Supporting
an enabling environment
for civil society
The EU System for an Enabling Environment for Civil Society (EU SEE) is a consortium of international civil society organisations and network members in 86 countries. The partnership implements an Early Warning and Monitoring Mechanism to document changes and shed light on critical trends in the enabling environment for civil society.
Early Warning and Monitoring Mechanism
The EU SEE consortium assesses these events to trigger alerts indicating significant changes to the enabling environment. The Enabling Environment Snapshots capture the current – downward or upward – trend of the enabling environment for civil society and provide a quick overview of significant events that have occurred over the past four months.
The Early Warning and Monitoring Mechanism focuses on events that impact the enabling environment for civil society in 86 participating countries.
Alerts: types and definitions
Context to Watch
Indicates a context where the status quo is uncertain or under turbulence, with outcomes still unclear and needing to be kept under observation for further developments.
Crisis Alert
Highlights the outbreak and turning points in crises relating to structural issues that have a (potential) significant impact on all EE principles. Aimed at enabling civil society to respond to threats in crisis contexts or take advantage of opportunities to resolve the crisis
Deterioration Alert
Refers to situations that have already occurred and significantly negatively impacted the state of the EE for civil society. Aims to inform and raise awareness about these events.
Early Warning Alert
Highlights situations expected to have a medium to high negative impact on the EE for civil society. Offers a timely alert to influence outcomes and potentially prevent further restrictions or contractions of the EE.
Improvement Alert
Refers to situations that have already occurred and positively affected the state of the EE for civil society. The purpose is to acknowledge and highlight the improvements.
Opportunity Alert
Identifies situations expected to have a medium to high positive impact on the EE for civil society. Presents opportunities to actively support positive outcomes and strengthen the EE.
Latest alerts
Latest resources
News and views
Overview of Alerts April 2026
April 2026 continued the EU SEE’s continued observation of increasing structural pressures on civic space, often characterised by a convergence of regulatory coercion, repression of dissent, institutional backsliding, and growing physical insecurity for civic actors. While some isolated developments, such as judicial openings and participatory consultations, demonstrated continued resilience, the overall trajectory pointed toward consolidated…
From elections to constitutional reforms, how the enabling environment for civil society deteriorates at critical political moments around the world
By Clarisse Sih and Bibbi Abruzzini, Forus, EU SEE consortium partners Across regions and political systems, civil society faces both longstanding and emerging forms of repression during periods of constitutional and political reform as well as electoral activity, ranging from legal and administrative restrictions on association and assembly to newer forms such as digital surveillance,…
Overview of Alerts March 2026
March 2026 was characterised by a further consolidation of security‑driven governance and institutional control over the enabling environment for civil society globally, accompanied by escalating pressure on civil society, media, and political opposition across regions. The use of a variety of repressive laws, particularly terrorism and financing laws, as well as criminalising rhetoric, against journalists…
Podcast: The Anti-Rights Movement and the War on Gender Policy with Florence Bateson and Ilse Wermink
In this special episode for gender justice month, we talk to Ilse Wermink, MenEngage Europe Director and Florence Bateson, Gender, Peace and Security Expert, to discuss the $1bn globally coordinated war on gender policy, the growing anti-rights movement and its impact in international fora, and the challenges of working on gender policy in hostile, often…
Universities Under Pressure: Shifting Political Influence and Its Impact on Enabling Environment for Civil Society
By Clarisse Sih and Bibbi Abruzzini, Forus, EU SEE consortium partners Universities have long been regarded as spaces for independent knowledge production, critical thinking and democratic debates. There are institutions where students, academic and civil society actors test ideas, generate evidence and engage in discussions that shape public policy and social change. Yet across different regions, universities have become contested political…
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