Open letter: Ensuring a vibrant civic space in the European Union – civil society’s expectations for the next five years

Open letter: Ensuring a vibrant civic space in the European Union – civil society’s expectations for the next five years

End FGM EU is one of 416 CSOs calling on Ursula von der Leyen and other EU leaders to take decisive action to foster a vibrant civic space, uphold democracy, and safeguard fundamental rights.

The open letter, #EUCivicSpaceNow, initiated by Civil Society Europe (CSE) and backed by CSOs from 26 Member States and 4 EU candidate countries, is addressed to the upcoming Polish, Danish, and Cypriot Presidencies of the Council of the European Union, as well as the Presidents of the European Commission and the European Parliament.

The letter calls for prioritizing:

1) A European Civil Society Strategy

2) A strong mandate for a Commission Vice President responsible for democracy, civic space, and civil dialogue

3) The adoption of a Civil Dialogue Agreement

4) Empowering funding policies

5) A European Democracy Semester

6) A stronger role for the Fundamental Rights Agency

Read the joint open letter, share it, and support our cause: click here.