What role for equality in the future EU long-term budget?

[Brussels, 07 March 2012] EWL and the other main European equality networks laid out their vision on the future EU funding for equality and non-discrimination in a European Parliament hearing on the ‘Rights and Citizenship Programme,’ the EU’s main funding channel for gender equality, equality and non-discrimination for the years to come. The hearing, hosted by all five European Parliament intergroups working on equality (Disability, LGBT, Anti-Racism and Discrimination, Ageing and Intergenerational Solidarity and Youth), allowed the equality networks to raise their concerns on the Commission’s proposal and exchange views with the European Commission and the Danish Presidency of the Council. EWL’s Secretary General Cecile Greboval presented the joint amendments that 12 European equality networks drafted to the European Commission’s proposal in February, and underlined that the Rights and Citizenship programme must provide a strong framework for the EU’s policies on equality, non-discrimination and gender equality for the years to come. In addition to the EWL, also Social Platform, AGE Platform Europe, European Disability Forum, European Network against Racism, ILGA-Europe and European Youth Forum took the floor. The message of the NGOs was clear: Women and men who live in Europe need a strong EU funding programme which has promoting the rights of all discriminated groups and equality between women and men as its core objective. Predictable funding for these objectives is important: predictability in the long term is needed to make sure that in the long term you have outcomes that make the difference The programme should also provide core funding for the European networks and other NGOs whose work supports the objectives of the programme.

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