Declaration by the High Representative on behalf of the EU on listing the European Endowment for Democracy as an “undesirable organisation”

The EU rejects the decision by the Russian authorities to include the European Endowment for Democracy (EED) on their list of “undesirable organisations”.

The EED is a values-based organisation set up by the European Union and its Member States, which represents tenets and principles that are also enshrined in the European Convention on Human Rights and shared by many other countries around the world.

The EU urges the relevant Russian authorities to reconsider its legislation on “undesirable organisations”, and remove the European Endowment for Democracy and other international and foreign donor organisations that have had to terminate their operations aimed at strengthening civil society in the Russian Federation, from the list of “undesirable organisations”. The Russian legislation on “undesirable organisations” and “foreign agents” contributes to restricting civil society, independent media and the rights of political opposition and has a negative impact on the work of civil society in Russia.

We urge the authorities of the Russian Federation to review current legislation in order to bring it in line with its own commitments under European and international human rights law including the relevant Venice Commission opinions.