– ONLINE EVENT ON 8 JUNE 2026 AND LAUNCH OF A GOOD PRACTICES TOOLKIT
The Rule of Law in Europe is increasingly under pressure today. In several European countries, worrying signs of democratic backsliding, weakening institutions, and shrinking civic space are being observed. Yet the principle of the Rule of Law remains fundamental: no one is above the law, and the protection of rights, freedoms, and democracy depends on its effective enforcement.
It is in this context that the European project STAKEHOLDERS – Mobilising Citizens as Stakeholders in the Protection of the Rule of Law in Europe was created. The initiative aims to strengthen democratic participation by connecting citizens and civil society organisations more directly to the European Union’s Rule of Law cycle.
STAKEHOLDERS is coordinated by Repubblika and is funded by the European Union.
The project addresses a clear gap: although the European Commission annually invites civil society contributions to its Rule of Law Reports, participation remains limited, uneven, and often restricted to highly specialised actors. STAKEHOLDERS seeks to bridge this gap by making the process more accessible, understandable, and relevant to a broader public.
Particular attention is given to grassroots organisations, young people, and local communities, who are often most exposed to the effects of democratic fragility but least involved in formal decision-making processes. Through training activities, public conferences, communication campaigns, and capacity-building tools, the project aims to transform civic experience into structured and policy-relevant contributions at the EU level.
A central component of the initiative is the development of a good practices toolkit on participation in the Rule of Law process, collecting concrete experiences from civil society organisations working in areas such as transparency, democratic accountability, anti-corruption, fundamental rights, social and climate justice, women’s rights and LGBTQIA+ rights, as well as the role of media and journalism in safeguarding the Rule of Law.
The toolkit will be presented during the online event:
“Empowering European Civil Society for the Rule of Law”
📅 8 June 2026 | 15:30 – 17:30 (CET)
💻 Online (Zoom – registration required)
The event will be accessible with live interpretation in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian, and Dutch, ensuring broad participation across Europe.
The event will open with welcome remarks and a presentation of the project by Manuel Delia – Repubblika. This will be followed by an intervention by the European Commission, which will frame the role of institutions in the Rule of Law cycle and the contribution of civil society.
A key highlight of the event will be the presentation of the good practices toolkit by Valentina Zoccali (S-Com), titled “From Good Practices to Impact: A Practical Toolkit for Engaging in the Rule of Law Process”, showcasing the tools developed by the project to strengthen civic participation.
From 16:00 to 16:35, a panel discussion will bring together representatives of European civil society organisations and will be moderated by S-Com. The panel will feature experts and practitioners from organisations that have already participated in Rule of Law processes at the EU level, who will share their experiences to provide partners and stakeholders with practical insights into effective engagement practices. Speakers include Vanja Mladineo (Centar za demokraciju i pravo Miko Tripalo), Frixos Stephanides (Oxygen for Democracy), Daniela Mineva (Center for the Study of Democracy), and Riccardo Rossella (Civil Society Europe). The discussion will provide a space to exchange on challenges, lessons learned, and strategies for participation in Rule of Law processes.
This will be followed by a presentation of national events organised by project partners, offering further opportunities for local engagement in Italy, Romania, Portugal, Spain, Germany, and Belgium.
👉 Registration: https://forms.gle/7vYnneWKqag42PSH8
👉 Project updates: https://linktr.ee/StakeholdersProject
The project is implemented by a European partnership of organisations active in the fields of justice, transparency, anti-corruption, and civic education, including:
- REPUBBLIKA (Malta) Coordinator
- SUSTAINABLE COMMUNICATION AISBL (Belgium)
- LIBERA – ASSOCIAZIONI, NOMI E NUMERI CONTRO LE MAFIE (Italy)
- ASOCIATIA PENTRU COOPERARE SI DEZVOLTARE DURABILA (Romania)
- ENTRETODOS – ASSOCIACAO PORTUGUESA DE PARCERIAS PARA O DESENVOLVIMENTO SOCIAL (Portugal)
- BELGIAN ANTIMAFIA STEPS TOWARDS AWARENESS (Belgium)
- FUNDACION PARA LA INVESTIGACION APLICADA EN DELINCUENCIA Y SEGURIDAD (Spain)
- MAFIANEINDANKE EV (Germany)
A project for a more participatory democracy
STAKEHOLDERS is a European project funded by the European Commission’s CERV programme. It aims to strengthen democratic resilience in Europe by turning citizens and civil society organisations from observers into active participants in defending the Rule of Law.
Through capacity building, transnational networking, and the development of practical tools, the project contributes to building a more inclusive and participatory European civic space.
Following the launch event, a Train-of-Trainers programme will be organised in Malta, where Repubblika, a partner with extensive prior experience and the project coordinator, will transfer knowledge and methodologies to the other project partners. These partners will then organise national-level activities to engage civil society and foster broader participation in Rule of Law discussions in their respective countries.
Finally, the contributions and outcomes collected through these national activities will be consolidated and presented during the next Rule of Law cycle and at the final conference organised by S-Com in Brussels in June 2027.
At a time when the Rule of Law can no longer be taken for granted, civil society participation is not only an opportunity but a democratic necessity.