As the coordinator of the Working Group for Chapter 24 within the National Convention on the European Union (NCEU), BCSP compiled joint comments from nine NCEU member organizations on the Draft Law on Internal Affairs, which was subject to official public debate in April 2026.

Civil society organisations, journalists, and human rights defenders across the Western Balkans and European Union (EU) are operating in a digital environment defined by raising threats and inadequate protection. This analysis presents findings from a needs assessment survey conducted within the “Defending Digital Freedoms: Strengthening Civil Society Resilience against Digital Repression in Europe” project, gathering 239 responses from 11 countries (six Western Balkan and five EU member states).

Since the violent breakup of Yugoslavia, Serbia has played a pivotal role in the Balkans as the largest of the post-Yugoslav nation-states. Over the past decade, the current Serbian regime has become an influential regional actor, employing a wide range of political, informational, economic, cultural, and security-related instruments to shape its strategic position in the region. Increasingly, Serbian regional policy is framed through the political concept of the “Serbian World” (Srpski svet), which refers to the idea of maintaining a unified political, cultural, and informational space linking Serbia with Serb communities in neighbouring states.