European Commission presents 2021 Programme – what’s in it for philanthropy?
2021 Work Programme of the EU adopted
This week the European Commission adopted its 2021 Work Programme, designed to make Europe healthier, fairer and more prosperous, while accelerating its long-term transformation into a greener economy, fit for the digital age. It contains new legislative initiatives across all six headline ambitions of President von der Leyen's Political Guidelines and follows her first State of the Union Speech.
· A European Green Deal
· A Europe fit for the digital age
· An economy that works for people
· A stronger Europe in the world
· Promoting our European way of life
· A new push for European democracy
What is in the Work Programme for philanthropy?
The European Commission reiterated that Europe, in the context of the current crisis, can act fast when it needs, show real solidarity when it must, and bring about collective change when it wants. The outbreak of coronavirus has demonstrated how fragile our societies are and how much we need solidarity. The reality is that the cross-border solidarity has never been as urgent in Europe as it is today. We need a holistic and comprehensive approach to the big challenges facing our societies and we have to mobilise all available resources for public good. Philanthropy is an important vehicle for such mobilisation but needs a favourable environment to unleash its full potential. Several entry points in the 2021 work programme provide opportunities for European philanthropy to act on this. Read more in the note here.
Thanks to NextGenerationEU, the historic recovery plan presented by the Commission along with a revamped long-term budget, Europe has a ready-made tool to seize this opportunity. When it comes to the Multi-Annual Financial Framework (MFF), philanthropy and civil society have expressed the need of an increased funding for Europe’s flagship programmes, including the Rights and Values and InvestEU programmes. Additionally, strong rule of law conditionality are highlighted as key components for the next budget. When it comes to the Recovery Plan, philanthropy and wider civil society need to be involved in the preparation, monitoring and implementation of national recovery and resilience plans.
In bringing the work programme to life, the Commission promises to focus on explaining what they are doing and taking on board the views of citizens. As part of this, it is more important than ever to start a debate on the Conference on the Future of Europe. The Conference on the Future of Europe should be the opportunity to put into action the provisions on civil dialogue and further improve them. Civil Society organisations, including philanthropic organisations are at the forefront of developing responses to societal challenges as well as in keeping governments and institutions accountable. They should be at the table to engage in a real dialogue with policy makers. We are urging policy makers to recognise and engage with us as a sector. Our role cannot be confined to the organisation of events and debates, apart from the real institutional discussion. The Conference on the future of Europe itself must go beyond a communication exercise. It must have clear objectives and outcomes and involve and engage citizens and civil society organisations in a meaningful way.
Two EU priorities are of key relevance for the European philanthropy sector and mirror our recommendations in the European Philanthropy Manifesto:
An economy that works for people
An economy that works for people implies that it also works for philanthropy and wider civil society. PA is already actively engaging around the announced action plan for the social economy to enhance social investment, support social economy actors and social enterprises to start-up, scale-up, innovate and create jobs in line with the second ask in the European Philanthropy Manifesto – facilitate cross-border philanthropy. EU level policy should facilitate cross-border philanthropy in line with EU fundamental rights and values, and Treaty Freedoms with a view to eliminate legal, administrative and tax barriers. We are calling in this context for a European legal form for public-benefit foundations, better implementation of the non-discrimination principle and facilitation of mission related investment opportunities.
The Commission puts forwards its idea of a deeper Economic and Monetary Union, with progress on the Capital Markets Union and the Banking Union. As part of this, the Commission plans to take measures to boost cross-border investment in the EU. Philanthropic investments are part of the capital market and investing cross-border in tax effective ways should be facilitated. Philanthropy Advocacy will step up in its call on EU and national policy makers to address the issue both for cross-border giving and cross-border investments by philanthropic investors.
The European Pillar of Social Rights will be the compass of Europe’s recovery and crucial to ensuring no one is left behind. The action plan will be this Commission’s key instrument to contribute to socio-economic recovery and resilience in the medium and long-term, with a view to enhance social fairness of the digital and green transitions. Philanthropy Advocacy is planning to submit a contribution to the ongoing consultation running until 30 November 2020.
One of the objectives of the Commission is to step up the fight against money laundering, with the new anti-money laundering legislative package, which provides the entry point for Philanthropy Advocacy to ask that all the national and EU level rules on tax evasion, money laundering and counterterrorism financing rules are proportionate to the risks they seek to address and do not unduly restrict legitimate charitable activities.
A new push for European democracy
European core values such as democracy, rule of law and fundamental lights must remain guiding principles. The European Democracy action plan (EDAP) to be adopted in December of 2020 will be, according the Commission, a stepping stone for improving the resilience of our democracies, addressing the threats of external interference in European elections and countering disinformation, as well as supporting free and independent media. Philanthropy Advocacy together with civil society partners has contributed to the consultation on the EDAP asking for structured dialogue with civil society organisations, particularly with regards to transparent decision-making procedures and the possibility of citizens and civil society organisations to monitor the whole process, including trilogue negotiations between the European Parliament, the Council and the European Commission.
Next year, the Commission plans to follow with clearer rules on the financing of the European political parties and the role of party political foundations and take action to ensure more transparency in paid political advertising, improve the electoral rights of mobile Europeans and take action to protect journalists and civil society against strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs).
The Commission also puts forwards its plans to make informed decisions based on evidence and better regulation principles, including the need for impact assessments, which take into account the views of all impacted parties. The Commission promises to make consultations more efficient and more accessible, to facilitate stakeholders’ participation, and to hence respond to the call for more streamlined consultations. Philanthropy Advocacy in its contribution to the EDAP suggested that current public consultations by the European Commission are highly technical and mainly used by organised interest groups and asked for the democratisation of online consultations and the adoption of a more structured process for civil dialogue through an Inter Institutional Agreement on civil dialogue based on article 11 TEU.
The Commission also plans to step up efforts to improve the effective application, implementation and enforcement of EU law. This is notably important for the proper functioning of the single market, the protection of key supply chains that provide shops with food and health services with medical supplies, and for upholding citizens’ rights. The Commission will continue to support and work with Member States to ensure the swift and correct implementation of new and existing EU rules. At the same time, it will not hesitate to uphold EU law through infringement proceedings where needed. Philanthropy Advocacy will closely follow the efforts of the Commission in this regards and continue to call for effective use of all the tools that EU has at its disposal, including the new annual rule of law report and infringement proceedings to uphold the rule of law, democracy and fundamental rights and to protect philanthropy and its important role in supporting civil society, community cohesion and the European values enshrined in the Art. 2 of the Treaty on European Union.
The Philanthropy Advocacy secretariat will continue to engage around the EU work programme and will keep its stakeholders informed and engaged. Should you wish to receive more information please contact: contact@philanthropyadvocacy.eu
