FRA Director Michael O’Flaherty opened the meeting of the FRP Advisory Panel on 14 June at FRA, providing an overview of the Agency’s recent and upcoming work. He highlighted the recently adopted FRA strategy, emphasising its increased focus on providing assistance, expertise and capacity building, particularly to EU Member State governments. After a brief overview of FRA’s ongoing projects and latest publications, he invited the Panel to use the two-day meeting to give input on how to further develop the FRP, both in view of increasing civil society consultation on and contributions to FRA projects, and in regard to the Platform’s potential role as a ‘protective space’ in a context of increasing challenges to civil society organisations across the EU.