Call for proposals to promote the effective implementation of the principle of non-discrimination - REC-RDIS-DISC-AG-2019

Deadline: Jun 20, 2019  
CALL EXPIRED

Priorities and activities to be co-financed

1. Priorities

To tackle at least one of the following grounds for discrimination listed in Art. 19 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union: racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation. Actions should aim to, in particular:

1. Promoting diversity management in the public and private sector, this includes the increasing number of Diversity charters by EU Member States, signatories, and concrete actions that promote diversity at the workplace with regard to the six grounds or intersectionality.

Indicative budget of € 500 000

2. Fighting against discrimination based on sexual orientation in society and promoting the rights of LGBTI people through the implementation of the List of Actions to Advance LGBTI Equality. In particular, concrete and practical actions raising awareness for LGBTI equality or to train professionals in relevant areas important for advancing equality of LGBTI people. Priority will be given to ensure there is funding for at least one project focusing on transgender equality and one project focusing on intersex equality.

Indicative budget € 1 100 000

3. Fighting against discrimination based on religion or belief, race and/or ethnic origin (excluding hate speech), and/or multiple discrimination, to contribute to the enforcement and effective implementation of Union law and policy, such as victims' interest representation, independent monitoring, awareness-raising, early warning and reporting. Applicants are encouraged to involve equality bodies in their projects and address the issues reflected in the Commission Recommendation on Standards for Equality bodies^[1].

Indicative budget € 1 000 000

4. Strengthening the fight against antigypsyism and various forms of discrimination against Roma including spatial and schooling segregation, discrimination in (access to) employment, health and housing, forced evictions, as well as multiple discrimination. This includes promoting societal support to Roma integration and desegregation, promoting Roma political, social and cultural participation, empowering Roma youth, women and children and promoting their participation in developing, implementing and monitoring policies affecting them; supporting capacity building of Roma and pro-Roma civil society active at the local level.

Indicative budget € 1 000 000

5. Improving equality data collection in the public and/or private sector by implementing new tools to foster the collection and use of equality data, by mapping existing data in Member States and improving interactions with other types of available data and research, developing a diagnosis tool that could be easily used by the private sector including SMEs to assess their diversity.

Indicative budget € 400 000

6. Supporting National Roma Contact Points on national Roma platforms

National Roma platforms are expected to encourage and facilitate dialogue, mutual learning, cooperation, and policy reviews between all national stakeholders. Inclusion of Roma people, particularly women and youth is encouraged. Their aim is to:

• empower National Roma Contact Points in the process of Roma integration;
• improve participation of all relevant stakeholders (i.e. public authorities, Roma and non-Roma communities, non-governmental organisations, entrepreneurs, trade unions, academia, etc.) in decisions that affect Roma, taking into account their roles;
• strengthen multi-stakeholder accountability, commitment to, as well as ownership and transparency of the process of Roma integration;
• boost the commitment to and effective implementation of integration measures at the local level, improving the equal access of Roma to mainstream services and opportunities, strengthening community building between Roma and non-Roma;
• address gaps and challenges in the implementation of the National Roma Integration Strategy specific to the national context, and to report at national and EU level.

Indicative budget of € 1 000 000 restricted to National Roma Contact Points

2. Description of the activities

Under the first, second, third, fourth and fifth priority, the call will fund projects focused on one or more among the following activities:

• data collection, survey, monitoring and reporting implementation of non-discrimination legislation, support to victims of discrimination;
• capacity building, training of professionals and empowerment;
• mutual learning, exchange of good practices, cooperation, including identifying best practices which may be transferable to other participating countries;
• dissemination and awareness raising actions (including at local level), such as through conferences, campaigns or social media and press;

Under the sixth priority, the call will fund projects focused on one or more among the following activities:

• actions to set-up and reinforce National Roma Platforms, involving all relevant stakeholders, with a focus on implementing and monitoring of National Roma Integration Strategies;
• meetings, working groups, seminars, events at national, regional or local levels; with topical discussion as education, employment, health, housing, representation, etc.;
• evaluation and review of National Roma Integration Strategies and Roma integration measures, exchange and transfer of practices that proved effective at the local level;
• transnational exchange between different National Roma Platforms to promote policy learning and transfer of good practices.

N.B.: activities supporting political parties, legal actions before national or international courts regardless of their grounds or objectives shall not be funded.

Activities must take place in countries participating to the REC Programme to be eligible for funding.

3. Expected results

1. Promoting diversity management

• increased number of Diversity charters and of companies affiliated to a charter;
• strengthened links between the academic/research community and the business world to quantify the benefits of diversity;
• more inclusive workplaces and societies;

2. Fighting against discrimination based on sexual orientation

• List of Actions by the Commission to advance LGBTI equality are being implemented;
• increased reporting of cases of discrimination based on sexual orientation;
• increased social acceptance of LGBTI people in society;

3. Fighting against discrimination based on religion or belief, race and/or ethnic origin

• intercultural understanding and equal opportunities for people of all religions or beliefs and racial and/or ethnic origins are promoted;
• increased stakeholders' knowledge of EU, national, regional and local policies and legislation as well as administrative practices in the non-discrimination field, including practices and policies covering multiple discrimination;
• more effective implementation of the non-discrimination legislation;

4. Strengthening the fight against discrimination of Roma

• implementation of the EU Framework for National Roma Integration Strategies, including fighting antigypsyism and various forms of discrimination, empowering Roma youth, women and children, supporting capacity-building of civil society active at the local level;
• more effective implementation of the legislation on non-discrimination and better protection of the interests of victims of discrimination;
• national, regional or local policies aimed to fight against discrimination and/or to promote equality at the workplace and in society are designed, developed, monitored;
• increased societal and stakeholder awareness of the mutual benefits of Roma integration and desegregation;​

5. Improving equality data collection

• identification of main gaps and shortcomings in equality data collection;
• enhanced quality of equality data collection and improved methodological approach (e. g. definition and comparability of equality data) as well as the availability and accessibility of equality data;
• better inter-institutional cooperation in collecting equality data;

6. Supporting National Roma Contact Points on National Roma Platforms

• increased number of the National Roma Platforms seen as an integral component of the coordination and monitoring activities of the National Roma Contact Points to foster the process for dialogue, cooperation and coordination of stakeholders;
• increased capacity of national experts and stakeholders to address issues related to Roma integration, including legislative and administrative practices;
• strengthened cooperation and exchange of information between competent national authorities in relation to Roma integration.