Call for proposals to promote the effective implementation of the principle of non-discrimination

Topic description

Scope:

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

2. Description of the activities

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;

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.

[1]C (2018) 3850