03/06/2026
The latest report from the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) documents how civil society organisations (CSOs) are facing growing pressure across Europe. CSOs report increasing online attacks (67%), smear campaigns and negative media coverage (60%), politically motivated funding cuts (39%), and burdensome administrative controls (36%). Many also describe restrictions on freedoms of assembly and expression, alongside growing challenges in accessing sustainable funding.
A shrinking space for participation
The FRA cannot compel governments to act. Its role is to gather evidence, identify trends, and provide recommendations to EU institutions and Member States. Reports such as this one therefore, matter less because of their legal effect and more because they help establish a shared factual basis for policy discussions. By documenting pressures on civil society across Europe, the report gives policymakers, researchers, and advocacy organisations a stronger foundation from which to argue for reforms.
One of the major insights is that meaningful participation remains uneven across the EU. Consultation processes at both EU and Member State level remain uneven in practice. In many countries, civil society engagement still depends more on political goodwill than on clear and enforceable participation frameworks. For organisations working to strengthen democracy, this is a familiar challenge. Participation cannot be treated as an optional extra. It is a core democratic safeguard.
From watchdogs to democratic resilience
At a time of growing geopolitical tensions, disinformation campaigns, and social polarisation, civil society organisations are helping communities navigate uncertainty, counter misinformation, promote inclusion, and build trust in democratic institutions. The report explicitly links vibrant civic space to Europe’s ability to withstand democratic and societal challenges. In other words, supporting civil society is not only about protecting rights; it is also about safeguarding democracy itself.
The funding challenge
The report also documents the growing mismatch between the increasing demand for civil society action and the resources available to support it. Almost half of responding organisations reported unexpected reductions, cuts, or freezes in funding. Many organisations operate with limited financial reserves, making them particularly vulnerable to political shifts and changing funding priorities. Sustainable, flexible, and accessible funding remains one of the key conditions for an enabling civic space. Without it, civil society’s ability to advocate, innovate, and engage citizens is weakened.
A critical moment for Europe
The publication comes as the European Union begins implementing its first Civil Society Strategy, providing a common framework to strengthen engagement with civil society organisations, protect civic space, and improve access to sustainable funding. The FRA’s findings help explain why such a strategy is needed. The report documents growing pressures on civic space, including attacks against civil society actors, barriers to participation, and funding insecurity. The Strategy’s focus on engagement, protection, and funding therefore addresses many of the challenges identified by the report, although its success will ultimately depend on how these commitments are implemented at both EU and national level.
The FRA calls on Member States and EU institutions to strengthen protections for civil society actors, improve access to funding, develop national civic space strategies, and create more meaningful participation mechanisms. These recommendations deserve serious attention.
For civil society organisations, the real test will be whether the Civil Society Strategy and FRA recommendations translate into stronger participation rights, more effective protection mechanisms, and more sustainable support for their work.