Welcome to the FURI Project!
What is the Furi project
The FURI project ensures EU funds work for everyone, especially marginalized groups like Roma communities, people with disabilities, and migrants. By prioritizing fundamental rights, FURI helps guarantee that EU-funded initiatives respect and uphold the values of equality and inclusion.
This groundbreaking initiative brings together NGOs, public authorities, fundamental rights bodies, and media representatives from across Europe. Together, they are building a strong foundation to safeguard the rights of vulnerable groups in EU-funded projects.
Co-funded by the European Union, FURI is committed to empowering communities, raising awareness, and preventing discrimination—all in alignment with the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights.
Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or EACEA. Neither the European Union nor the EACEA can be held responsible for them.
Background
Over recent years, non-governmental organizations have uncovered numerous instances where EU-funded projects have violated the fundamental rights of marginalized groups, including Roma communities, people with disabilities, and people with a migrant background.
These violations include:
- Discriminative Treatment: Instances of bias and unfair treatment against marginalized groups.
- Reinforced Segregation: Educational and housing segregation that isolates marginalized communities.
- Institutionalization: The practice of institutionalizing people with disabilities, which undermines their right to independent living and overall quality of life.
These violations not only breach the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights but also contravene other fundamental rights instruments, such as the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN CRPD).
By addressing and preventing fundamental rights violations, the FURI project aims to:
- Reduce Inequalities: Create a more just and equitable society by eliminating discriminatory practices.
- Improve Access to Quality Public Services: Enhance the development and delivery of inclusive public services.
- Promote Social Integration: Support the integration of marginalized groups, particularly people with disabilities, those with a migrant background, and Roma communities.
The FURI project seeks to ensure that EU funds are used in a manner that respects and upholds the fundamental rights of all individuals, thereby contributing to the creation of more inclusive, equitable, and accessible services across participating countries.
Background
Îźver recent years, non-governmental organizations have uncovered multiple cases where projects funded by the EU have violated the basic rights of marginalized groups, such as Roma communities, people with disabilities, and migrants.
These violations include:
- Discriminatory Treatment: Unfair and biased behavior towards marginalized groups.
- Reinforced Segregation: Separating these communities in education and housing, further isolating them.
- Institutionalization: Placing people with disabilities in institutions, which deprives them of their right to live independently and reduces their quality of life.
These actions not only go against the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights but also violate other key human rights agreements, like the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN CRPD).
About the project
Project Summary
Project number: 101143162
Project name: EU Funds for Fundamental Rights
Project acronym: FURI
Call: CERV-2023-CHAR-LITI
Topic: CERV-2023-CHAR-LITI-CHARTER
Type of action: CERV Project Grants
Granting authority: European Education and Culture Executive Agency
Project duration: 24 months
The project aims to strengthen the capacity of relevant stakeholders at EU and national level (6 Member States namely Bulgaria, Czechia, Hungary Greece, Poland, Romania) to: raise awareness on the applicability of the Charter in EU funding, monitor the implementation of the Charter in EU funding, ensure compliance of EU funding with the Charter.
General Objectives
- Raise Awareness about the application of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights.
- Collect and Analyze Cases of alleged fundamental rights violations in EU-funded projects.
- Launch Capacity-Building Activities through workshops, advocacy, and legal instruments (e.g., policy amendments, litigation, etc.).
- Report and Disseminate Results, including through communication campaigns and conferences.
Project activities
The FURI project will first gather and analyze cases where EU-funded projects may have violated the fundamental rights of marginalized groups, including Roma, people with disabilities, and migrants. This analysis will focus on the 2014-2020 funding period but might also extend to the 2021-2027 period.
Next, the project will implement capacity-building activities aimed at preventing such violations. These activities will include workshops, advocacy efforts, and legal measures like policy amendments, litigation, and submitting complaints to authorities. The project’s scope will focus on various issues such as segregated education, institutionalization, and unequal access to public services.
The FURI project targets several key EU funding programs, such as ESF+, ERDF, AMIF, and the Recovery and Resilience Fund (RRF). It is structured around two main pillars: research and advocacy/legal action.
Consortium
Lead partner and coordinator:
Greek Council of Refugees (GCR)
The Greek Council of Refugees (GCR) has been active since 1989 in the field of asylum and fundamental rights in Greece. GCR is an association recognized as a special charity, is included in the Registers of competent Ministries, has Consultative Status in the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the UN since 2001 and is an operative partner of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).Â
Thematic Partners (co-applicants):
Bridge-EU (BREU)
Thematic coordination – the staff of Bridge-EU (BREU) has significant experience in EU funds policy development at EU and national level. This includes EU funds programmes development, guidance, toolkits, and actions to meet the fundamental rights standards at the implementation phase (e.g. call for proposals, project management).Â
Local partners:
CZ
Awen Amenca (AA) Set up in 2013, AA undertakes a wide range of activities to desegregate education in Czechia, including campaigning, advocacy, community organising and litigation. Â
HU
Partners Hungary Foundation (PH) aims to strengthen the capacity of marginalised local communities (Roma) by reinforcing the dialogue between individuals, representatives of the community, mainstream society, etc. PH works in different fields such as education, social integration and conflict management. PH will lead the activities under WP2. Â
RO
Policy Center for Roma and Minorities (PC) is a non-governmental think-tank which act towards solving social inclusion issues of Roma and other ethnical minorities. The activities include educational actions (e.g. afternoon schooling, extra-curricular activities) ffor children living in segregated neighbourhoods), skills development, advocacy (national and EU).Â
BG
Network of Independent Experts (NIE) is an independent network of human rights experts, advocacy enthusiasts and professionals in the protection of disadvantaged people. A priority area is the rights of persons with disabilities and deinstitutionalisaton. To achieve their objectives; NIE undertakes a wide range of activities including litigation, research, advocacy, events, trainings etc. NIE has experience in submitting complaints of EU funds for fundamental rights violations. Â
PL
Instytut Niezaleznego Zycia (INZ) aims to supporting and monitoring the implementation of the CRPD in Poland, focusing on independent living. Activities include conducting research, organising events, advocacy, capacity building, information and promotion activities, preparation of standards, collection of good practices. INZ has experience in submitting complaints of EU funds for fundamental rights violations.Â
International partners:
On one hand they will provide support for national partners in designing and implementing specific actions, as for instance drafting complaints taking into account their long-standing experiences. This support might be provided through their member organizations or directly advising national partners. On the other hand, international partners will implement advocacy at EU level through webinars, workshops, communication instruments, etc. The international partners are:Â Â Â
Validity Foundation
Validity Foundation (VF) was established in 2002 as a legal advocacy organization to tackle the generations of isolation, segregation and exclusion faced by people with mental disabilities in Central and Eastern Europe. Validity is a thriving network of practitioners, volunteers and partner organizations providing specialist legal support to the disability rights movements in Europe and Africa. Validity has significant experience in strategic litigation, EU funds advocacy, complaints, etc.Â
European Network on Independent Living
The European Network on Independent Living (ENIL) is a Europe-wide network of disabled people, with organizational and individual members throughout Europe, and beyond. ENIL represents the disability movement for human rights and social inclusion based on solidarity, peer support, deinstitutionalization, democracy, self-representation, cross disability and self-determination. ENIL undertakes a wide range of activities, to achieve its objectives, including: awareness raising activities and campaigns (e.g. EU Funds for Our Rights Campaign), advocacy activities (including on EU funding), training and capacity building activities, mutual learning and exchange activities, analytical activities and data collection, information and dissemination activities.
