Across the globe, civic space is under pressure. Governments—whether authoritarian or democratic—are deploying legal, political, and judicial tools to curtail civil society organisations (CSOs), restrict protests, and silence dissent. This trend not only limits citizens’ ability to exercise fundamental rights but also erodes accountability and weakens democracy.
The European Union (EU) has recognised these threats, embedding support for civil society within its democracy and human rights agenda since The Roots of Democracy Communication (2012). Initiatives such as the European Democracy Shield, the Rule of Law toolbox, and the newly launched EU System for an Enabling Environment for Civil Society (EU SEE) demonstrate growing ambition. Yet, the pressure on civic space continues to accelerate—demanding a more comprehensive, coherent, and resilient response.
The forthcoming EU Civil Society Strategy offers a crucial opportunity to consolidate this progress. To ensure that civil society can thrive as a watchdog, partner, and innovator, the EU must move beyond piecemeal support and mainstream civic space protection across all internal and external policies, while also supporting the wider enabling environment for civil society.
Why civil society matters
Civil society is indispensable for healthy democracies. It translates citizen concerns into policy debates, holds power to account, delivers services, and drives democratic innovation. When civil society actors are sidelined or threatened, democratic governance is hollowed out. The EU has invested in civic monitoring initiatives such as the Monitoring Action for Civic Space MACS, CSO Meter, and EU SEE. These efforts demonstrate that early detection of shrinking civic space enables proactive rather than reactive responses, reducing risks for CSOs and strengthening democratic resilience.
But information alone is not enough. CSOs need financial resources, supportive laws, political recognition, and safe digital and physical spaces. The EU needs to ensure that consultation of, and support to, civil society is fully integrated in all of its policies and in all stages of policymaking, from consultation and dialogue to partnership in implementation, to ensure policies are properly designed and carried out to maximise social impact. Without these, the accountability mechanisms they provide risk collapsing.
Six Principles for an Enabling Environment
Drawing from global practice and the EU SEE framework, six interdependent principles should guide the EU Civil Society Strategy:
- Respect and protection of fundamental freedoms – Upholding freedom of expression, association, and assembly is the bedrock of open civic space. The EU should expand resources for independent media and establish mechanisms to protect human rights defenders against harassment and violence.
- Supportive legal and regulatory frameworks — Member States must safeguard CSOs’ autonomy and operational freedom, avoiding restrictive laws such as “foreign agent” legislation. At the EU level, a cross-border law on associations could protect organisations working transnationally.
- Accessible and sustainable resources — Funding cuts have left many organisations vulnerable. The EU should provide long-term, flexible, and equitable support through instruments like AgoraEU and Global Europe, while simplifying bureaucratic requirements and incentivising diverse funding sources, including philanthropy.
- Open and responsive states — Transparent and inclusive policy dialogue strengthens democracy. The EU should issue guidelines for Member States on consulting CSOs and provide feedback loops, ensuring that civil society input shapes decision-making.
- Supportive public culture and discourse — Civil society faces disinformation and delegitimisation campaigns. The EU and Member States must counter these narratives, amplify CSO success stories, and stand publicly with organisations under attack.
- Access to a secure digital environment — With digital restrictions and cyberattacks on the rise, the EU should ensure CSOs can operate securely online. This includes access to digital tools, protection from censorship and disinformation, and promotion of an inclusive digital civic space.
Strengthening the EU’s policy architecture
For the Civil Society Strategy to be credible, it must be fully integrated with other EU frameworks, especially the European Democracy Shield and Rule of Law Mechanism. Civic space monitoring should inform policymaking, investment decisions, and political dialogues at the EU and Member State levels.
Concrete steps could include:
- Institutionalising early warning mechanisms to flag civic space concerns alongside economic and rule of law indicators.
- Linking EU funding conditionality to respect for civil society freedoms under the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF).
- Embedding civic space assessments in the Global Gateway strategy and external action instruments, ensuring accountability and sustainability.
The role of democratic institutions
Civil society does not exist in isolation; it interacts daily with parliaments, political parties, judiciaries, and independent media. These actors can either enable or obstruct civic space. Unfortunately, in several contexts, democratic institutions themselves have been instrumental in shrinking space, passing restrictive laws, enabling strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs), or amplifying anti-civil society narratives.
The EU should therefore:
- Support legislative safeguards against SLAPPs and judicial harassment.
- Encourage parliaments to engage with CSOs in drafting laws that affect vulnerable groups.
- Promote independent, non-profit media as allies in transparency and accountability.
Through financial incentives and conditionality, the EU can help align democratic institutions with civic space protection, both inside and outside its borders.
Civil society in EU external action
Externally, civil society support is not only a values-driven commitment but also a strategic necessity. CSOs contribute to accountability in development projects, strengthen governance, and prevent elite capture of resources. The Global Gateway, the EU’s flagship external investment strategy, illustrates this point. By mainstreaming civil society consultations and integrating civic space assessments into country roadmaps, the EU can ensure that projects in areas such as infrastructure, climate, and digitalisation reflect community needs and generate sustainable impact.
To achieve this, the EU should:
- Require partner governments to commit to open civic space as part of Global Gateway agreements.
- Involve CSOs systematically in the design, monitoring, and evaluation of projects.
- Protect international solidarity by resisting restrictive foreign funding laws and supporting cross-border cooperation.
Civil society is not a peripheral actor but a cornerstone of democratic resilience. As civic space closes worldwide, the EU faces a defining test of its democratic credibility. The forthcoming Civil Society Strategy can equip Europe with the tools to defend and expand civic space, provided it embraces coherence, invests in sustainability, and mainstreams civil society engagement across all policies.
By protecting the environment in which civil society operates, the EU will not only uphold its own values but also reinforce democracy globally, ensuring that citizens everywhere have the space to organise, speak out, and shape their societies.
Cover photo: © Gayatri Malhotra on Unsplash.
