About Civic Space Watch

What is Civic Space Watch?

Civic Space Watch is an online platform that gathers data and reports on developments in civic space at the national and EU levels, and analyses trends.

Powered by the European Civic Forum, it collects findings through regular contact and interviews with a strong network of members and partners on the ground and alerts European and international institutions when rights are at risk.

Our key goals are to:

raise awareness about threats to civic space;
provide data and resources to support policy and advocacy efforts;
alert EU and international institutions about restrictions and good practices; and
coordinate country specific advocacy at the EU level, mobilising solidarity and support for those under threat.

Civic space is the physical or digital environment that allows people to come together, express their opinions, and take action on issues that matter to them. It includes freedoms like speaking out, protesting, joining or creating groups and organisations, and accessing information of public interest.

When civic space is open, people can hold governments and powerful institutions to account, demand the respect of fundamental rights, and work for positive change in society. When it is restricted, people face censorship, threats, or even violence for speaking up.
Open, healthy civic space is essential for democracy, justice, and a fair society where everyone’s voice counts.

Civil society is made up of organisations and groups that work for the common good and are separate from governments and businesses. These organisations, often called civil society organisations (CSOs), include associations, foundations, nonprofits, movements, and informal groups that advocate for human rights, social and environmental justice, and community well-being.

A strong civil society is a pillar of democracy. CSOs play a crucial role in:

defending freedoms, human rights, and social and environmental justice;
holding authorities to account;
providing essential services where governments fall short; and
creating spaces for public participation in decision-making.

However, civil society is increasingly under threat. Civic Space Watch aims to amplify voices, build knowledge, and resilience for vibrant civic space in Europe.

Across the world — including in Europe — governments are introducing more restrictions that make it harder for civil society to function.

This includes:

laws limiting the right to protest and the work of CSOs;
cuts to funding for civil society initiatives;
exclusion of the public from key decisionst; and
attacks and stigmatisation of human rights defenders.

These restrictions weaken democracy and make it harder for people to fight for their rights.

What is the Early Warning and Alert System?

The Early Warning and Alert System (EWAS) aims to proactively identify, monitor, and respond to emerging threats to civic space and democratic values as well as positive practices and civic space victories across EU Member States. Piloted within the project Monitoring Action for Civic Space (MACS), this civil society-led initiative acts on early signs of civic space deterioration by alerting the EU, international organisations, (such as the UN OHCHR, the Council of Europe and the OECD ODIHR), civil society organisations (CSOs), donors, the media, and human rights institutions to the developments.

The system is focused on policies and legislation that have the potential to restrict civic space and changes to the funding landscape.
Alerts and documentation come from a network of reputable civil society partners — local civic organisations that monitor developments on the ground. They collect, verify, and draft documentation and alerts in coordination with local civil society coalitions, ensuring information is accurate and evidence based. Urgent cases and high probability threats trigger advocacy at the EU and international levels, while regular reports and newsletters provide deeper analysis of emerging trends.

How we monitor civic space

Under the MACS project, we developed a methodology for scoring the health of civic space based on six key dimensions:

1. Freedom of association – Can people form and join organisations freely?
2. Access to funding – Are organisations financially supported to thrive?
3️. Freedom of peaceful assembly – Can people protest without fear?
4️. Freedom of expression – Are people free to speak up on matters of public interest?
5️. Right to participate in decision-making – Is the public involved in shaping policies?
6️. Safe space for civic actors – Are activists and civil society organisations protected?

Freedom of association

Can people form and join organisations freely?

Access to funding

Are organisations financially supported to thrive?

Freedom of peaceful assembly

Can people protest without fear?

Freedom of expression

Are people free to speak up on matters of public interest?

Right to participate in decision-making

Is the public involved in shaping policies?

Safe space for civic actors

Are activists and civil society organisations protected?

How our Early Warning and Alerts System works

INFORMATION GATHERING

ECF gathers information about emerging civic space developments from reputable civil society partners on the ground.

ANALYSIS

ECF reviews the alert and identifies regional trends.

ALERTING

Depending on the sensitivity of information, alerts are published on Civic Space Watch and shared with policymakers and institutions, via real-time alerts or regular round-up, as relevant.

FOLLOW-UP

ECF and partner organisations track the progression of cases, take further advocacy actions if necessary and stand in solidarity with those under pressure.

What we do with the resources collected

The resources collected feed several initiatives of the ECF and its members and partners, including:

Reporting and research: Civic Space Watch supports systematic data collection for advocacy, research and policy purposes. See our publications for more information on our research efforts. The ECF is also one of the regional research partners of the CIVICUS Monitor, contributing to raising civic space issues in Europe at the international level.
Alerting against restrictions: Based on evidence collected through Civic Space Watch, and joining forces with other EU level organisations, the ECF regularly alerts European and international institutions regarding concerning civic space developments to put pressure on governments that abuse their powers.
Advocacy for EU policies: We push for stronger EU tools to strengthen and protect civic space and ensure civil society is involved in EU policymaking.
Campaigning: We amplify the voices of activists and civic initiatives resisting restrictions on freedoms, sharing their stories, struggles, and victories.
Building capacities and solidarity: The ECF provides space for civic actors to share experiences and practices to build the capacities of civic activists. We also mobilise our members and partner to provide solidarity and support to civic actors under pressure.

For more information, visit the ECF website!

Past victories

Championing EU funding for civil society in the area of fundamental rights

The European Rights and Values programme was established to fund civil society efforts in democracy and the rule of law. ECF, alongside partners like Poland’s Batory Foundation, mobilised over 300 civic organisations at the national and European levels to push for an ambitious budget of €1.6 billion for 2021-2027. This collective action has provided essential resources to fuel advocacy, community projects, and fundamental rights initiatives across the EU.

An EU strategy to support, protect and empower civil society

In 2025, the European Commission announced a groundbreaking strategy to support, empower, and protect civil society, marking a historic step toward reversing the trend of shrinking civic space across Europe. This decision is the result of years of campaigning by the ECF and its partners, advocating against hostile legislation, funding restrictions, and attacks on NGOs.

National mobilisations

Through our monitoring, reporting, and advocacy, we have been at the forefront of supporting national movements that have faced direct threats to their freedoms. We stood in solidarity with the Palestine solidarity movement, supported Slovenian civil society in challenging the illiberal policies of the Janša government, and led pan-European mobilisations against Spain’s gag law, France’s separatism bill and Denmark’s assembly ban, among others.
By alerting institutions to these developments and rallying support, we have ensured these critical issues received international attention, putting pressure on governments to uphold civil rights and democratic principles.