20.10.2023

Protecting civil society — Update 2023

In its annual update on civic space, the EU Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) explores the challenges for civil society organisations (CSOs) across the EU. While there has been significant development since FRA began monitoring the situation in 2018, CSOs in the EU are still facing excessive legal and administrative restrictions, insufficient resources, and are often not properly involved in policy and decision-making. Threats and attacks against civil society persist. Some policy areas, such as migration, LGBTIQ+ and women’s rights, have become more hostile. At the same time, there is increasing awareness among policy makers in the EU and the Member States about the situation and the need to address it. For example, legal changes have led to improvements such as greater freedom of assembly or less bureaucracy for civil society, and donors have started to adjust their funds to support capacity building and advocacy.

The report draws on FRA’s consultations and discussions with civil society organisations and representatives. FRA’s multidisciplinary research network, FRANET, contributed to the report by collecting country level information on legal environment and space of CSO that operate in supporting fundamental rights. The country reports also address the question of human rights defenders at risk and their possibilities to enter EU territory. The Institute for Human Rights at Åbo Akademi University, together with the Faculty of Law at the University of Turku, currently form the national focal point of FRANET in Finland. The country report on Finland is also available online on the FRA website.