CERD was launched in 2021 and will be active until 2027. The CERD programme is divided into four pillars:
- Equality, Justice and Gender Equality – promoting human rights, non-discrimination, equality, and advancing gender mainstreaming and non-discrimination;
- Civic Participation and Inclusion – promoting citizens’ participation in democratic life;
- Daphne – combating violence, including gender-based violence and violence against children;
- Union Values – promoting the protection and promotion of EU values.
NGOs, private companies, public institutions, research institutions, international organizations, universities, and European networks are eligible to benefit from this programme. With the entry into force of the participation agreement in June 2024, CERV is one of the newest programmes in which the Republic of Kosovo participates.
The implementation of the programme is carried out through the Office of the Prime Minister – Office for Development Cooperation, which also serves as the national contact point for this programme. This structure coordinates institutional communication and assists in guiding domestic applicants.
The Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) Programme consists of four pillars:
(1) Union Values
This sub-programme aims to protect and promote the values of the European Union. In accordance with Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union, “the Union is founded on the values of respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities. These values are common to the Member States in a society in which pluralism, non-discrimination, tolerance, justice, solidarity and equality between women and men prevail.” This sub-programme is only for EU Member States; therefore, Kosovo does not participate.
(2) Equality, Rights and Gender Equality
This sub-programme aims to promote rights, non-discrimination, equality, including gender equality, and to advance gender mainstreaming and non-discrimination.
Projects in this field will:
- prevent and combat inequalities and discrimination based on sex, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation, in accordance with the principle of non-discrimination under Article 21 of the EU Charter;
- promote the full enjoyment of rights by women, gender equality, including work-life balance, women’s empowerment and gender mainstreaming;
- combat all forms of discrimination, racism, xenophobia, afrophobia, antisemitism, antigypsyism, anti-Muslim hatred and other forms of intolerance, including homophobia and other forms of intolerance based on gender identity, both online and offline;
- protect and promote children’s rights, raise awareness of children’s rights in judicial proceedings, and strengthen child protection systems;
- protect and promote the rights of persons with disabilities for active inclusion and full participation in society;
- address challenges related to personal data protection and data protection reform, and support dialogue among stakeholders in this field;
- support efforts to enable people to exercise their rights as EU citizens and the right of free movement, as well as address misuse of these rights.
(3) Citizens’ Engagement and Participation
This sub-programme aims to promote citizens’ engagement and participation in the democratic life of the European Union and exchanges between citizens of different Member States, as well as to raise awareness of shared European history.
Projects in this field will:
- remember, research and educate about defining events of recent European history, including the causes and consequences of authoritarian and totalitarian regimes, and raise awareness of European citizens about history, culture, cultural heritage and shared values;
- promote participation and contribution of citizens and representative organizations in the democratic and civic life of the Union by making their views known and publicly exchanged in all areas of EU action;
- promote exchanges between citizens of different countries, especially through town twinning and city networks, to provide practical experience of the richness and diversity of shared European heritage and to strengthen awareness of a shared future.
(4) Daphne
This sub-programme aims to combat violence, including gender-based violence.
Projects in this field will:
- prevent and combat all forms of gender-based violence against women and girls and domestic violence, also promoting standards set out in the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (Istanbul Convention);
- prevent and combat all forms of violence against children, young people, and other at-risk groups such as LGBTQI persons and persons with disabilities;
- support and protect all direct and indirect victims of such violence, including domestic and intimate partner violence, including children orphaned by family crimes, and ensure equal levels of protection across the Union for victims of gender-based violence.
Below you can find all open calls: Open calls of the CERV programme.
For any questions or clarifications regarding the programme, you can contact: dco@rks-gov.net
