FEMM requests 10.72 billion euros for AgoraEU and at least 16% for combating gender-based violence

The Committee on Women's Rights of the European Parliament wants to maintain the Daphne program as a separate component of the future AgoraEU and to increase funding for organizations that defend women's rights. The position adopted for the EU budget also calls for sufficient funds for the implementation of the new rules on violence against women.

The Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality of the European Parliament calls for an increase in the budget of the future AgoraEU program to 10.72 billion euros and for at least 16% of the relevant component to be allocated to activities that prevent and combat all forms of gender-based violence. The position adopted by FEMM on September 1 also supports the preservation of the Daphne program as a separate component in the future EU financial framework, as well as the continuation and increase of funding for civil society organizations active in the field of women's rights.

In short FEMM calls for the overall budget of the future AgoraEU to reach 10.72 billion euros. At least 16% of the relevant funding should be reserved for activities to prevent and combat gender-based violence. The Daphne program, dedicated to combating violence, should be maintained as a distinct component in the future AgoraEU. The Committee also calls for sufficient funding in 2027 for the implementation of the directive on combating violence against women, the rules on pay transparency, and the rights of victims. The FEMM position is the committee's contribution to the budgetary process and does not yet represent the final position of the European Parliament on the EU budget. The compromise adopted by FEMM places combating violence against women among the financial priorities that the committee wants to protect both in the budget for 2027 and in the construction of the next multiannual financial framework.

The text calls for "adequate, continuous, and increased" funding for gender equality and the maintenance of Daphne as a distinct part of the future AgoraEU. FEMM also supports the increase of the overall AgoraEU envelope to 10.72 billion euros and the establishment of a threshold of at least 16% for activities that prevent and combat all forms of gender-based violence.

Daphne funds projects aimed at preventing and combating violence, including gender-based violence. FEMM believes that the program should remain separately identifiable in the future funding structure, rather than being absorbed into a broader envelope without its own allocation.

The adopted position links this funding to the implementation of the new European rules. An amendment supported by the committee calls on states to implement on time and in full the directive on pay transparency, the directive on combating violence against women and domestic violence, and the new rules on victims' rights. For this process, FEMM requests sufficient resources through programs such as Justice, CERV, Daphne, and the European Social Fund Plus.

The European directive on combating violence against women and domestic violence must be transposed by June 14, 2027. Its implementation involves, among other things, preparing authorities, collecting data, and cooperating with civil society organizations, which explains the link made by FEMM between the new obligations and the budget for that year.

The Committee also calls for European structural and social funds to be used to facilitate women's participation in the labor market, access to childcare services, and long-term care, and to reduce the gaps between women and men in unpaid care work. The adopted text supports that the 2027 budget should contribute to preparing the future European Care Deal announced by the Commission for next year.

FEMM also calls for sufficient resources for the European Institute for Gender Equality. The Committee emphasizes that EIGE has received additional responsibilities through European rules on pay transparency, work-life balance, and the functioning of equality bodies and believes that these new tasks require additional staff and funding.

The budgetary position of FEMM was adopted at the meeting on September 1, when the committee approved both the budget amendments and the resolution that accompanies them. The compromise containing the proposals regarding AgoraEU and Daphne passed during the voting on the resolution.

FEMM is one of the parliamentary committees that transmits sectoral priorities to the Committee on Budgets, BUDG, responsible for the Parliament's position on the annual budget. The requests adopted on September 1 must thus be integrated into the subsequent stages of the budgetary process before they can become part of the final position of the Parliament.

The proposal for 10.72 billion euros for AgoraEU concerns the future European program and does not represent an amount that is to be fully spent in 2027. The annual budget and the future multiannual envelope are two distinct levels of European funding.

https://2eu.brussels/en/news/femm-calls-for-1072-billion-euros-for-agoraeu-and-at-least-16-for-combating-gender-violence