ECF response to the European Commission stakeholders’ consultation on the rule of law in the European Union
RESPONSE TO THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION 2022 CONSULTATION ON RULE OF LAW
The proper functioning of the rule of law cannot rely only on state institutions. It lives and breathes through culture, values, and principles embedded in societies. For this reason, the societal component of the rule of law ecosystem is vital to the check and balances allowing the proper functioning of institutions. An open, plural, and vibrant civic space is a precondition for democratic, cohesive and resilient societies.
To highlight the role of civil society as well as the challenges it faces, the European Civic Forum took part in the 2022 European Commission consultation on the state of rule of law in the European Union with the contribution of Bulgarian Center for Not-for-Profit Law (Bulgaria), Glopolis, Association for International Affairs (AMO), NGO info portal “Svet neziskovek (Czecz Republic), Gong (Croatia), PhD Regitze Helene Rohlfing (Denmark), Ligue des droits de l’Homme (France), Dominika Spyratou (Greece), Hungarian Environmental Partnership Foundation and information – Ökotárs (Hungary), Libera contro le Mafie, ARCI, Osservatorio Repressione, Francesco Martone (In difesa di) (Italy), Civic Alliance Latvia (Latvia), National Federation of Polish NGOs – OFOP. With support of Institute of Public Affairs (Poland), CNVOS – Centre for Information service, cooperation and development of CSOs (Slovenia), International Institute for Nonviolent Action – NOVACT (Spain), Swedish National Forum for Voluntary Organisations (Sweden).
Civic space in eu member states in 2021
Across EU member states, civil society is experiencing restrictions and challenges to its actions that affect its ability to fully act in the rule of law ecosystem. In particular, these challenges include:
- an unfavorable political landscape characterized by, on one hand, (1) institutional disregard to the role of civil society as intermediary between the citizens and their governing authorities, and, on the other hand (2) the growing threat of far-right narratives and attacks in the public space, that creates fear and further marginalises racialised communities, migrants and LGBTQI+ people and those who defend them;
- complex bureaucratic legal environment and restrictive laws that negatively affect civic freedoms and weak implementation of civil dialogue infrastructures;
- insufficient availability of funding for the civic sector to engage in rule of law and fundamental rights issues and growing obstacles (including bureaucratic ones) to access them;
- prosecution of human rights defenders and criminalisation of human rights actions.
