The Early Warning and Alert System is part of the Monitoring Action for Civic Space (MACS) project, co-funded by CERV. Since March 2024, a civil society coalition, including ECNL has been working to:
- Develop a comprehensive monitoring methodology to assess both the progress and decline of civic space freedoms across six dimensions, and
- Create and pilot a civil society-led early warning and alert system to alert EU institutions to threats to civic space, accompanied by actionable policy recommendations.
Why the Early Warning and Alert System is needed
Civic space — the operating environment for civil society — continues to deteriorate across Europe, with increasing restrictions on protest rights, targeting of critical organisations and attacks on freedom of expression.
The EU’s response to these restrictions has often been reactive and fragmented, as seen in the cases of Hungary and Poland, where the institutions intervened only after civic space deterioration reached critical levels, leaving limited scope for meaningful dialogue or reform. However, evidence shows that early signs of deterioration — such as attacks on civil society’s legitimacy or targeting of specific social groups — already have a negative impact on civil society actors.
MACS partners aim to change this approach through the new system, by providing timely information and calling for earlier interventions before restrictions take hold. The goal is to shift toward a preventive model, where EU institutions actively protect civic space rather than respond only after it has been damaged. A preventive approach also requires fostering democratic and civil society resilience as part of a broader framework towards a vibrant civic space.
How does it work?
Alerts will be published on the Civic Space Watch website — which gathers data and reports on developments in civic space at the national and EU level — as well as by emails from the Civic Space Watch and partners. Urgent cases and high-risk threats will trigger advocacy efforts at the EU and international levels, while regular reports and newsletters provide a deeper analysis of emerging trends. The European Civic Forum and ECNL will coordinate country-specific advocacy at the EU level, mobilising solidarity to address the threats.
The system is focused on policies and legislation that have the potential to restrict civic space and changes to the funding landscape. The ongoing monitoring based on the methodology will be piloted in 7 countries: Bulgaria, Denmark, France, Hungary, the Netherlands, Poland and Romania.
In the coming months, the Civic Space Watch website will be upgraded to provide a more user-friendly experience to track updates and institutional responses to developments.
How can I find out more?
MACS will host a webinar on 10 April to provide more information about the project, the civic space methodology and the Early Warning and Alerts System.
Register for the webinar here!
And learn more about the methodology, why MACS fills a critical gap and how it aims to achieve its goals on the project page.
MACS is implemented by ECNL, European Civic Forum, Bulgarian Center for Not-for-Profit Law, Foreningen Nyt Europa, Le Mouvement associatif, Okotars Alapitvany, Nethelands Helsinki Committe, Ogolnopolska Federacja Organizacji Pozarzadowych and the Fundația pentru Dezvoltarea Societății Civile.
The MACS: Monitoring Action for Civic Space project is co-funded by the European Union.