Civic space under pressure: FRA's latest report

The European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) has released an update on the state of civic space across the EU, painting a concerning picture for civil society organisations (CSOs) operating in an increasingly hostile environment. According to the report 'Civic Space Update: Enabling civil society to uphold EU values and strengthen democracy', CSOs are facing mounting challenges driven by geopolitical instability, disinformation campaigns, and social polarisation. The numbers speak for themselves: 67% of human rights organisations report online attacks or threats, 60% face negative media coverage or smear campaigns, 39% have experienced politically motivated funding cuts, and 36% report excessive administrative controls or audits. These pressures are not isolated: 75% of CSOs active in fundamental rights reported barriers to conducting their work in 2024, with a striking 70% of respondents perceiving a deterioration of conditions at the EU level. Organisations defending vulnerable groups,  including asylum seekers, LGBTIQ+ people, Roma, and religious or ethnic minorities, are among the hardest hit, facing the highest rates of in-person threats and attacks. While some EU Member States are taking steps to better support civil society, comprehensive national strategies to protect an open civic space remain the exception rather than the rule. 

To address this, FRA recommends a coordinated set of actions at both EU and national levels, including strengthening monitoring systems and early warning mechanisms, developing or updating national strategies to counter disinformation targeting CSOs, safeguarding freedoms of association, assembly, and expression, ensuring meaningful CSO participation in policymaking and human rights assessments, enhancing protection measures such as emergency support, legal assistance, and cybersecurity, and guaranteeing broad, non-discriminatory access to funding in line with EU law and international standards. In support of these efforts, FRA will collaborate with the European Commission, civil society, and international organisations to establish an online information hub providing access to monitoring data, reports, and resources. 

The report, which covers developments up to January 2025 across all EU Member States as well as Albania, North Macedonia, and Serbia, underlines a clear message: without more coherent, long-term approaches aligned with the EU's Civil Society Strategy, the foundations of democracy risk being steadily eroded.