FURI

EU Funds for Fundamental Rights

101143162 – FURI

The use of EU funds must comply with legal requirements, in particular the Charter of Fundamental Rights. Yet, over the past years, non-governmental organisations have uncovered several EU funds projects where the fundamental rights of groups in vulnerable situation (Roma, people with disabilities, people with a migrant background, etc.) have been violated. This has taken the form of discriminative treatment, reinforced educational and housing segregation, institutionalisation of people with disabilities, etc. The violations concern the Charter, but also other fundamental rights instruments, such as the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN CRPD).  

The project aims to strengthen the capacity of relevant stakeholders at EU and national level (6 Member States namely Bulgaria, Czechia, Hungary, Greece, Poland, Romania) to:  

• Raise awareness on the applicability of the Charter in EU funding;  

• Monitor the implementation of the Charter in EU funding;  

• Ensure compliance of EU funding with the Charter. 

The two-year project is implemented between March 2024 and February 2026 in 6 EU countries: Bulgaria, Czechia, Greece, Hungary, Poland and Romania. The project consortium includes:

• Greek Council for Refugees (GCR, project coordinator) from Greece
• AWEN AMENCA ZS (AA) from Czechia
• BRIDGE EU (BREU) from Belgium
• EUROPEAN NETWORK ON INDEPENDENT LIVING BRUSSELS OFFICE (ENIL) from Belgium
• FUNDATIA POLICY CENTER FOR ROMA AND MINORITIES – PCRM from Romania
• NEZAVISIMA EKSPERTNA MREZHA NIE SDRUZHENIE (NIE) from Bulgaria
• PARTNERS FOR DEMOCRATIC CHANGE HUNGARY PARTNERS HUNGARY ALAPITVANY (PH) from Hungary
• STOWARZYSZENIE INSTYTUT NIEZALEZNEGO ZYCIA (INZ) from Poland
• Validity Foundation from Hungary

Project Objectives

• Increase awareness about the applicability of the Charter in EU funding. 

• Enhance the capacity of relevant stakeholders at both EU and national levels, focusing on the six member states: Bulgaria, Czechia, Hungary, Greece, Poland, and Romania. 

• Monitor the implementation of the Charter in EU funding and ensure compliance with its principles. 

Implementation Methods

• Identify, collect and analyse cases of alleged fundamental rights violations in EU funds projects targeting and/or (in)directly impacting marginalised groups (Roma, people with disabilities, people with a migrant background, etc.). 

• Implement capacity building activities targeting NGOs, experts, lawyers, fundamental rights bodies and local activists on addressing fundamental rights violations under the Charter. This will be achieved through workshops, advocacy and legal instruments (e.g. amendment of relevant policies and/or legislation, litigation, submission of complaints to national and EU authorities, etc). 

• Raise European public awareness about the implementation of fundamental requirements and their deviations, to which the EU funds are subjected. 

Project Outcomes

It is expected, with Validity’s expertise, to develop a tool that will enable monitoring and assessment of whether the distribution and use of EU funds is contributing to violations of fundamental rights. This will help reduce and eliminate the building of new institutions and direct funding towards deinstitutionalisation and measures that will promote community-based living for persons with disabilities across Europe. 

Full Name of the Project

EU Funds for Fundamental Rights (101143162- FURI- CERV-2023-CHAR-LITI) 

This project is co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Commission. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.