Monitoring Action for Civic Space (MACS)

What is MACS?

The Monitoring Action for Civic Space (MACS) captures the state of civil society space in EU member states. Collectively, 9 European organisations have created this new monitoring tool to draw the attention of EU institutions, states and civil society to civic space issues that matter.

The coalition

The European Center for Not-for-Profit Law, European Civic Forum, Bulgarian Center for Not-for-Profit Law, Foreningen Nyt Europa, Le Mouvement associatif, Okotars Alapitvany, Nethelands Helsinki Committe, Ogolnopolska Federacja Organizacji Pozarzadowych and the Fundația pentru Dezvoltarea Societății Civile joined forces to design MACS, using our collective expertise in the monitoring field.

Why is MACS needed?

MACS envisions a civic space, or in other words, an enabling legal and policy environment for individuals and civil society groups to exercise fundamental freedoms, that is:

Organised: Individuals and organisations can come together to establish both formal and informal non-profit organisations.
Resourced: Individuals and organisations have access to and can effectively utilise a variety of resources.
Mobilised: Individuals and groups can freely assemble, campaign, and express their opinions.
Engaged: Individuals and groups can access and actively participate in the policy-making processes that impact their lives.

However, across the EU civil society organisations, their members and human rights defenders are coming under increasing pressure. To help CSOs and the EU to effectively respond to these threats, MACS is running a pilot monitoring in 7 selected countries: Bulgaria, Denmark, France, Hungary, the Netherlands, Poland and Romania.

What’s the added value?

MACS was created to fill the current gap at the EU level. It launches a comprehensive tool that will provide systematic evidence and guidance to EU, states and civil society on:

emerging civic space trends within the EU;
early signs of how the space for civil society is improving or deteriorating;
good practices and civil society strategies;
how proposed or adopted national laws may breach EU law, including the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights; and
how EU laws impact civic space.

It provides nuanced information to EU institutions so they can take action before the situation further deteriorates.

How does MACS work?

MACS will monitor the following 6 key dimensions:

Freedom of association

Right to establish, join, or participate in a CSO.
Registration, where required and necessary, is clear, simple, quick, and accessible.
The state does not impose requirements that unlawfully or unnecessarily interfere in internal affairs and the operation of CSO.
CSOs are free to determine their objectives and activities.

Access to funding

CSOs have the right, and in practice, are able to seek, receive, and use financial and material resources to function effectively.
CSOs are effectively able to access and use foreign and international resources, without discrimination.
State support for CSOs is governed by clear and objective criteria and allocated through a transparent and competitive procedure.
The State supports the creation of a supportive environment for CSOs that facilitates, their ability to access funding in a predictable, sustainable, transparent and fair manner.

Freedom of peaceful assembly

Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and is able to organise and participate in assemblies without unwarranted interference.
The state facilitates peaceful assemblies, including online assemblies and promote an enabling environment for the exercise of this right.
The state does not impose unnecessary and disproportionate burdens on organisers or participants in peaceful assemblies, including in an online environment.
Law enforcement respects and ensures the exercise of peaceful assemblies – including online assemblies – and is accountable for the actions of its representatives.

Freedom of expression

Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression.
The state facilitates and protects freedom of opinion and expression.
When exercising online, digital technologies are compliant with human rights standards protecting and promoting freedom of opinion and expression.
The state has adopted appropriate, proportionate and effective measures against incitement to discrimination, hostility and violence.

Participation in decision-making

Everyone has the right to participation in decision-making.
There is regular, open and effective civil dialogue in developing, implementing and monitoring public policies.
CSOs have access to timely and relevant information necessary for their effective participation.
State policies facilitate cooperation with CSOs and promote their development.

Safe space

The state promotes and protects the work of civil society organisations, human rights defenders and journalists, ensuring that they are protected against violence, threats, harassment, or any arbitrary actions because of their work and provides access to remedies when violations occur.
The State conducts prompt and impartial investigations of alleged violations of human rights.
The State protects human rights defenders at risk and facilitates temporary or longer-term relocation mechanisms.
Measures used to fight foreign interference, extremism, terrorism, money laundering or corruption are targeted and proportionate, in line with the risk-based approach, and respect human rights standards.
The state protects the right to privacy and data protection of CSOs, associated individuals, and all other external supporters, both offline and online.

Each dimension will include a separate analysis to highlight restrictions that target marginalised, excluded and historically discriminated group, informing the scoring process.

MACS will publish:

detailed country reports that go deep and analyse both the progress and decline of civic freedoms across the 6 dimensions in the countries;
regional trends report to highlight issues within the EU sphere of competence, and
an Early Warning and Alert System on the Civic Space Watch website to identify restrictions at an early stage and trigger timely action by EU institutions, international organisations, media and human rights actors.

In Romania, CSDF alerts:

Romania’s government is proposing a new Administrative Procedural Code that would classify CSOs, including independent media outlets registered as CSOs, as entities subject to the Freedom of Information Act. This means CSOs would have a legal obligation to respond to public information requests, similarly to state institutions. The new Administrative Procedural Code seeks to unify all administrative norms currently across several pieces of legislation into one single code. This process would allow for a thorough reform of how public entities work and simplify and bring more clarity for all stakeholders engaging with the state. However, by including CSOs as “obliged subjects” under the freedom of information framework, the draft law goes beyond mere reform of procedural norms.

The draft code, initiated by the Ministry of Development, Public Works and Administration, also discriminates between different types of private entities, as only associations and foundations are included in the list of mandatory entities, with for-profit entities excluded. The draft was published in a public consultation in February 2025, and a public debate took place on 12 March. Several CSOs participated in the public debate, but most of their proposals for amendments have been rejected.

If adopted, the new code could have serious negative consequences for civic space. Making CSOs responsible for providing access to information gathered or stored about their work could distort their role, place an extra burden on them and use up scarce resources. Additionally, some CSOs working with vulnerable groups manage information from the groups that might be harmful to publicise. The draft law does not yet specify what the sanctions for non-compliance would be, but there is a serious risk that any penalties imposed could be used to harass or intimidate CSOs, particularly those working on topics such as anti-corruption, human rights, minority rights, strategic litigation, and investigative journalism. The law could therefore become a tool for political interference and pressure.

The legal and administrative burdens to respond to information requests introduced by the law could also discourage civic participation by making it harder for people to organise or join associations.

The MACS: Monitoring Action for Civic Space project is co-funded by the European Union.

It is implemented by the European Center for Not-for-Profit Law, European Civic Forum, Bulgarian Center for Not-for-Profit Law, Foreningen Nyt Europa, Le Mouvement associatif, Okotars Alapitvany, Stichting Nederlands Helsinki Committe, Ogolnopolska Federacja Organizacji Pozarzadowych, Fundația pentru Dezvoltarea Societății Civile.