Joint statement on sustainable funding for (health) civil society organisations (CSOs)

In a joint statement, the EU4Health Civil Society Alliance, gathering more than 30 health civil society organisations, calls for stronger and more sustainable funding mechanisms for health civil society organisations. This call comes after a campaign from the EU4Health Civil Society Alliance to guarantee the continuation of operating grants for health CSOs, and an event organised in the European Parliament in June with the support of MEP István Ujhelyi.

The joint statement calls for:

• The European Commission Directorate General for Health and Food Safety (DG SANTE) to reinstate a multiannual framework for Operating Grants for health CSOs to correct the current imbalance health CSOs are facing compared to other sectors.
• The European Commission to take clearer and more coherent action to support civil society in accessing sustainable funding, and to protect civil society from existing threats. For the future of democracy, operating grants must be secured and improved to strengthen civil dialogue and representation, including that of citizens, patients, and marginalised groups.
• The European Commission to organize a dialogue between different DGs, the European Parliament and civil society to discuss and review the funding programmes, with the aim of breaking silos and supporting CSOs with more sustainable funding.