A new civic space report links EU-level measures to national crackdowns on NGOs, warning of a feedback loop that restricts civil society.
The EU has long prided itself on its ability to export democracy and the rule of law.. But what happens when that power is used for the opposite?. For NGOs, this is no longer a hypothetical question: EU policies and rhetoric are reinforcing attacks on civil society closer to home.. For decades, the EU celebrated the s0-called ‘Brussels effect‘ — using the size of its market clout to export regulations beyond its borders and to
speed up democratic transitions in neighbouring countries.. Then, when the rule of law came under attack in Hungary and Poland, the EU came under pressure to step up and wield its power more assertively within its own borders.. Today, there are increasing signs that this power is taking on a darker meaning.. Our annual civic space report, published on Wednesday (13 May), shows a clear interplay between EU and national policies: restrictions of civic freedoms
in member states are shaping the narrative in Brussels, while EU-level measures and initiatives are normalising national crackdowns on civil society.. Perhaps the clearest example lies in the unfounded allegations repeatedly launched against NGOs in the European Parliament.. The “scrutiny working group” on NGO financing, made up of centre- and far-right MEPs, has descended into a political witch hunt.. Despite the European Court of Auditors finding no evidence of grant misuse, the group has manufactured
suspicion against climate NGOs, branded Muslim-led organisations as “terrorist-adjacent” and accused groups protecting the rights of migrants of facilitating “illegal smuggling”.. This institutionalised harassment creates a toxic feedback loop, where unfounded parliamentary allegations legitimise politically-motivated reputational attacks and restrictions, and vice versa.. The politicisation and control of NGO-funding at EU level is adding to dynamics in member states.. The MEPs involved in the scrutiny working group that come from national parties have attacked civil society
in their own member states.. Germany, Austria, Bulgaria In Germany, the governing CDU/CSU, which in Brussels questions civil society advocacy, initiated inquiries into the “political neutrality” of NGOs to bring false narratives into the national debate.. In Austria, the far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ) targeted over 700 organisations in more than 2,000 parliamentary questions, while Bulgaria has launched an ad hoc commission targeting groups funded by “foreign philanthropists”.. These attempts provide fertile ground for negative narratives
about NGOs to become mainstream.. Meanwhile, many countries in Europe, including EU member states and candidate countries, have proposed “foreign agents” laws, which place restrictions on organisations that receive funding from abroad and have a deeply stigmatising effect.. In some cases, these have been justified with reference to the European Commission’s own directive on the foreign funding of NGOs.. In Bulgaria, for example, a far-right MP labelled their own, much more dangerous law, “absolutely one-to-one”
with the directive.. This pattern extends to the EU’s borders.. Acting in solidarity with migrants is becoming increasingly outlawed, with at least 110 individuals facing judicial proceedings in 2025.. Coercive EU migration policies have created a mutually reinforcing pattern: the harsh approach of member states is often mirrored by Brussels, providing the political and legal cover necessary to repress migration-related NGOs.. It’s time to recognise that civic space is not simply “shrinking” across Europe.. As
our report shows, it is being actively restricted by anti-rights actors seeking to promote their agendas, silence debate, and exclude communities whose rights they seek to undermine.. There is, however, a different path available to those within the institutions who recognise this danger.. Last year, the commission proposed a strategy to protect civil society, while the European Parliament recently voted in favour of an increase in funding for organisations focused on democracy, rights, and equality
in the next long-term budget.. The EU cannot have it both ways.. If it wants to be seen as a model of democracy and rights, it needs to put an end to policies and rhetoric that are enabling violations of civic freedoms in its member states.
civic space report, EU policies, NGO financing scrutiny, foreign agents laws, migration NGO crackdowns, European Parliament allegations