Civil society organisations, participants at the Civil Society and Think Tank Forum 2024, call upon the governments of the Western Balkans 6, European Union institutions, the Federal Government of the Republic of Germany and the governments of the EU member states to stand in support of European values and European future of the Western Balkans region by adopting the following conclusions:
- In light of increasing concerns about the state of the rule of law and democracy in the region, call upon Western Balkans 6 governments to demonstrate a strong commitment to enforcing the rule of law standards as preconditions for the acceleration of the EU accession-related reforms, in line with the Fundamentals First EU enlargement principle;
- Call upon Western Balkans 6 governments to abstain from all types of direct and indirect oppressions towards civil society, activists and media in the region, and to oppose the adoption of restrictive laws and regulations that shrink the space for civil society.
The following civil society organisations support this initiative:
Youth Initiative for Human Rights Serbia
Renewables and Environmental Regulatory Institute (RERI)
Independent Journalists’ Association of Vojvodina
Centre for Contemporary Politics
Transparency Serbia
Montenegro Media Institute
Helsinki Committee for Human Rights
Foundation BFPE for a Responsible Society
Centre for Investigative Reporting
UG “Zašto ne”
Transparency International in Bosnia and Herzegovina
European Fund for the Balkans
Media Diversity Institute
Centre for Policy and Governance
Institute for Environmental Policy
Association ESTIMA
Reactor – Research in Action
PPNEA
Roma Active Albania
Sarajevo Open Centre
Voice of Roma Ashkali and Egyptians
Aarhus Centar Bosnia and Herzegovina
Organization for Political Ecology Polekol
Montenegrin Ecologists Society
Centre for Civic Education (CCE)