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Saatja: "Ines Estrin" <[email protected]> Saaja: "Info - RAM" <[email protected]>, "Info - SOM" <[email protected]>, "HM - HTM" <[email protected]> Teema: Kodanikuühiskonna rahastamine ELi järgmises mitmeaastases finantsraamistikus Kuupäev: 2026-09-01 10:15 Tähelepanu! Tegemist on välisvõrgust saabunud kirjaga. Tundmatu saatja korral palume linke ja faile mitte avada. Lugupeetud Rahandusminister Jürgen Ligi ja kantsler Merike Saks, Sotsiaalminister Karmen Joller ja kantsler Maarjo Mändmaa, Haridus- ja teadusminister Kristina Kallas ja kantsler Triin Laasi-Õige Edastame teile International Planned Parenthood Federation European Networki (IPPF EN) ja 31 teise Euroopa kodanikuühiskonna võrgustiku ja organisatsiooni ühispöördumise seoses AgoraEU ja selle CERV+ tegevussuuna rahastamisega Euroopa Liidu järgmises mitmeaastases finantsraamistikus. Eesti Seksuaaltervise Liit toetab pöördumises esitatud seisukohti ning peab väga oluliseks, et Eesti seisaks ELi eelarveläbirääkimistel tugeva ja piisavalt rahastatud AgoraEU programmi ning CERV+ rahastamise eest. CERV on oluline Euroopa Liidu rahastusmehhanism organisatsioonidele, kes töötavad demokraatia, põhiõiguste, võrdõiguslikkuse, kodanike osaluse ning haavatavate ja diskrimineeritud ühiskonnagruppide õiguste ja heaolu nimel. Nõudlus selle rahastuse järele ületab juba praegu oluliselt olemasolevaid võimalusi. Olukorras, kus demokraatia, õigusriik, põhiõigused ja võrdõiguslikkus on Euroopas kasvava surve all, ei ole nende valdkondade rahastamise vähendamine meie hinnangul põhjendatud. Tugev ja sõltumatu kodanikuühiskond ei ole üksnes väärtuspõhine küsimus, vaid oluline osa Euroopa ja Eesti demokraatlikust vastupanuvõimest, ühiskonna sidususest, stabiilsusest ja julgeolekust. Seetõttu palume Eestil ELi järgmise mitmeaastase finantsraamistiku läbirääkimistel: * toetada AgoraEU programmi eelarve suurendamist 10,72 miljardi euroni; * toetada CERV+ tegevussuunale 41,9% AgoraEU eelarvest; * mitte toetada AgoraEU rahastuse kavandatud 300 miljoni euro suurust vähendamist. Samas peame sama oluliseks seda, kuidas kujundatakse Eestis järgmise EL eelarveperioodi prioriteete ja rahastusvalikuid. Samuti kutsume valitsust üles kaasama kodanikuühiskonda Euroopa Liidu 2028–2034 eelarveperioodi vahendite planeerimisse enne Eesti riigiplaani ja rahastusprioriteetide lõplikku kujundamist. Need kaks küsimust on omavahel otseselt seotud. Euroopa tasandil tuleb tagada piisavad vahendid demokraatia, põhiõiguste ja kodanikuühiskonna toetamiseks ning Eestis tuleb tagada, et nende vahendite kasutamise prioriteedid kujundatakse sisulises partnerluses vabakonnaga. Eesti suurendab põhjendatult investeeringuid riigikaitsesse ja julgeolekusse. Samal ajal peame hoidma ka neid ühiskondlikke võimekusi, millel põhineb meie demokraatlik vastupanuvõime – inimeste usaldust ja osalust, tugevaid kogukondi, ligipääsu teenustele ning organisatsioone, kes jõuavad inimesteni ja probleemideni, kuhu riik alati ise ei jõua. Järgmine EL eelarveperiood kujundab Eesti arenguvõimalusi paljudeks aastateks. Loodame seetõttu, et Eesti seisab Euroopa tasandil tugeva AgoraEU ja CERV+ programmi eest ning kaasab Eestis kodanikuühiskonna partnerid järgmise perioodi prioriteetide kujundamisse enne oluliste valikute tegemist. Lisame kirjale Euroopa 32 kodanikuühiskonna võrgustiku ja organisatsiooni ühispöördumise ning loodame Eesti toetusele selles küsimuses. Lugupidamisega Ines Estrin Tegevjuht MTÜ Eesti Seksuaaltervise Liit Phone: +372 5698 2409 Email: <mailto:[email protected]> [email protected] Peterburi tee 2, 11415, Tallinn, Estonia T1 keskuse 3 korrus www.estl.ee <http://www.estl.ee/> Jälgi meie tegemisi: Instagram <https://www.instagram.com/seksuaalterviseliit?igsh=ZmhudDluYnk0a21o> I Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61571386184906> I LinkedIN <https://www.linkedin.com/company/eesti-seksuaaltervise-liit/> Ole kursis seksuaaltervise teemadega: TikTok <https://www.tiktok.com/@seksuaaltervis.ee?> I Instagram <https://www.instagram.com/seksuaaltervis.ee/> I Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/seksuaaltervis.ee> I Youtube <https://www.youtube.com/@eestiseksuaalterviseliit4687> I seksuaaltervis.ee <https://seksuaaltervis.ee/> António Costa, President of the European Council Presidency of the Council of the European Union Permanent Representatives of the Member States to the EU (COREPER II) General Affairs Council and Ad hoc Working Party on MFF Ministers of Finances Brussels, 14 July 2026 Joint Civil Society Letter: Increase AgoraEU including CERV+’s budget in the next MFF Dear Presidents, dear Ministers, dear Permanent Representatives, As 32 European networks and organisations representing more than 2800 organisations working on rule of law, democracy, civic participation and education, fundamental rights, equality, children’s rights, disability, LGBTI equality, gender equality, combating gender-based violence, and combating racism and antigypsyism, we write to express serious concern regarding the proposed cut to the AgoraEU programme in the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF). We call on the Council to increase, not reduce, the AgoraEU budget. The first negotiating box proposed by the Cyprus Presidency and discussed at the European Council of 18-19 June proposes a €300 million cut (4%) to AgoraEU compared with the European Commission's initial proposal. We firmly oppose this reduction. In line with the European Parliament's position, we urge the Council to raise the total AgoraEU budget to €10.72 billion, which would still represent only 0.5% of the entire MFF. Within AgoraEU, we call on the Council to safeguard the CERV+ strand. We welcome the Council's proposal to earmark funds per strand, to ensure predictable and adequate allocations. Within AgoraEU, we urge the Council to maintain the 41.9% share proposed by both the European Commission and the European Parliament in its draft Report (which would currently amount to €3.593 billion). This would represent less than 0.2% of the entire MFF, a modest investment in light of what is at stake and the growing challenges to the protection of EU values. The case for protecting this funding is clear. A vibrant civil society is a cornerstone of the EU’s democratic life, enabling citizens' participation, upholding fundamental rights, restoring trust in institutions, and supporting underserved, discriminated, marginalized populations, and victims of violence. The CERV programme has been instrumental in sustaining this infrastructure through operating grants, action grants, and regranting schemes. The European Commission's own evaluation shows that CERV is effective; it simply lacks sufficient resources to respond to increasing needs and fulfill all its objectives. Under previous calls, up to 92% of proposals were rejected despite receiving high evaluation scores, reflecting insufficient funding. As the Commission noted, "many excellent applications cannot be funded due to budget limitations." A 2023 FRA survey found that 75.4% of civil society organisations working on fundamental rights and democracy fear that funding cuts threaten their very existence. The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights has similarly raised the alarm on the severe funding crisis facing civil society across Europe. Contact: [email protected] (European Civic Forum) and [email protected] (IPPF EN) EU values are under acute pressure. Democracy, the rule of law, fundamental rights and equality face growing challenges across the Union. Civic space is shrinking. Civil society organisations confront mounting hostility: disinformation, smear campaigns, judicial and administrative harassment, restrictive legislation including so-called ‘foreign agent’ laws, and sustained funding cuts. Human rights defenders are also increasingly targeted for their work, and are in crucial need of a protection mechanism in the EU. Anti-democratic, anti-rights, anti-gender forces, with growing resources, are actively working to roll back fundamental rights and undermine EU values and the EU itself. This represents not only a democratic threat, but a security threat and a destabilisation risk for the Union as a whole. In this context, the EU has rightly made new strategic commitments to strengthening democracy, including the European Democracy Shield and the EU Civil Society Strategy, while renewing all of its Equality Strategies and acceding to the Istanbul Convention. Delivering on these commitments will depend on a sufficiently ambitious CERV+ budget. Given the scale and urgency of the challenges Europe faces, this is precisely the moment to strengthen our investment in the EU's democratic foundations, not to weaken it. We count on your support. Yours sincerely, Signatories 17 - European Roma Institute for Arts and Culture 1 - AGE Platform Europe (ERIAC) 2 - Aidsfonds 18 - Humanists International 3 - ALDA - European Association for Local 19 - IGLYO - The International LGBTQI Youth and Democracy Student Organisation 4 - Balkan Civil Society Development Network 20 - ILGA-Europe 5 - Center for Reproductive Rights 21 – FIDH - International Federation for Human 6 - Civil Liberties Union for Europe (Liberties) Rights 7 - End FGM European Network 22 - International Planned Parenthood Federation 8 – Equinet - European Network (IPPF EN) 9 - Equipop 23 - JEF Europe - Young European Federalists 10 - ERGO Network - European Roma Grassroots 24 – MenEngage Europe Organisations 25 - Organisation Intersex International Europe 11 - Eurocentralasian Lesbian* Community (EL*C) (OII Europe) 12 - EuroClio - European Association of History 26 - Philanthropy Europe Association (Philea) Educators 27 - Protection International 13 - European Civic Forum 28 - Save the Children 14 - European Disability Forum 29 - TGEU - Trans Europe and Central Asia 15 - European Network Against Racism (ENAR) 30 - Union of European Federalists 16 - European Network of Cultural Centres 31 - Women Against Violence Europe (WAVE) 17 - European Roma Institute for Arts and Culture Network (ERIAC) 32 - Women’s Funds Europe Contact: [email protected] (European Civic Forum) and [email protected] (IPPF EN)