European Commission welcomes political agreement on the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values Programme

The Commission welcomes yesterday’s political agreement on the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values Programme reached by the European Parliament and EU Member States. With a considerably increased budget of more than €1.5 billion for the funding period 2021-2027 – the programme is the biggest EU fund ever to promote and protect Union values of democracy, rule of law and fundamental rights. This programme is one part of the Justice, Rights and Values Fund, the other part is the Justice Programme (2021‑2027) with a likely budget of €305 million, negotiations are still ongoing. Didier Reynders, Commissioner for Justice, said: “With today’s agreement we show that we are committed to supporting initiatives upholding EU values and the rule of law with the funds they need. And the amount – we are speaking about €1.8 billion in total – is important. This will make a real difference!”. Helena Dalli, Commissioner for Equality, added: “I am grateful to the Council and the Parliament for reaching this political agreement. As we work to recover from the current crisis, we must protect and enhance fundamental rights, non-discrimination and solidarity. Through this budget, funding opportunities will be made available to the civil society sector as of early 2021. The calls will be tailored to help us speed the progress towards a Union of Equality, and free our societies from discrimination. Our efforts are concerted to promote equality and safety in the EU-27 and around the world.”