A report drafted by the FRA reveals diverse challenges that potentially affect the work of civil society organisations (CSOs) working on human rights in the EU.

The report, which focuses on 2011-2017, was released on 19 January 2018 in the context of an event hosted by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) and its Liaison Group with European civil society organisations and networks.

Challenges reported by the CSOs include the following:

• Disadvantageous changes in legislation or inadequate implementation of laws;
• Hurdles when accessing financial resources and ensuring their sustainability;
• Difficulties in accessing decision makers and feeding decisions into law and policymaking;
• Attacks on and harassment of human rights defenders, including negative discourse aimed at delegitimising and stigmatising CSOs. among close to 1,200 competent national authorities from 47 countries and 10 international partners

In order to improve the situation, the EESC has recommended several ideas such as the creation of a European fund for democracy, human rights and values, the establishment of an EU coordinator on civil society freedoms; and the creation of a legally binding European monitoring mechanism, involving the EC, the Council, the EP and the EESC.