The Rule of Law Cycle, led by the European Commission, is a crucial mechanism for monitoring the state of the rule of law across the EU, allowing for the identification of emerging threats and ways to combat them. Civil society has long engaged with this process, emphasizing that the rule of law cannot be addressed in isolation from the functioning of democracy, a thriving civic space and effective access to fundamental rights. Against this background, Civil Society Europe has developed its 2026 contribution on civic space to the Annual Rule of Law report.

The contribution, prepared by Civil Society Europe’s Working Group on Civic Space and Fundamental Rights, outlines cross-country trends on civic space in 2025, followed by an overview of countries where relevant new or persistent issues have been identified and civil society country-specific recommendations for most Member States. 

The report outlines a further shrinking of civic space across Europe in 2025, with particularly concerning developments in several countries, and a broader pattern of regression affecting the enabling environment for civil society across the Union.

The right to protest, peaceful assembly and freedom of expression are increasingly under attack, facing restrictions in many Member States. Restrictive trends are not only spreading nationally but are also being reinforced at EU level, with EU policies and national measures increasingly feeding into one another, contributing to the normalisation of limitations on civic space. 

While the EU Civil Society Strategy and AgoraEU programme under the EU’s next long-term budget are positive steps, these initiatives co-exist with measures that harm civil society. A more coordinated approach is needed, as well as a significantly stronger integration of civic space considerations within the Rule of Law Cycle.

In order to improve the effectiveness of the Rule of Law Cycle, we are calling on the European Commission to:

1. Involve civil society more structurally in the cycle,
2. Include a separate chapter on civic space in its Rule of Law Report and expand the coverage of critical issues such as freedom of association and freedom of peaceful assembly,
3. Provide concrete actions, a clear timeframe and deadlines for country-specific recommendations, 
4. Assess the effectiveness of reforms in more detail, going beyond just Member State reporting,
5. Ensure predictable follow-up actions in case of persistent non-compliance with country-specific recommendations, 
6. Establish a mechanism for civil society, media, and human rights defenders to continuously report violations, 
7. Develop EU guidelines for preventive and responsive action within the Rule of Law Toolbox to address emerging risks to civic space, 
8. Strengthen the link between respect for the rule of law and the allocation of funds in the next EU long-term budget, and 
9. Implement an impact assessment for human rights and civic space in all legislative and regulatory proposals. 

Read the full contribution here.