Civil society plays an essential role in vibrant, democratic societies. Civil society organisations (including philanthropy) are key actors in addressing different societal issues and in moving the green, digital and social agendas forward as well as defending rule of law, democracy and fundamental rights. Yet, while an enabling space for civil society is essential, experience across Europe shows how fragile that space can be. Deliberate, or inadvertent steps, can put civil society at risk and destroy the very essence of an essential democratic pillar.
The European Union has played an important role in standing up for civil society, setting standards and calling out threats to civic space. In May 2023 the European Commission will propose a new Defence of Democracy Package– including welcome proposals to further enhance democratic participation and protect civic space. Yet, some elements of that package threaten to undermine existing and future efforts.
A New Legal Instrument
A call for evidence makes the case for a new ‘legal instrument (directive) to introduce common transparency and accountability standards for interest representation services paid for or directed from outside the EU, to contribute to the proper functioning of the internal market, and to protect the EU democratic sphere from covert outside interference’. While focusing on transparency and accountability, this proposal appears to mirror so-called ‘foreign influence legislation’ while also emboldening repressive leaders and undercutting the EU’s credibility to speak out about restrictive laws in non-EU countries. These laws have significantly curtailed the space for independent civil society and been deployed as a tool to silence critical voices.
Such a proposal seems to echo some debates in the European Parliament and to arguments put forth by some governments to justify harsh restrictions on foreign funding and ‘foreign agents’. This approach is very risky as it can lead to significant restrictions on civic space in the European Union and globally.
Civil society has been a strong and consistent supporter of transparency reforms and continues to welcome any initiative that builds upon transparency while preserving space for the activities of independent civil society.
As civil society organisations, with extensive experience working on civic freedoms, we call on the European Commission to observe three key factorsahead of any proposal:
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The Requirement for a Fundamental Rights Impact Assessment
The European Union requires an impact assessment ahead of any legislation that is expected to have significant economic, social or environmental impacts. In addition the strategy on the effective implementation of the Charter of Fundamental Rights requires that the rights and principles enshrined in the Charter are correctly taken into account at every step of the EU legislative process. This includes a checklist that identifies what fundamental rights are affected and whether any limitation of those rights would be necessary and proportionate to achieve the desired aim.
The call for evidence indicates that no impact assessment is planned. Based on the EU’s own requirements, and the experience of the detrimental fundamental rights impact of similar laws, it is essential that an impact assessment be carried out ahead of any proposal on the basis of EU Treaties, the Charter and in compliance with international human rights.
The Better Regulation framework is also aimed at reducing unnecessary red tape and ensuring subsidiarity and proportionality. These principles must be respected when evaluating the need for legislation.
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Clarity and Purpose
The call for evidence fails to identify the specific need that new legislation would address and why an EU directive is a necessary or appropriate instrument. It also does not define ‘interest representation services’ or ‘covert outside interference’.
In a contentious environment, where several EU member states have already adopted or proposed legislation and policy that purposely or unintentionally restrict civic space, we need a risk based approach and a careful assessment of unintended consequences anc clear wording. A lack of legal clarity and purpose risks creating legislation that firstly fails to address the perceived risk and secondly opens the space for abuse and disproportionate and discriminatory restrictions on civil society organisations.
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Fundamental Rights Obligations
From a legal perspective and as part of the Charter of Fundamental Rights, the European Union must comply with, and actively promote, the rights that underpin vibrant and healthy democracies. Three references are of particular note:
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Last month the European Council adopted, for the first time, Council Conclusions on civic space, echoing the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders and stating that ‘the freedom to seek, receive and use…resources is an integral part of the right to freedom of association’.
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In 2020 the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled in the precedent setting case of the European Commission v Hungary (C-78/18) that freedom of association, enshrined in Article 12(1) of the Charter, ‘constitutes one of the essential bases of a democratic and pluralist society’. It identified the right to access funding as a substantive element of freedom of association and recognised the chilling effect of such laws, that can foster a climate of distrust in the work of associations. In sum the judgement found that Hungary had introduced discriminatory, unjustified and unnecessary restrictions on foreign donations to civil society.
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The OSCE/Venice Commission Guidelines on Freedom of Associationstate that ‘the right to freedom of association would be deprived of meaning if groups wanting to associate did not have the ability to access resources of different types, including financial, in-kind, material and human resources, and from different sources, including public or private, domestic, foreign or international.’
These three elements point strongly towards the need for exceptionally careful consideration and a formal impact assessment – to determine whether such a legislative instrument is a necessary and proportionate response, to what is currently a very undefined aim.
The signatories of this statement underline the importance of the EC upholding and being consistent with the proposal for a directive on covert foreign interference risks inconsistency with international and EU human rights law, and in particular the exercise of civic freedoms. We demand to the European Commission that:
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on the basis of the information published, the proposal for “a legal instrument introducing common transparency and accountability standards for interest representation services directed or paid for from outside the EU” should not be pursued;
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a fundamental rights impact assessment should be considered ahead of any legislative proposal; and
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an open and structured dialogue must be ensured with all stakeholders, in particular all proposals or review of legislation affecting civil society must be prepared in close dialogue with civil society.
ENDORSEMENTS
Civil Society Europe
Transparency International EU
European Civic Forum
CONCORD Europe
Human Rights Watch
Philea – Philanthropy Europe Association
Open Society Europe and Central Asia
Amnesty International European Institutions Office
European Partnership for Democracy
European Environmental Bureau
Caritas Europa
ALDA – Association for Local Democracy in Europe
Alliance 2015
Civil Liberties Union for Europe
Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO)
ILGA-Europe
ACT Alliance EU
CARE International
Centre for European Volunteering
European Center for Not-for-Profit Law
Eurochild
European Youth Forum
Lifelong Learning Platform
Front Line Defenders
International Commission of Jurists
Social Platform
JEF Europe
FIDH (International Federation for Human Rights), within the framework of the Observatory for the
Protection of Human Rights Defenders
Solidar
Balkan Civil Society Development Network
Citizens Take Over Europe
Democracy International
Democracy Reporting International
ECIT Foundation on European citizenship
European Students’ Union (ESU)
The Good Lobby
European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE)
European Network on Religion and Belief
Friends of the Earth
Free Press Unlimited
European Alternatives
Human Rights House Foundation
Human Security Collective
Access Info Europe
Civil Rights Defenders
Coalition For Women In Journalism
Araminta
International Partnership for Human Rights
International Planned Parenthood Federation, European Network
La Strada International
Eurogroup for Animals
Lobby Control
New Europeans
PICUM Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants
Protection International
Terre des Hommes International Federation
World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), within the framework of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders
RECLAIM
Volonteurope
WAVE Network (Women Against Violence Europe)
National Organisations
Academia Cidadã, Portugal
ACCEPT Association, Romania
ADRA Croatia
ADRA Europe
Advocates Abroad
ADDP – Association Défense de la Démocratie en Pologne
African Initiative of Women human rights Defenders
Aktionsgemeinschaft Solidarische Welt e.V.
Arci – Associazione Ricreativa Culturale Italiana
Asociación Española de Fundaciones
Association for Civil Society Development SMART, Croatia
Association Défense de la Démocratie en Pologne
Association for Legal Intervention (Stowarzyszenie Interwencji Prawnej), Poland
BBE National Network for Civil Society, Germany
Belarusian Youth Hub Association
Brot für die Welt, Germany
Bulgarian Center for Not-for-Profit Law
Bulgarian Institute for Legal Initiatives Foundation
Bulgarian Helsinki Committee
Calla – Sdružení pro záchranu prostředí – Association for Saving the Environment, Czechia
Centar za promociju civilnog drustva (CPCD) – Centre for Promotion of Civil Society, Bosnia
çavaria, Belgium
Carpathian Foundation Hungary
Centar za mir, nenasilje i ljudska prava – Osije, Croatia
Centar za promociju civilnog drustva (CPCD), Bosnia
Center for Public Innovation, Romania
Centre for Social and Gender Research “New Life”, Ukraine
Centre for Peace Studies, Croatia
Center for Public Innovation, Romania
CESI – Center for Education, Counselling and Research, Croatia
Česká rada dětí a mládeže (Czech council of Children and Youth)
Citizens Network Watchdog Poland
Cives Foundation, Liga Española de la Educación
Civic Alliance-Latvia
Civic Initiatives, Serbia
Civic Radauti Association, Romania
CIVICA Association, Romania
Civil Rights Project Sisak, Croatia
Civil Society Development Foundation, Poland
Civil Society Development Foundation, Romania
Clean Air Action Group
CNVOS Slovenia
Collegium Artium
Comhlámh, Ireland
Committee on the Administration of Justice (CAJ, Northern Ireland)
Committee for the Defence of Democracy (KOD), Poland
Coordination SUD, coordination nationale des ONG françaises de solidarité Internationale
CROSOL – Croatian Platform for International Citizen Solidarity
Czech Forum for Development Cooperation
DEMAS – Association for Democracy Assistance and Human Rights, Czechia
Diakonia, Sweden
DKolektiv – organisation for social development
ECPI Euroregional Center for Public Initiatives
Education Human Rights House Chernihiv
Education in Action
E*LC Eurocentralasian Lesbian Community
European Movement Italy
EUROSOLAR, Czechia
Federation for Education Initiatives
FILIA Center, Romania
FINGO – Finnish Development NGOs
Fundacja Akceptacja, Poland
Fundacja Dajemy Dzieciom Siłę (Empowering Children Foundation), Poland
Fundacja Edukacji Zdrowotnej Lepsze Jutro, Poland
Fundacja My Pacjenci, Poland
Fundacja Ośrodka KARTA, Poland
Fundacja Phan Bde, Poland
Fundacja Dajemy Dzieciom Siłę (Empowering Children Foundation), Poland
Fundacja Edukacji Zdrowotnej Lepsze Jutro (Better Tomorrow Foundation for Health Education), Poland
Fundacja Ośrodka KARTA, Poland
Fundacja Pole Dialogu – Field of Dialogue Foundation, Poland
Fundacja Polksiedzieci, Poland
Fundacja Szkoła z Klasą (School with Class Foundation), Poland
Fundacja Sztetl Mszana Dolna, Poland
Fundacja Sztuki, Przygody i Przyjemności ARTS, Poland
Fundacja trzeci – Third Foundation, Poland
Fundacja TVN, Poland
Fundacja Wiedzy i Dialogu Społecznego AGERE AUDE, Poland
Fundacja Wolności – Freedom Foundation, Poland
Funky Citizens, Romania
GENTIUM, Spain
German Fundraising Association
Germanwatch
GLAS Bulgaria
Glopolis, Czech Republic NGO Platform
Greek Forum Of Refugees
Green REV Institute
Greenways Poland Association
Háttér Society, Hungary
Heks/Eper Bread for All, Switzerland
Hellenic League for Human Rights
Help – Hilfe zur Selbsthilfe e.V., Germany
Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, Poland
HESTIA – Centrum pro dobrovolnictví, Czechia
Human Rights House Zagreb
Hungarian Civil Liberties Union
Hungarian Helsinki Committee
Independent Social Ecological Movement – NESEHNUTÍ, Czechia
Information Society Development Foundation, Poland
Initiative for Development and Cooperation, Serbia
Inklusive House BELL, Croatia
Instrat Foundation, Poland
International Youth Association TIP, Georgia
Iskorak, Croatia
Juniper Foundation
Kampania Przeciw Homofobii -Campaign Against Homophobia, Poland
Klon/Jawor Association, Poland
Latvian Platform for Development Cooperation
Legebrita, Slovenia
Leroy Merlin Foundation, Poland
LDH (Ligue des droits de l’Homme), France
LGBT Komiteen, Denmark
LGBTI Organisation Deystvie
Ligue de l’enseignement, Belgium
Ligue des droits humains (Belgium)
Local Democracy Agency Sisak, Croatia
Maecenata Foundation, Germany
Mazovia Federation, Poland
Mreža mladih Hrvatske, Croatia
#MyBrainMyChoice Initiative, Germany
National Federation of Polish NGOs (OFOP)
National LGBT* Organisation LGL, Italy
National NGO Coalition Lithuania
National Volunteer Association, Czechia
Netherlands Helsinki Committee
Network of Estonian Non-Governmental Organisations
NGO BE ACTIVE 16
Norwegian Helsinki Committee
Novact – International Institute for Nonviolent Action
Nyt Europa, Denmark
ÖH – Austrian Students’ Union
Ökotárs – Hungarian Environmental Partnership
Foundation Okraslovaci Spolek Celakovicky, Czech Republic
Open Estonia Foundation
Open Lithuania Foundation
Open Republic – Association against Anti-Semitism and Xenophobia
Open Society Fund Prague
Otevřená společnost – Open Society, Czechia
Panoptykon Foundation, Poland
Partin, Netherlands
Partners Albania for Change and Development
Peace Institute Ljubljana, Slovenia
PILnet
Platform for Social Housing, Czechia
Polish Donors Forum
Polska Fundacja im Roberta Schumana
Power of Humanity Foundation (Emberség Erejével), Hungary
Projekt: Polska
Resource Center for Public Participation
RFSL, Sweden
Rural Development Foundation, Poland
SMES-Europa – Mental Health and Social Exclusion
Society for All, z.s. , Czech Republic
SODI – Solidaritätsdienst International e.V.
Spiralis, Czech Republic
ŠRVŠ, Slovakia
Stefan Batory Foundation, Poland
Stiftung Zukunftsfähigkeit, Germany
Stowarzyszenie Kłodzka Wstęga Sudetów – Lokalna Grupa Działania, Poland
Terra Hub Croatia
Terre des Hommes Germany
The Field of Dialogue Foundation, Poland
The Good Lobby Italia
The Irish Council for Civil Liberties
The Wheel, Ireland
The Wiktor Osiatyński Archive, Poland
Transparency International Czech Republic
Transparency International Nederland
UEF Hungary
Volies, Spain
Voluntare, Spain
Vouliwatch, Greece
We are Europe!
Xnet, Spain
Ženska udruga ‘IZVOR’, Croatia
