Civic Space Report 2026

The Civic Space Report 2026 is an annual assessment by the European Civic Forum (via its Civic Space Watch platform) documenting the state of civil-society freedoms across Europe, finding that restrictions on civil society became more institutionalised in 2025 — with EU-level policy now part of the problem.

Active

Since 2026

Written by the European Civic Forum and its partners on the ground, the report finds that restrictions on civil society are becoming institutionalised and mainstreamed across the continent, including unfounded accusations against NGOs in the European and national parliaments, the spread of "foreign agents" legislation and rhetoric, and restrictions on protest rights. Restrictive patterns are increasingly being taken up, legitimised, and reinforced at the EU level. The report is made up of a horizontal, EU-wide analysis, written by ECF, 13 country chapters and one regional Western Balkans analysis written by ECF members and partners on the ground.