End FGM EU outlines its priorities to European Commission on the next EU budget
As a key civil society actor committed to gender equality in the EU, the End FGM European Network contributes to the ongoing discussions and negotiations on the next Multiannual Financial Framework 2027-2033 (MFF). This process holds far-reaching implications for the future of the Union and its people.
The End FGM European Network is a framework partner of the European Commission under the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) funding stream. Over the past decade, the Network has collaborated closely with the EC and EU policy-makers to advance the elimination of female genital mutilation (FGM) and gender-based violence (GBV), in Europe and beyond.
The following recommendations require the integration of a gender perspective in the budgetary process, which allows for the promotion of gender equality goals from the design and allocation phase of budgeting.
The next MFF must ensure:
- The continuation, strengthening and improvement of the CERV Programme, essential for the advancement of gender equality and the sustainable elimination of gender-based violence such as FGM.
- Integrated, systematic gender impact assessments for all spending decisions, guaranteeing their role in reducing inequalities is evaluated and monitored.
- Amplified yet effective frameworks to support implementation, preventing excessive administrative burdens, particularly for smaller CSOs, while ensuring meaningful accountability and transparency.
- EU funding of actions that are in line with the fundamental values enshrined in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, therefore guaranteeing no EU funding supports initiatives that have a rights-restrictive (or openly anti-rights and de facto discriminatory) stance.