The agreement between the Republic of Kosovo and the European Union on Kosovo’s participation in the EU program “Citizens, equality, rights and values” is signed

11 December, 2023

Recently, the Republic of Kosovo and the European Union have signed the agreement on Kosovo’s participation in the EU program “Citizens, equality, rights and values”. The total budget of this program for the period 2021-2027 is 1.56 billion euros, within which all EU member states can benefit as well as the countries that have the right to participate.

This EU program, known by the abbreviation CERV (“Citizens, Equality, Rights and Value”), aims to support and develop open, equal and inclusive societies. This includes an empowered civil society, through the encouragement of democratic, civic and social participation and the cultivation of the diversity of European society, based on shared values, history and memory.
Beneficiaries of this program can be public institutions at the central and local level, as well as civil society organizations, and the application process is done directly for grants in the EU, for each open call.

The CERV program has four pillars:

• Equality, Rights and Gender Equality – which includes the promotion of rights, non-discrimination, equality (including gender equality) and the advancement of gender integration and non-discrimination;

• Engagement and participation of citizens – promotion of engagement and participation of citizens in the democratic life of the Union, exchanges between citizens of different member states and awareness of the common European history;

• Daphne – combating violence, including gender-based violence and violence against children;

• Union values – which includes the protection and promotion of the values of the European Union;

With the entry into force of this agreement, the Republic of Kosovo will be able to benefit in the first three pillars, that is, in addition to the “Values of the Union” pillar.

First Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration, Development and Dialogue, Besnik Bislimi signed the agreement on behalf of the Republic of Kosovo this month, while the European Union signed it in advance on November 27. After signing, the Government of the Republic of Kosovo is continuing the other necessary procedures to ensure the ratification and entry into force of this agreement.

For more details: https://commission.europa.eu/about-european-commission/departments-and-executive-agencies/justice-and-consumers/justice-and-consumers-funding-tenders/funding-programmes/citizens-equality-rights-and-values-programme_en.

Last modified: December 11, 2023