Enhancing Charter Compliance of EU Funds

ongoing

European Union funds form a significant share of national budgets and are regulated by a set of common provisions. For the funding period of 2021-2027, the Common Provisions Regulation (CPR) foresees that the principles enshrined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU have to be complied with throughout the funding cycle as horizontal enabling conditions. Additionally, the CPR also foresees a more articulated role for bodies representing civil society and national bodies with a human rights remit. The overall goal of the project is to enhance the human rights conditionality of EU funds by ways of raising awareness about Charter rights and their implications and contributing to a common understanding of the roles of different stakeholders in EU funding in all stages of the funding period. Project activities will include 1) a research part, 2) transfer of knowledge and exchange of experience via national events in AT, EL and PL along with virtual transnational open consultation days about Charter rights and their implications in EU funds, how the EU funding cycle is operating, what role national bodies and civil society organisations can play therein, and 3) a strong focus on dissemination tailored to the needs of different targets groups and a wider public as well as online tools that can be applied in order to enhance Charter awareness and compliance. The project will target all stakeholders of relevance for the governance structures of EU-funded programmes such as monitoring committees, managing authorities, civil society organisations, NHRIs, equality bodies and beneficiaries. Expected results include 1) increased awareness about Charter rights and their implications in implementing EU funds on the part of member state authorities as well as about 2) the EU multi-annual financial framework on the part of all other stakeholders and 3) strengthened compliance with fundamental rights guarantees provided by the Charter.