Philea issues statement of concern about “foreign agent type of law” in Slovakia
Philea is concerned about Slovakia’s attempts to introduce a “foreign agent type of law” that would label civil society organisations in receipt of more than €5000 per year in foreign funding as an “organisation with foreign support”. The Slovak Parliament already approved the bill at the first reading in April and it is now in its second reading in Bratislava.
While the stated aim of the proposed law to amend the existing NGO law is to increase transparency of civil society organisations’ funding, it will stigmatise those that receive foreign funding. We are of the opinion that the law is in conflict with European core values and fundamental rights and freedoms, and we call on the Slovakian government to withdraw the law immediately. The bill resembles Hungary’s past NGO law and a law recently approved in Georgia.
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