Citizens’ engagement and participation

• Increased citizens' awareness of rights and EU values and increasing their engagement in society and with the EU
• Enhanced opportunities for citizens to express and make their views know about what kind of Europe they want and to outline their long-term vision for the future of European integration
• Improved knowledge and understanding by the citizens of EU institutions and policies as well as of the EU's achievements and benefits
• Increased citizens’ empowerment to get involved in decision-making from local to EU levels
• Increased citizens’ empowerment to make their voices heard by the relevant political authorities and decision makers, thus helping them make an impact in practice;
• Increased active participation of people from different backgrounds in the EU policymaking process and thus increased contribution to the democratic and civic life of the Union
• Increased citizens’ situational awareness, resilience and preparedness to counter disinformation and information manipulation
• Increased citizens’ awareness and understanding of SLAPPs and a safer and more enabling environment for journalism
• Strengthened democratic participation, with a special focus on inclusion of younger and older people, women, mobile EU citizens and people with disabilities, and on reaching those citizens not active in civic participation in their everyday life.

This is a call for proposals for EU action grants in the field of Citizens’ engagement and participation under the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Value Programme (CERV).

The objective of the call is promoting citizens' and representative associations’ participation in and contribution to the democratic and civic life of the Union by making known and publicly exchanging their views in all areas of Union action.

This call aims to support projects promoted by transnational partnerships and networks directly involving citizens. These projects will gather a diverse range of people from different backgrounds and genders in activities directly linked to EU policies, giving them an opportunity to actively participate in the EU policymaking process and thus contribute to the democratic and civic life of the Union. The projects will encourage citizens’, including young persons, understanding of the policymaking process, showing in practice how to engage in the democratic life of the EU and enabling them to make known and publicly exchange their views in all areas of Union action.

Priority 1. Promoting exchanges on future Union policy priorities and challenges

Priority 2. Countering disinformation, information manipulation and interference in the democratic debate

Priority 3. Promoting citizens’ active engagement and democratic participation