WIN has joined 49 civil society organisations across Europe in writing to the President of the European Commission, Ms Ursula Von der Leyen, regarding Europe’s recovery after the pandemic and safeguarding Civil Society. Civil Society organisations have played a vital role in responding to the pandemic and will continue to be at the forefront of the response in the weeks and months still to come. This work highlights the pivotal role these organisations play in supporting social, economic and political well-being.
Many WIN organisations work throughout Europe and while we welcome the proposal for a European Recovery Plan to support and boost European societies in the aftermath of the pandemic, we deeply regret that the Plan does not acknowledge and address the needs of the civil society sector as part of the Plan’s identified priorities and response measures. These issues are all the more concerning in light of revised Multiannual Financial Framework 2021-2027 (MFF) making substantial cuts to funding programmes which were meant to allow the EU to invest in democracy and human rights, such as the future Justice, Rights and Values Fund. Yet, the need for the EU to provide real and concrete help to actors which can grow grassroots support for EU values across all Member States is more urgent now than ever, ensuring consistency between the EU internal and external agenda. The EU must ensure that during the recovery from the pandemic, it fosters and supports a vibrant civil society sector to promote and safeguard healthy democracies.
The full letter can be read
here.
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