ACT Alliance EU, along with 415 other civil society organisations from across Europe, has responded to a call by Civil Society Europe and endorsed a letter urging the EU institutions to prioritise actions that foster a vibrant civic space, uphold democracy, and safeguard fundamental rights over the next five years.
The open letter Ensuring a vibrant civic space in the European Union 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 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
You can read the full letter here.
