CSOs called for more effective and accessible EU programme to promote European values
BlueLink 08-03-2021.
In January 2021 the EU Commission and the European Parliament adopted a new programme to support of civil society initiatives – the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values programme (CERV) – for the period of 2021-2027. It was built upon the previous programmes: Europe for Citizens and Rights, Equality and Citizenship. CERV will support civil society organizations, working on the local, regional, national and transnational level, and will promote civic and democratic participation.
An unprecedented budget of EUR 1.55 billion was allocated for the CERV programme. Civil society organizations across Europe, including BlueLink, welcomed the launch of it and formulated several recommendations for its effective and transparent implementation in the open letter to Vera Jourova, vice-president values and transparency EU Commission.
Recommendations aim to increase accessibility of the CERV programme for smaller CSOs, including more flexible financing schemes, translation of documents in all member states languages and user-friendly application procedure, and ensure civic oversight over the implementation of the programme.
Full text of the open letter can be found below.
