Empowering civil society organisations and activists championing human rights and democratic values in the EU

An initiative seeking to enhance the protection of civic space

Operated by: KMOP

Although civil society organisations play a crucial role in promoting democratic governance, protecting human rights, and advocating for social fairness, recent studies suggest that they are facing significant security challenges. This decreased sense of security has a frightening effect on them and disrupts their ability to function effectively. The phenomenon of ‘shrinking civic space’ is increasingly observed in many EU Member States. At the same time, the number of civil actors who experience various forms of physical and verbal attacks, harassment and intimidation -both in the digital and physical space- remains largely unknown due to the low reporting or the inconsistent data collection in many EU countries.