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DRAFT REPORT (2023/2004(INI))

On the implementation of the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values programme 2021-2027 – citizens’ engagement and participation

CULT-PR-750184

Committee on Culture and Education · Rapporteur: Łukasz Kohut

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This draft report by the Committee on Culture and Education assesses how the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) programme 2021-2027 is being implemented, focusing on its Strand 3 on citizens' engagement and participation. It finds the programme relevant to EU priorities such as digital and green transition, post-pandemic recovery and Russia's war on Ukraine, but notes implementation is at an early stage with few completed projects. It calls for simpler application and reporting procedures, for all member states to set up national contact points, and for more support to grassroots civil society organisations. It asks the Commission to strengthen civil dialogue, to extend re-granting, and to cover participation costs of civil society representatives from candidate and associated countries.

Committee position. The rapporteur proposes that Parliament find the early implementation of the CERV programme cautiously effective, note the challenges it faced, and call for simplified procedures, national contact points in all member states, stronger civil dialogue and extended re-granting.

Key points

  1. The CERV programme funds citizens' engagement, equality and rights, and is organised in four strands; this report focuses on Strand 3 on citizens' engagement and participation.
  2. Strand 3 aims to support remembrance projects, promote citizens' and associations' participation in EU democratic life, and encourage exchanges between citizens of different countries.
  3. The programme has a total budget of €641.71 million plus a top-up of €800 million from fines, with about €357 million for Strand 3; at least 65% goes to democratic participation and 15% to remembrance.
  4. Between 2021 and 2022 there were 26 calls for proposals; 814 of 2 675 proposals were for Strand 3, of which 451 were successful, a success rate of 55%.
  5. The report finds Strand 3 relevant to digital transformation, the green transition, post-pandemic recovery and the consequences of Russia's war on Ukraine.
  6. It notes that implementation is still at an early stage, with few completed projects and little beneficiary data, partly because the programme was adopted in 2021.
  7. It is concerned that new digital tools such as eGrants and complex procedures hinder smaller organisations, and calls for eliminating administrative burden and simplifying application, contracting and reporting.
  8. It regrets that setting up national contact points is not obligatory and that only 20 member states had one by June 2023; it calls on the others to designate them quickly.
  9. It is deeply concerned that inflation affects beneficiaries' running costs, especially unit costs for travel, accommodation and daily allowances, and may force them to scale back activities.
  10. It calls on the Commission to strengthen civil dialogue, promote capacity-building for civil society, and use civil dialogue to set priorities for the two-year work programme.
  11. It calls for analysis of re-granting mechanisms with a view to extending them to Strand 3, for simpler re-granting procedures, and for revising co-funding requirements and covering a greater share of grant amounts.
  12. It calls for the CERV programme to cover participation costs of civil society representatives from candidate and associated countries, and to encourage projects with Ukrainian partners.

Who is affected

  • Civil society organisations, especially small and grassroots ones, which face complex application procedures and may benefit from simplified rules and re-granting.
  • CERV beneficiaries, who face rising running costs due to inflation and may have to scale back planned activities.
  • Member states, which are asked to designate national contact points if they have not done so.
  • Candidate and associated countries, whose civil society representatives could have participation costs covered.

Figures and deadlines

  • €641.71 million: total budget for the CERV programme 2021-2027 in current prices.
  • €800 million: top-up from fines collected by the European Commission.
  • €357 million: amount available for Strand 3.
  • At least 65% of funding to be allocated to democratic participation and 15% to remembrance activities.
  • 2 675 proposals received between 2021 and 2022, of which 814 for Strand 3 and 451 successful.
  • 55%: success rate of Strand 3 proposals.
  • 17 member states had a contact point by May 2022; 18 as of February 2023; 20 by June 2023.
  • 48%: 2019 percentage of citizens' perception of democratic participation, which the programme aims to raise.