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 May 2026
May 2026 was characterised by a convergence of electoral insecurity, digital repression, institutional manipulation, and escalating hostility toward civil society and independent media. EU SEE alerts demonstrated how governments and other powerful actors deployed legal restrictions, coercive administrative measures, and political discourse to shape public space and constrain dissent. On the positive side, some participatory…
Foreign agents laws: stigmatising civil society and choking funding flows
By Clarisse Sih and Bibbi Abruzzini, Forus, EU SEE consortium partners Laws imposing restrictions on CSO operations such as foreign agents laws, are an increasing threat to the enabling environment for civil society worldwide. The ability of associations to seek, obtain, and use resources—including those from foreign and international sources—is a key and essential part…
Podcast: Ecuador – El uso selectivo de las leyes para restringir la sociedad civil
En este primer episodio en español del podcast de la EU SEE contamos con la participación de nuestros socios de la red en Ecuador. En el último año aproximadamente, el Gobierno de Ecuador ha aprobado o intentado aprobar diversas leyes que, en general, han sido utilizadas para restringir el espacio de actuación de las organizaciones de…
Overview of Alerts April 2026
April 2026 continued the EU SEE’s 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 resilience, the overall trajectory pointed toward consolidated executive control,…
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,…
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