Ensuring a vibrant civic space in the European Union
Eurochild joins 415 civil society organisations calling on EU leaders to take decisive actions to foster a vibrant civic space, uphold democracy and safeguard fundamental rights in an open letter.
Civil society plays a pivotal role in advancing civil, political, economic, social, cultural, and environmental rights. It empowers marginalised voices, promotes active participation in governance, and holds authorities accountable. Despite the invaluable contributions of civil society, we are witnessing a decline in respect for civic freedoms, the rule of law and democracy in the European Union, as evidenced by the field, research and the findings of the European Commission rule of law report. The challenges faced by civil society, including restrictive laws, funding constraints, legal harassment, and physical attacks, threaten the very foundation of democracy.
While the European Union has taken crucial steps in the past five years to address democratic “backsliding” and promote civic space, major gaps and challenges must be addressed. In the upcoming legislative term, the EU must build on the legacy of the past five years to build a more coherent and strategic cooperation and support framework.
Our letter outlines concrete actions to promote democracy, enable, support and protect civil society, strengthen civil dialogue and protect human rights amid growing concerns over the erosion of democracy in the EU. Specifically, it calls for prioritising:
- A European Civil Society Strategy
- A strong mandate for a Commission Vice President responsible for democracy, civic space and civil dialogue
- The adoption of a Civil Dialogue Agreement
- Empowering funding policies
- A European Democracy Semester
- A stronger role of the Fundamental Rights Agency