civil society and the state.

How are CSO’s involved in policymaking: The report shows that many member states (MS) consult civil society organizations and human rights defenders in the legislative process through open public consultations, for example. There are several examples of countries that have established permanent dialogue mechanisms such as specialized platforms and networks. Bulgaria and Lithuania are cited as examples of countries that have created permanent bodies to develop policies for civil society development. Bulgaria’s participation in the Open Government Partnership (OGP) is also noted as a good practice in ensuring civic participation. After a four-year break, Bulgaria adopted a new National Action Plan under the OGP initiative in 2022.

At the EU level, civil society actors remain key partners in preparing EU initiatives. The Commission has launched various dialogue channels with experts, as well as thematic platforms and forums for specific topics. At the same time, CSO’s and human rights defenders report different barriers to participation at the national level, including limited access to documents and information, and a general lack of civic dialogue. The EU Agency for Fundamental Rights also notes insufficient consultation with minorities and vulnerable groups across the EU.

Civil Society Organizations in Times of Crisis

The role of civil society organizations and human rights defenders: the report shows how important their role is in protecting and promoting fundamental rights, and that their impact is felt especially strongly in times of crisis. This year, in response to the fallout from the war in Ukraine, for example, they played an important role in countering disinformation, mobilizing support for people fleeing, and documenting atrocities, as well as communicating vital information about the needs of specific groups such as women, children, people with disabilities, the LGBTIQ+ and Roma communities .

How are they protected: many member states have adopted measures to protect civil society organizations and rights defenders. Over the past year, the European Commission also took significant steps to strengthen these protections, including the European Media Freedom Act, a Recommendation on the Safety of Journalists, and a package of legislative and non-legislative initiatives to combat abusive lawsuits (anti-SLAPP measures).
Still, more must be done across the EU to ensure more elaborate protection. Data shows that 61% of organizations face restrictions on their “safe space,” while 43% face verbal attacks and 15% physical attacks, including 19% online abuse. The 2022 Rule of Law Report has also identified problems related to registration and operating requirements for the civic sector.

The lack of funding remains a central challenge for nearly half of the civil society organizations in the EU

How they are funded: the report shows that some member states have recently increased their support for the civil sector, especially in order to offset the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The research conducted for the report found that in most MS, there are very limited opportunities to fund activities in the area of the rule of law and democracy, as well as more broadly in the area of fundamental rights. The EU budget for 2021-2027 allocates €1.55 billion to projects for the protection and promotion of fundamental rights – the largest amount ever allocated from the EU budget. Over the past two years, €131 million has been used to support nearly 1,500 organizations working in the field of EU rights and values in each MS.

Since 2015, the Commission has been supporting mechanisms to protect the most vulnerable human rights defenders. The EU Emergency Fund for Human Rights Defenders provides support to human rights defenders through small grants. ProtectDefenders.eu receives, processes, and responds to requests for support from human rights defenders. It provides a permanent, flexible service to develop support ranging from capacity building, legal and security advice to relocation and shelter services. The EU Human Rights Crisis Mechanism provides grants to civil organizations to ensure the survival of human rights movements operating under repressive regimes.

The Commission also funds the development of the NGO Barometer, which assesses the openness of the civil society environment in the Eastern Partnership countries under the European Neighbourhood Instrument.

The Report as a Basis for Dialogue, Action and Problem Solving

The Commission encourages other EU institutions, Member States, and stakeholders to use the report to reflect on its findings and foster dialogue on civic space in the EU. In particular, the Commission calls on the European Parliament and the Council to hold dedicated discussions on the report’s conclusions.

To support this dialogue, the Commission will launch a targeted dialogue with stakeholders through a series of thematic workshops on safeguarding civic space, focusing on how the EU can further develop its role in protecting, supporting, and empowering CSO’s and human rights defenders to address the challenges and opportunities identified in this report. These workshops could address topics such as the protection of digital civil space, ways to better target European and national funding in support of civil society organizations and human rights defenders, and ways to empower the civil sector in order to strengthen our democratic resilience. The results of this debate will be presented and discussed at a high-level European roundtable in 2023.

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Background

On December 2, 2020, the European Commission adopted its Strategy to Strengthen the Application of the Charter of Fundamental Rights in the EU, which includes a commitment to publish annual thematic reports. Last year’s report focused on the challenges of protecting fundamental rights in the digital age.

Over the past year, the Commission has also worked to raise awareness of the Charter itself. The campaign launched in 2021 attracted over 700,000 website visits and generated hundreds of thousands of video views, and widespread social media engagement. The success of this campaign, one of the outcomes of the 2020 Strategy, shows strong public interest in learning about their rights and how to ensure those rights are upheld.