The Civil Society Facility (CSF) was established in 2008 under the Instrument for Pre-accession, with the purpose of supporting the development of an active civil society capable of participating in public debate on democracy, human rights, social inclusion and the rule of law. The CSF aims to...

On January 17, 2006, Russia adopted a new federal law amending the legal framework governing non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and giving the government greater control over NGO activity. On July 8, 2005, the President of Kazakhstan signed a new Law on National Security introducing criminal...

This analytical report addresses the interesting theme of participation in civil society, exploring the diverse range of activities that constitute active participation. A central part of the analysis involves identifying factors that influence participation, or in other words understanding why...

This reflection document presents an assessment of the human rights consultations between the EU and Russia, placed in the more general context of their cooperation, as well as proposals and suggestions not only to improve their progress, but also to reshape their direction and objectives. It is...

The purpose of this evaluation is to provide policy-makers and managers of the Commission’s relevant external co-operation Services as well as other relevant DGs (such as DG Trade and DG Environment), and the EC Delegations in Chisinau and Kiev, with an independent assessment of the EC...

This book is neither the first nor last word on the role of organised civil society in democratic life inthe European Union. However, it does present a number of fascinating illustrations about the way civilsociety organisations provide avenues of expression for the European citizen.Above all,...

Perhaps the financial and economic crisis, which has now emerged as a fundamental crisis of the EU’s role in European society, can be seen as an opportunity to rejuvenate civil society to different, and potentially more productive and co-operative roles in decision-making processes. As is...