Bulgarian Center for Not-for-Profit Law
BCNL
Bulgarian center for Not-for-Profit Law is a public benefit foundation established in 2001.
ID: 547637993063-96
Lobbying Activity
Response to EU Civil Society Strategy
5 Sept 2025
The Bulgarian Center for Not-for-Profit Law (BCNL), founded in 2001, works to strengthen civil society, civic participation, and good governance in Bulgaria through legal and policy development. BCNL welcomes the initiative for an EU Civil Society Strategy, long demanded by CSOs across Europe, as a crucial framework to safeguard civic space, protect human rights defenders, and counter the rise of anti-democratic movements. Key Recommendations 1. Civic Participation Ensure systematic monitoring of civic participation mechanisms at EU and national levels. Guarantee that councils and similar mechanisms are directly consulted during EU procedures and in drafting the Rule of Law Report. Expand public consultations, using modern and diverse methods, and accompany them with awareness-raising campaigns. Introduce affirmative action-like measures to support CSOs from newer and less-developed Member States in participating at EU level. 2. Funding Prevent the misuse of EU funds by CSOs engaged in anti-EU activities. Establish transparent, fair, and accessible state funding mechanisms, avoiding unaccountable GONGOs (government-organized NGOs). Reconsider financing models to prioritize independent CSOs and strengthen cross-sectoral partnerships (business, academia, local communities). Tackle corruption and ensure EU funds support genuine civic initiatives, not just state institutions imposing top-down policies. 3. Safe Space and Enabling Environment Counter the misuse of transparency measures as tools for repression (e.g., foreign agents laws). Ensure swift EU action against illegitimate laws harming CSOs, learning from cases like Hungarys 2017 Transparency Act. Promote knowledge-sharing on legislative threats among CSOs in Member States and accession countries. Detect and mitigate EU or national legislative measures (e.g., AML/CFT, lobbying regulation) that disproportionately affect CSOs. Ensure strong EU-level responses to smear campaigns against CSOs, especially when led by parties represented in the European Parliament.
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