EU launches new Strategy for Civil Society & promises increased financial support

The European Commission’s new Strategy for Civil Society includes pledges to support an “enabling legal, administrative, and regulatory environment” for the sector, and to “facilitate dialogue” with donors.

This improved dialogue will allow civil society organisations (CSOs) and donors to “exchange experience, identify funding gaps and better ensure complementarity of funding sources”, the strategy says.

In its press release announcing the new strategy, the Commission notes that its recent Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) “has proposed to significantly increase the financial support to CSOs”.

Fundraising Europe asked the Commission for clarity on how significantly that financial support would change. It was told: “The proposed indicative budget of the AgoraEU programme [€9bn] more than doubles the budget of the current financial support to media, culture, rights and values in the EU.”

The Strategy for Civil Society was launched at the same time as the European Democracy Shield, which the Commission describes as a “series of concrete measures to empower, protect, and promote strong and resilient democracies”.

Philanthropy body Philea said in a statement that it welcomes the new strategy, but that some aspects of the plan “remain vague”. Its statement says:

“We are particularly pleased to read that the Commission is planning measures to facilitate access to different funding sources, creating stronger links with private donors. The strategy reflects our asks put forward in the European Philanthropy Manifesto, which calls for stronger public–philanthropic dialogue and an enabling framework that supports foundations and cross-border giving.”

Legal and financial help

In addition to facilitating donor dialogue, the finance section of the strategy contains two further pledges from the commission:

• to work to connect communities of pro bono lawyers with CSOs
• to “explore the possibility of further expanding the use of financial support to third parties schemes across relevant EU funding programmes, where appropriate”

Alongside the financial section, the other two sections of the strategy focus on engagement with the sector through a new Civil Society Platform, to be established “by 2026”, and the creation of a new online “Knowledge Hub on Civic Space”.

The strategy also proposes 10 guiding principles for dialogue between the commission and civil society. Alongside transparency, inclusivity and others, these include resourcing – ensuring that organisations are not excluded from engagement due to limited resources.

The spokesperson also said that the strategy, available in English, would be published in other languages. A factsheet on the strategy is also available, summarising its key points into a one-page document.

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