The European Union is gearing up towards setting its next ‘Multiannual Financial Framework’, in other words the budget that it gives itself over a seven-year time period, stretching from 2027 to 2034.
This immensely important process sets the amounts, but also the way money is spent in the EU, including for many funds that have an impact on older people and solidarity between generations:
- Erasmus+ deals with adult education and life-long learning, on top of the well-known international student mobility programme, and is accessible to many smaller organisations
- The European Social Fund supports projects and innovation in social policies, and in the past had a special target on including older workers in the labour market
- Horizon Europe funds research and innovation, including on integration of care, age-friendly environments, new medicines or treatments.
- the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values programme financing smaller and larger organisations and networks that represent citizens and the EU’s values on equal treatment.
On top of these, the cohesion fund aims to reduce social and economic differences between the EU’s regions, the current “Recovery and Resilience Facility” created during the COVID-19 pandemic invested heavily in Member States’ health resilience, digitalisation and greening of the economy
The re-negotiation of the Multiannual Framework is also the proper timing to discuss new funding vehicles or policies, such as the ability to factor in the work of volunteers in projects. AGE will participate in the consultations to ensure that vital funding for civil society is maintained and that projects, innovation and research around ageing societies is not neglected in the priorities of the funds.
You can have your own say in different ways:
- Until 6 May in the open public consultations for different areas of the budget (most important is the one covering – among other topics –education and training, solidarity, media, culture, values, and civil society).
- Also until May, you can submit a small text and vote/comment on other people’s proposals on the ‘Citizen Engagement Platform’ of the European Commission
The European Commission will come up with legislative proposals for the next long-term budget, taking into account the view of the European Parliament, Member states and other institutions as well as the inputs received in these consultations from citizens.
