EU justice, rights and values fund: Council agrees its position - Main contents
EU ambassadors agreed today on the Council's position on the two programmes which constitute the EU Justice, rights and values fund as part of the future EU financial framework for 2021-2027. The programmes will help promote, strengthen and defend justice, rights, and EU values as well as further develop a European area of justice based on the rule of law, mutual recognition and mutual trust.
The agreement does not cover the budgetary aspects and some issues of a horizontal nature given that these will depend on the overall agreement reached on the next multiannual financial framework (MFF). In the proposal of the Commission, the Fund has a proposed a budget allocation of 947 million EUR over the seven years (642 million EUR for the Rights and Values programme and 305 million EUR for the Justice programme). The overall allocation is equivalent to the budget of the current MFF.
Rights and Values programme
This programme aims at protecting and promoting rights and values, including by supporting civil society organisations. It has three specific objectives: promoting equality and rights; promoting citizens engagement and participation in the democratic life of the Union; and fighting violence (Daphne strand).
Justice Programme
The programme contributes to the further development of a European area of justice based on the rule of law. More specifically it will: support judicial cooperation in civil and criminal matters as well as judicial training to develop a common legal and judicial culture. The programme will also facilitate effective access to justice for all, and support the rights of victims of crime as well as the procedural rights of suspects and accused persons in criminal proceedings.