Enhancing Team Europe+ Coordination on Civil Society Support in Burundi - TED Partner Country Engagement

From February to May 2026, the Team Europe Democracy (TED) initiative supported the EU Delegation, Belgium, Germany, France, The Netherlands and Switzerland in Burundi in mapping European support to civil society working on democratic governance, provide recommendations for a Team Europe support approach and coordination mechanism.

A broad understanding of citizen participation was adopted, covering citizens' ability to have a voice in decision-making, and of democratic values, including human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and human rights.

The study builds on TED's policy brief on supporting civic space and local governance, which shows that the Team Europe approach remains underutilised for democracy support, while the current context marked by shrinking civic space, a growing prominence of Global Gateway, and tightening European and US budgets, calls for stronger coordination and more context-responsive approaches. The policy brief also puts forward a set of general recommendations. The TED study in Burundi provided an opportunity to test these recommendations in a specific country context and to identify practical ways of strengthening Team Europe coordination. 

A constrained civic and political environment

Burundi's civil society operates in a highly constrained civic and political environment. Freedom of expression, association and assembly are restricted, while human rights defenders, journalists and activists face risks including intimidation, arbitrary arrest and unfair judicial procedures. The legal framework governing non-profit organisations gives the authorities significant powers over their registration, functioning and financing. A formal and structured mechanism for consultation between the State and civil society also remains lacking.

The 2015 crisis profoundly fractured Burundian civil society and continues to shape how it operates today. A lasting divide has emerged between CSOs according to their relationship with political power. The proximity of some organisations to the government has generated divisions, which have at times been instrumentalised for political purposes. Over time, a climate of mistrust has developed, severely limiting collaboration among civil society organisations. Fear of working together or of being publicly associated with other organisations has replaced the dynamic networks and coalitions that previously characterised Burundian civil society.

This fragmentation is compounded by declining donor funding, intensifying competition for funding resources. The withdrawal of US support, the departure of the Netherlands, and tighter European budgets, risk leaving projects and thematic areas without adequate financing. This makes stronger European coordination increasingly important, both to protect strategic areas of support and to diversify the funding base.

TED’s support to Team Europe in Burundi

The mapping finds that European support to civil society in Burundi is well established and well balanced. A careful analysis found no gaps when it comes to thematic intervention and geographical spread. Yet, coordination could be enhanced to ensure a more systematic approach to information sharing, strategic prioritisation, geographical coverage and division of labour. More specifically, the study finds that while different European actors support complementary areas and organisations, there is a need for a more systematic approach to information sharing, strategic prioritisation, geographical coverage and division of labour. Setting up the Team Europe+ coordination mechanisms would not only benefit Burundi but also set an example and provide methodology to scale to other EUDs, as these mechanisms remain rare today.