At a joint meeting on Wednesday 14 February, the European Parliament’s Committees on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) and Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM) held a public hearing to examine the implementation of the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) programme (see EUROPE 13329/13), launched in 2021.
The aim was to assess the progress of this key EU initiative designed to support and promote fundamental rights and values within the Member States until 2027.
Valeria Setti, Head of Programme Budget and Financial Management for the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers, opened the hearing by recalling the substantial increase in the budget obtained thanks to the intervention of the European Parliament, underlining its crucial role in improving the Commission’s capacity to support fundamental rights and EU values. Ms Setti pointed out that since the programme was launched in 2021, CERV has proved to be an effective tool not only for “protecting”, but also for “promoting the fundamental rights and values of the European Union”.
In detailing how the programme works, she highlighted its positive impact on various areas such as equality, the fight against racism and antisemitism, and policies in favour of the LGBTQI+ community and children. More than 3,000 civil society organisations have benefited from CERV’s assistance, which, according to Valeria Setti, demonstrates the success and effectiveness of the programme.
Godelieve Dutrieux, Head of the EU Citizens and Values, Education and Culture Unit, spoke about the call for projects to be launched in 2022. Ms Dutrieux emphasised the success of this call, during which sixteen intermediaries had been selected to support a wide range of civil society organisations. She announced that for the 2024 call, the budget has been considerably increased, reaching €74.5 million, with the duration of the project extended to 48 months and funding per project increased to €6 million. She also emphasised the introduction of a “reinforced control system” to ensure compliance with EU values among beneficiaries.
Godelieve Dutrieux also mentioned the strategic role of the national contact points, 21 of which have been designated to date, playing a key role in the dissemination and implementation of the programme's objectives.
According to the speakers, these advances augur well for even more effective implementation of the programme in the future, which is essential for strengthening the principles that lie at the heart of the European Union. (Original version in French by Nithya Paquiry)