[Brussels, 12 December 2013] After two years of negotiations, the European Parliament, Council and Commission, finally adopted the seven year programme Rights, Equality and Citizenship with a budget of almost 440 million Euros, close to what the European Commission had initially proposed in 2011 (439 million). While this budget did not undergo a cut compared to others, the increase is minimal, and falls short of the EWL and other European Networks : AGE Platform, European Network against Racism, European Disability Forum and ILGA Europe, call for a budget of 530 million to effectively pursue the EU’s commitment to gender equality, equality for all, non-discrimination and fundamental rights particularly at a time when the socio-economic environment is deteriorating, nationalism and populism are rising, impacting negatively on the fundamental rights of women and men in Europe.
The Rights, Equality and Citizenship Programme, has nevertheless maintained both a strong gender equality dimension and gender mainstreaming (the dual approach) as well as the continuation of the Daphne programme – to combat violence against women, young people and children. The programme sets out nine specific objectives in total covering the protection of rights and non -discrimination on grounds of sex, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation, combating and preventing racism, xenophobia, homophobia, the rights of persons with disabilities, the rights of the child, and three specific objectives relating to protection of privacy, personal data; rights deriving from citizenship of the Union and consumer rights.
Earmarking and funding
57% of the budget is allocated to the four of the rights-based objectives including equality between women and men and gender mainstreaming, while 43% is allocated to the other five objectives including combating violence and the rights of the child.
The funding of the European Women’s Lobby will be secured under this programme as well for the four other European Networks mentioned above.
Funding from the Programme will also be available to NGOs including for small-scale projects. Further information will be available once the Programme becomes operational and the European Commission proceeds with open calls to applicants.
The EWL would like to thank its member organisations and all those that worked very hard over the past two years, including the European Parliament Rapporteur, Ms Kinga Goncz, to secure a women’s rights and gender dimension as an independent policy objective in the Rights, Equality and Citizenship Programme and for safeguarding the Daphne Programme – to combat violence against women and to ensure continued support for NGOs that are directly concerned on the ground.
