The EU4Health 2021 Work Programme has been adopted last Friday with a budget of EUR 312 million, which is a record level of EU investment in the area of health. However,the Commission has unilaterally decided to discontinue operating grants, a type of funding mechanism that has been used by many civil society organisations in the field of health to conduct activities that contribute to implement the Commission’s priorities. This is a decision that EU4Health Civil Society Alliance organisations have difficulty in understanding, especially in the midst of an unprecedented global health crisis.
This statement calls on HaDEA and the European Commission to ensure that, in 2021, a broad range of calls for action grants are opened to allow for applications and contributions from NGOs; and restore operating grants in 2022.
