A vibrant civil society is an essential component of a healthy democracy. The EU attaches great importance to empowering civil society in the Western Balkans.

The EU has long been supporting independent media and freedom of expression in the Western Balkans. With many challenges persisting, the EU remains committed to this goal.

The EU invests in a number of programmes to help the Western Balkans meet EU standards on the rule of law. Tackling shared challenges in migration management and security are also important.