REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS on the interim evaluation of the implementation of the Rights, Equality and Citizenship Programme 2014-2020
Date: 2018-06-29
Institutions: Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers, European Commission
Subjects: EU programme, European citizenship, area of freedom, security and justice, children's rights, civil society, consumer protection, data protection, equal treatment, gender equality, human rights

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 29.6.2018  COM(2018) 508 final  REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS on the interim evaluation of the implementation of the Rights, Equality and Citizenship Programme 2014-2020 {SWD(2018) 358 final} - {SWD(2018) 359 final}  
 
 
REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND 
THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND 
THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS 

on the interim evaluation of the implementation of the Rights, Equality and Citizenship 
Programme 2014-2020  

The  Rights,  Equality  and  Citizenship  Programme1  was  launched  in  a  particularly  difficult 
period for the EU, at a time when the effects of the economic crisis had resulted in a general 
reduction  in  the  amount  of  national  resources  and  funding  available  for  social  and  human 
rights issues.  Since 2014, the  Programme aims at further developing a Europe  of rights  and 
equality in accordance with the Europe 2020 Strategy2.  

This report sets out the mid-term results obtained by the Programme and the qualitative and 
quantitative  aspects  of  its  implementation,  as  required  by  Article  13(2)(b)  of  the  European 
Parliament  and  Council  Regulation  establishing  the  REC  Programme  for  the  period  2014-
20203.  

The  reference  period  for  the  interim  evaluation  is  the  first  half  time  of  the  Programme’s 
implementation,  from  2014  to  mid-2017.  The  evaluation  covered  the  2014,  2015  and  2016 
annual work programmes. The 2017 work programme, on the other hand, has been analysed 
chiefly in terms of design and structure, but not in terms of execution.  
This report is based on the findings of the evaluation4 prepared by the European Commission 
supported by an externally run evaluation5. 

1.  INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND 

The 2014-2020 Rights, Equality and Citizenship Programme has replaced the programmes in 
force  in  the  2007-2013  Programming  period,  namely  the  Daphne  III  Programme,  the 
Fundamental Rights and Citizenship Programme and the Progress Programme6. 

The current Programme was established by the European Parliament and Council Regulation 
(EU) No 1381/2013. 

The Regulation sets its general objective as being to: 

 

Contribute  to  the  further  development  of  an  area  where  equality  and  the  rights  of 
persons as  enshrined in the TEU, in the TFEU, in  the Charter and in the international 
human rights conventions to which the Union has acceded, are promoted, protected and 
effectively implemented. 

1 Regulation (EU) No 1381/2013 of 17 December 2013 establishing a Rights, Equality and Citizenship Programme for the period 2014 to 
2020 (OJ L 354, 28.12.2013). 
2  For  more  info  on  the  Europe  2020  Strategy,  see  https://ec.europa.eu/info/business-economy-euro/economic-and-fiscal-policy-
coordination/eu-economic-governance-monitoring-prevention-correction/european-semester/framework/europe-2020-strategy_en . 
3 Regulation (EU) No 1381/2013 of 17 December 2013 establishing a Rights, Equality and Citizenship Programme for the period 2014 to 
2020, (OJ L 354, 28.12.2013). 
4 Commission staff working document accompanying the report on the interim evaluation of the implementation of the Rights, Equality and 
Citizenship Programme 2014-2020. 
5  Interim  evaluation  of  the  Rights,  Equality  and  Citizenship  Programme  2014-2020,  Ernst  &  Young  Financial-Business  Advisors,  Final 
Report, April 2018, published. 
6  European  Commission  (2015),  Ex-post  evaluation  of  five  programmes  implemented  under  the  2007-2013  financial  perspective  –  Final 
Programme, 
Report. 
Specific 
http://ec.europa.eu/justice/grants1/files/expost_evaluations_2007_2013/daphne_programme_evaluation__final_report.pdf; 
programme 
Citizenship, 
http://ec.europa.eu/justice/grants1/files/expost_evaluations_2007_2013/frc_programme_evaluation_final_report.pdf;  Ex-post  evaluation  of 
the  Programme  for  employment  and  social  solidarity  –  PROGRESS  2007-2013  and  recommendations  for  the  successor  programmes  to 
PROGRESS 2014-2020 http://ec.europa.eu/social/BlobServlet?docId=12610&langId=en. 

Fundamental 

programme 

evaluation: 

evaluation: 

Specific 

Daphne 

Rights 

and 

1 

 
 
 
                                                            
Its specific objectives are to: 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Promote the effective implementation of the principle of non-discrimination on grounds 
of sex, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation and 
to respect the principle of non-discrimination on the grounds provided for in Article 21 
of the Charter; 

Prevent and combat racism, xenophobia, homophobia and other forms of intolerance; 

Promote and protect the rights of persons with disabilities; 

Promote equality between women and men and to advance gender mainstreaming; 

Prevent  and  combat  violence  against  children,  young  people  and  women,  and  other 
groups at risk; 

Promote and protect the rights of the child; 

Contribute to ensuring the highest level of protection of privacy and personal data; 

Promote and enhance the exercise of rights deriving from EU citizenship; 

Enable individuals in their capacity as consumers or entrepreneurs in the internal market 
to  enforce  their  rights  deriving  from  Union  law,  having  regard  to  the  projects  funded 
under the Consumer Programme. 

The  Programme  is  implemented  by  the  European  Commission  via  direct  centralised 
management. 

Geographically,  all  EU  Member  States  are  eligible  to  participate  in  the  Programme. 
European Free Trade Association countries, candidates and potential candidate countries can 
also participate in the Programme, if certain conditions are fulfilled. Iceland joined for all the 
specific objectives of the Programme, while Liechtenstein participates only in those related to 
non–discrimination,  racism,  xenophobia,  the  rights  of  persons  with  disabilities  and  equality 
between women and men. 

2.  KEY ELEMENTS AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROGRAMME 

According  to  Article  5  of  the  Regulation,  the  Programme  supports  a  wide  range  of 
activities  such  as,  analytical  activities,  mutual  learning,  cooperation,  awareness  raising  and 
dissemination  activities,  training  activities  and  actions  to  support  the  main  actors  whose 
activities contribute to the implementation of its specific objectives. The Programme supports 
also  organisations  active  in  the  area  of  social  and  human  rights  across  Europe,  such  as: 
European  networks;  public  or  private  organisations  usually  non-profit-oriented;  national, 
regional  and  local  authorities  in  EU  Member  States;  non-governmental  organisations; 
universities and research institutions as well as international organisations.  

In terms of target groups, intended as the groups that can benefit, directly by participating in 
the  Programme's  activities  or  indirectly  from  the  implementation  of  the  Programme,  public 
authorities,  non-governmental  organisations  and  other  research  entities  concerned  with 
pursuing the objectives of the Programme are also among the beneficiaries of the Programme. 
Target  groups  are  also  all  citizens,  since  the  Programme's  objectives  and  initiatives  aim  at 
promoting,  protecting  and  effectively  implementing  equality  and  the  rights  of  persons,  in 
particular  those  subjected  to  discrimination,  intolerance  or  violence,  including  migrants  and 
minorities.  

2 

 
 
 
 
As  provided  by  in  the  Regulation,  the  Programme  uses  action  grants,  operating  grants  and 
procurement  actions  as  main  funding  mechanisms  to  support  projects  related  with  its 
objectives. While action grants usually last for two years, through annual operating grants, the 
Programme  funds  European  networks  active  in  the  following  areas:  non-discrimination; 
racism, xenophobia, homophobia or other forms of intolerance; disabilities; equality between 
women and men; preventing and combating all forms of violence and promoting the rights of 
the child.  

2.1. The Programme’s specific objectives  

  Specific objective 1: Promote non-discrimination  

The Programme supports projects aiming towards preventing and combatting discrimination 
on  the  grounds  of  sex,  racial  or  ethnic  origin,  religion  or  belief,  disability,  age  or  sexual 
orientation.  In  particular,  the  promotion  of  Roma  integration  is  a  key  topic  of  this  specific 
objective.  In  this  regard,  the  Rights,  Equality  and  Citizenship  Programme  supports  the 
National Roma Platforms and works in close cooperation with EU Member States and their 
National  Roma  Contact  Points  and  with  civil  society  organisations  active  on  non-
discrimination  and  Roma  integration.  The  Programme  finances  also  the  activities  of  the 
European Network of Equality Bodies. The core task of this network includes strengthening 
the  cooperation  and  exchange  of  information  between  the  National  Equality  Bodies 
designated by the Member States on topics related to non-discrimination. 

  Specific  objective  2:  Prevent  and  combat  racism,  xenophobia,  homophobia  and 

other forms of intolerance  

Projects  financed  in  this  area  contribute  to  the  better  implementation  of  existing  EU 
legislation in the Member States and to assisting the victims of hate crime and hate speech. In 
particular,  the  funded  activities  support  the  protection  of  refugees  and  migrants  against  the 
surge of populism, extremism and intolerance. 

  Specific objective 3: Promote the rights of persons with disabilities  

The  operational  aim  of  this  specific  objective  is  to  increase  awareness  and  better 
implementation of the rights of people with disabilities leading to a reduction of barriers, to 
their full participation in society and enjoyment of their rights. This is mostly done through 
operating grants supporting the activities of European level networks advocating for the rights 
of  people  with  disabilities  and  through  procurement  activities  focusing  on  data  collection, 
training  and  awareness-raising  activities.  Under  the  2014  annual  work  programme,  the 
European  Disability  Card7  was  launched  with  support  from  the  Programme  in  order  to 
facilitate cross-border travelling for persons with disabilities. 

  Specific objective 4: Promote equality women and men  

The  Programme  promotes  projects  to  support  Member  States  and  relevant  stakeholders  in 
increasing gender balance in all spheres of life, especially in economic decision-making, and 
promoting  equal  economic  independence  of  women  and  men.  Funding  under  this  objective 
also aims to contribute to reducing the gender gaps in pay, earnings and pensions.  

7 For more info on the European Disability Card, see http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=1139 . 

3 

 
 
 
 
                                                            
  Specific  objective  5:  Prevent  and  combat  violence  against  children,  young  people 

and women, and other groups at risk  

The  Programme  finances  primarily  projects  which  help  to  protect  and  support  the  most 
vulnerable  victims  of  violence,  such  as  women  and  children,  as  well  as  activities  to  raise 
awareness  and  prevent  violence,  engaging  with  non-governmental  organisations  working  on 
the  ground.  It  also  supports  the  treatment  of  perpetrators  of  violence.  Strengthening  child 
protection  systems  is  one  of  the  Commission's  priorities  and  the  Programme  supports  the 
rights of migrant children by funding international organisations working directly for and with 
these children.  

  Specific objective  6: Promote the rights of the child  

The rights of the child are promoted through projects focusing on child-friendly justice and on 
the protection of vulnerable children (like children leaving foster care systems and children in 
conflict  with  the  law),  by  supporting,  in  particular,  training  activities  of  civil  servants,  non-
governmental organisations and lawyers dealing with them. 

  Specific objective 7: Protect privacy and personal data  

With regard to data protection, the Programme is the EU main funding source. The activities 
carried out within this specific objective are strongly linked with the Data Protection Reform8, 
adopted in 2016. Through this objective, the Programme aims at financing projects to support, 
in  particular,  the  transposition  and implementation  of  the  new  data  protection legislation  by 
the Member States and the training of data protection authorities and data protection officers. 

  Specific objective 8: EU citizenship  

The Programme finances projects, mostly awareness raising activities, aimed at fostering the 
inclusion  of  EU  citizens  in  the  civic  and  political  life  of  the  EU.  Therefore,  it  supports 
projects which can help citizens to be more aware of their rights deriving from the citizenship 
of  the  Union.  Information  campaigns  on  EU  citizenship  rights  are  financed  through  this 
specific  objective  and  a  particular  focus  is  on  their  electoral  rights  in  view  of  the  2019 
European elections. 

  Specific objective 9: Consumers' or entrepreneurs' rights  

The  Programme  finances  also  projects  which  support  individuals  in  their  capacity  as 
consumers  or  entrepreneurs  in  the  internal  market  in  order  to  enforce  their  rights  deriving 
from  EU  law.  EU  funds  in  this  area  aim  at  contributing  to  increase  the  knowledge  and 
awareness of consumers' rights, especially in the digital market. 

8 For more info on the Data Protection Reform, see https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/law-topic/data-protection_en.  

4 

 
                                                            
2.2. Budget 

The  total  Programme's  budget  for  the  period  2014-2020  is  EUR  439  473  000.  The  highest 
commitment  rate  (94.91  %)  was  achieved  in  2016  (see  Table  1).  According  to  available 
sources,  the  Rights,  Equality  and  Citizenship  Programme  allocates  about  23  %  of  available 
resources to procurement actions, though the distribution between its specific objectives is not 
homogeneous9. 

Table 1:2014 – 2016 REC Programme’s annual commitment 

Amount committed (in euro) 

Year  

2014 

2015 

2016 

Total 2014-2016 

49 719 588.56  

48 621 670.69 

55 854 156.79 

154 195 416.04 

Sources: Annual monitoring reports (reports on the implementation of the AWPs and Project Database for 2016) 

In general, most resources allocated to grants have been committed (with a commitment rate 
of about 90%). 
In terms of amount planned, the biggest specific objective is the one on preventing violence 
against  children,  followed  by  the  one  on  non-discrimination.  Together  these  two  objectives 
absorb  more  than  20%  of  the  committed  budget  (26%).  Instead,  always  in  terms  of  amount 
planned,  the  smallest  specific  objectives  are  the  ones  on  the  rights  of  the  child,  EU 
citizenship, consumers’ protection and data protection. 
Specifically,  the  budget  committed  to  grants  has  been  divided  between  the  Programme’s 
specific objectives as illustrated in Figure 1 below.  

 Figure 1: Budget committed per typology of intervention by specific objective 

25%

20%

15%

11% 

10%

8% 9% 9% 

20% 

7% 

6% 

5%

0%

5% 

3% 

1% 

0% 0% 

3% 

2% 

3% 

2% 

1% 

2% 

1% 

0% 

1% 

3% 

3% 

1% 

Percentage of total committed per activity and per specific objective (2014-2015-2016)

Source: Annual Reports on the implementation of the annual working programmes for 2014 and for 2015, extractions from the Project for 
2016. AG (action grants), OG (operating grants), PROC (procurement actions), RCHI (Promote the rights of the child), RCIT (Promote the 
rights deriving from Union citizenship), RCON (Enforce consumer rights), RDAP (Prevent violence against children, young people, women 

9 Procurement actions represent the total planned spending of the specific objective on the rights of consumers, 65% of the specific objective 
on citizenship and less than 5% of the total planned budget on the specific objective on the prevention of racism. All other specific objectives 
allocate to procurement activities between 11% and 55% of the planed budget.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

5 

 
 
 
                                                            
and other groups at risk), RDAT (Ensure the highest level of data protection), RDIS (Promote Non-discrimination), RDIB (Promote rights of 
persons  with  disabilities),  RGEN  (Promote  equality  between  women  and  men  and  gender  mainstreaming),  RRAC  (Combat  racism, 
xenophobia, homophobia and other forms of intolerance) 

While the specific objective on non-discrimination is implemented through a balanced mix of 
action grants, operating grants and procurement activities, the specific objective on combating 
violence is implemented mostly through action grants. 

2.3. Applications received and projects selected 

Data  for  2014  and  2015,  concerning  both  action  ad  operating  grants,  have  shown  that  the 
specific objectives that attracted the highest number of applications are the ones related to the 
promotion of non-discrimination and prevention of violence (see Figure 2 below).  

Figure 2: Number of action grants and operating grants awarded and number of applications by specific 
objective and year (2014-2015) 

500

400

300

200

100

0

RDIS

RRAC

RDIB

RGEN

RDAP

RCHI

RCIT

2014 applied

2014 awarded

2015 applied

2015 awarded

Source: Annual reports on the implementation of the 2014 and 2015 annual working programmes. RCHI (Promote the rights of the  child), 
RCIT  (Promote  the  rights  deriving  from  Union  citizenship),  RDAP  (Prevent  violence  against  children,  young  people,  women  and  other 
groups at risk), RDIS (Promote Non-discrimination), RDIB (Promote rights of persons with disabilities), RGEN (Promote equality between 
women and men and gender mainstreaming), RRAC (Combat racism, xenophobia, homophobia and other forms of intolerance) 

In  the  period  covered  by  the  2014-2016  annual  work  programmes,  352  projects  have  been 
funded. On average, by looking at the awarding rate of calls for proposal in 2014 and 201510, 
this  ranges  between  7%  and  27%  for  almost  all  the  specific  objectives,  which  is  quite  low. 
Only under the objective on the promotion of the rights of person with disabilities, almost all 
the applications submitted were awarded a grant. The second highest awarding rate (almost 58 
%) was observed for 2014 in relation to the specific objective on gender equality. 
A  drop  in  applications  received  was  registered  in  2016,  coinciding  with  the  rollout  of  the 
Participant Portal11. However, this trend did not bring about a significant reduction in terms of 
approved projects.  

10 The awarding rate cannot be calculated for 2016 on the basis of the information available. 
11  The  Participant  Portal  is  an  electronic  platform  used  to  manage  the  applications  received  for  calls  published  in  the  framework  of  the 
Rights, Equality and Citizenship Programme. According to the evaluation results, the new Portal could be further simplified, in particular in 
relation  to  the  administrative  documentation  to  be  provided,  in  order  to  encourage  the  participation  from  smaller  or  less  experienced 
organisations. 

6 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                            
2.4. Main achievements of the Programme 

The  introduction  of  a  system  of  indicators  for  the  current  Rights,  Equality  and  Citizenship 
Programme has proved to be adequate for measuring its achievements.  
For  the  general  objective  of  the  Programme  (namely  “the  further  development  of  an  area 
where equality and the rights of persons as enshrined in the TEU, in the TFEU, in the Charter 
and  in  the  international  human  rights  conventions  to  which  the  Union  has  acceded,  are 
promoted,  protected  and  effectively  implemented”),  targets  have  been  set,  based  on  five 
indicators12.  
As the progress in achieving the Programme outputs and outcomes has been good so far, it is 
reasonable to expect that the Programme is making good progress towards achieving also its 
general objective. However, the key analytical difficulty is tracing and attributing the change 
in the global indicators to the specific interventions of the Programme. 
In particular, it can be expected that two of the five targets set regarding the general objective 
of  the  Programme  will  be  reached:  namely  those  relating  to  the  gender  pay  gap  and  the 
awareness  of  EU  citizenship  rights.  In  particular,  the  contribution  of  the  Programme  to  the 
achievement of the outcomes on awareness of EU citizenship rights is likely to be substantial, 
as there is direct impact of the Programme through its focus on awareness-raising measures 
aimed at enabling change.  
In  contrast,  the  contribution  of  the  Programme  is  likely  to  be  more  indirect  for  the 
achievement of targets in relation to female employment rates, the representation of women in 
the  higher  decision-making  levels  and  the  employment  rate  of  people  with  disabilities,  as 
change in these areas requires a more structural change in the labour markets and economic 
structures  which  are  outside  the  direct  sphere  of  influence  of  the  Programme.  However, 
according  to  the  evaluation  carried  out,  the  Rights,  Equality  and  Citizenship  Programme  is 
playing an important role in supporting also such structural changes. 
Concerning the progress in the achievement of its nine specific objectives, the Programme’s 
contribution  is  direct  and  the  targets  are  likely  to  be  achieved  with  regard  to  the  specific 
objectives on anti-discrimination, awareness of UE citizenship’s rights and consumer rights. 
In other specific objectives, instead, its contribution is more indirect. This is the case for the 
specific objective on the promotion of gender equality, where most of the targets are likely to 
be  missed  since  a  more-  structural  change  in  the  labour  markets  and  economic  structures is 
required and this is outside the direct sphere of influence of the Programme. 
In  general,  according  to  the  results  of  the  evaluation,  the  Programme  activities  are 
contributing  to  the  achievement  of  its  specific  objectives,  but  the  impact  is  quite  moderate, 
due both to the limited amount of Programme resources (such as in the area of gender equality 
and  EU  citizenship’s  rights),  as  well  as  change  being  influenced  by  many  other  different 
factors and policies.  

2.5. Participants and partnerships  

Transnational  partnerships,  thanks  to  their  networking  and  interconnectedness  between,  are 
essential contributors to the effectiveness of the Programme. Indeed, according to the majority 
of  respondents,  the  partnerships  developed  under  the  Programme  have  improved  their 
organisational  structures  in  terms  of  project  implementation,  sustainability  of  results  and 

12 Result indicator 1: female employment rate 20-64 age group: Target: 75 % (for both women and men): Europe 2020 headline target; 71 % 
for women. Result indicator 2: employment rate of people with disabilities: Target: 55 %. Result indicator 3: the gender pay gap: Target: 14 
%. Result indicator 4: the percentage of women among non-executive directors on boards of listed companies: Target: 40 %. Result indicator 
5:  Percentage  of  Europeans  who  consider  themselves  as  “well  or  “very  well”  informed  of  the  rights  they  enjoy  as  citizens  of  the  Union: 
Target: 51 %. 

7 

 
 
 
 
                                                            
overall capacities. A smaller number of beneficiaries reported also that the partnerships had a 
positive impact on their fund-raising capacities.  
The  evaluation  of  the  partnerships  formed  has  shown  also  an  appropriate  representation  of 
beneficiaries  by  type  of  organisation  (39%  of  the  total  beneficiaries  are  non-profit 
organisations,  while  only  5%  are  private  for-profit  entities),  but  an  uneven  geographical 
composition  of  the  participating  organisations  (as  was  the  case  with  the  predecessor 
programmes).  
Italy (for the most part) and Spain (to a lesser extent) are the countries with the largest number 
of  applying  organisations  (as  either  coordinators  or  partners),  followed  by  the  Greece,  the 
United Kingdom, Romania and Bulgaria. Organisations from the same six countries account 
for about 50% of funded action grants.  

3.  WHAT HAS THE REC PROGRAMME ACHIEVED? 

to 

As evidenced by the evaluation, the Programme is performing generally well at mid-term with 
regard 
terms  of  effectiveness,  efficiency,  relevance, 
coherence/complementarity/synergies  and  EU  added  value.  Improvements  are  needed,  in 
particular, regarding its equity.   

its  specific  objectives 

in 

3.1. Effectiveness13 

The  Programme  is  making  good  progress  towards  achieving  its  general  and  specific 
objectives.  However, sometimes is challenging to trace and attribute the changes in the 
global  indicators  to  the  interventions  of  the  Programme  itself  since  some  changes  are 
influenced  by  many  other  different  factors.  The  monitoring  indicators  selected  for 
measuring  the  achievements  of  the  Programme  are  overall  adequate,  but  some 
improvements could be implemented. 
The  key  result  achieved  across  the  specific  objectives  is  the  improved  skills  and 
competences  of  professionals.  Another  important  achievement  of  the  Programme  is  the 
contribution  to  systemic  change  by  project  results,  including  better  tools,  procedures, 
services and policies developed across the specific objectives. 
According to the majority of beneficiaries, the communication activities undertaken by the 
Commission to promote the Programme have been largely successful and the popularity 
of  the  Programme  has,  therefore,  increased  compared  to  the  predecessor  programmes. 
However, efforts need to be maintained to ensure all potential applicants in all Member States 
are reached.  
The benefit of the Programme has been high compared to the predecessor programmes 
also in terms of applications received and awards granted.  
An additional positive development has been the high level of financial implementation of 
the Programme since the level of funding requested by applicants and granted in relation to 
each  specific  objective  in  years  2014-2015  is  slightly  higher  than  in  the  predecessor 
programmes.  
Moreover,  based  on  several  indicators  and  according  to  the  surveyed  and  interviewed 
stakeholders,  the  evaluation  showed  positive  progress  in  delivering  improvements  in  the 
level  of  knowledge  of  EU  law  and  EU  policies,  rights  and  values.  Moreover,  the 
partnerships  formed  during  the  Programme  activities  have  had  positive  impacts  on 
beneficiaries and Programme participants’ skills and capacities. 
Concerning the sustainability of the Programme’s activities after the end of the funding, the 
majority  of  surveyed  stakeholders  considered  that  actions  are  very  highly  likely  to  be 

13 Effectiveness: whether and to what extent the Rights Equality and Citizenship Programme has achieved its general objective, as well as its 
nine specific objectives, and which are the factors that have contributed to these achievements. 

8 

 
 
 
                                                            
sustained  in  terms  of  acquiring  new  skills  and  knowledge,  increased  awareness  and  the 
creation of tools and procedures outlasting the projects. Slightly lower was the expectation of 
the  training  activities  lasting  after  the  project  completion.  However,  only  a  third  of 
respondents expected the partnerships which were funded during the project to last beyond the 
funding period. Similarly, low is the proportion of the stakeholders who considered that the 
partnerships  formed  during  the  projects  financed  by  the  Programme  have  increased  their 
fundraising  capabilities.  In  general,  there  is  very  little  evidence  about  the  sustainability  of 
project results after the end of funding.  
Finally,  more  than  80%  of  survey  respondents  state  that  the  Programme  is  (very)  highly 
effective in meeting the needs of the relevant target groups. Over 70% of the Programme 
beneficiaries surveyed in the evaluation also considered that the Programme has been highly 
and very effective in targeting the right policy areas and the most relevant target groups.  
I 

3.2. 

Efficiency14 

The  analysis  of  the  efficiency  is  based  on  a  qualitative  evaluation  of  the  beneficiaries’ 
perception of the cost-effectiveness of the actions since the limited data available in relation 
to the costs and benefits of the Programme’s intervention do not allow for the application of 
standard quantitative methodologies for a cost-benefit assessment. According to the majority 
of beneficiaries and Member States representatives, the costs of the Programme are either 
proportionate  to  benefits  or  outweighing  them.  In  particular,  the  performance  of  the 
projects in terms of training activities is beyond expectations for several specific objectives. 
This is true for the specific objective on preventing violence against children, young people 
and women and this is also more remarkable in the light of the reduced incurred expenditure 
(at around 60% of the estimated). 
A key achievement of the Programme, compared to its predecessors, has also been the lower 
demand on beneficiaries in terms of time and financial resources.  
Moreover,  according  to  stakeholders,  the  changes  in  the  design  of  the  Programme, 
compared  to  2007-2013,  are  the  most  important  factor  for  the  efficiency  of  projects  in 
achieving the results.  
Beneficiaries  consider  current  funding  instruments  as  adequate  for  the  Programme. 
However,  they  consider  that  there  can  be  scope  for  using  alternative  measures,  such  as 
microcredit and small loans.  
Finally, several beneficiaries pointed out to the issue of the relative long time span between 
the  application  and  the  start  of  project  activities  as  problematic  for  their  efficiency, 
since,  in  this  long  period,  contextual  factors  may  change,  requesting  an  additional  effort  in 
adapting the project to the new context.  

3.3 Relevance15 

The Programme is highly relevant to the needs of its stakeholders and beneficiaries, e.g. 
in  terms  of  knowledge  development,  training,  awareness  raising  and  structural  support. 
Indeed, the stakeholders surveyed in the evaluation were very positive about the relevance of 
the Programme actions in meeting their needs. However, the evaluation also found some gaps 
in relation to the needs of some stakeholders and citizens that could receive greater attention 

14  Efficiency:  whether  and  to  what  extent  the  costs  of  the  Programme  were  proportionate  given  the  benefits  achieved  and  which 
parameters/factors participated in these results. 
15 Relevance: whether and to what extent the Rights Equality and Citizenship  Programme addresses needs and problems of the target groups 
identified in the 2011 Impact Assessment15 and in the legal basis of the Programme, as well as emergent issues, and whether its objectives are 
still relevant for the needs and problems of the beneficiaries. 

9 

 
 
 
 
                                                            
by the Programme, such as women subject to multiple discrimination (e.g. migrant, disabled, 
and older women). 
The needs identified at the time of the Programme’s adoption are still relevant, since, as 
demonstrated  by  the  evaluation  carried  out,  the  achievement  of  several  targets,  relating,  in 
particular,  to  gender  equality  or  rights  of  disabled  people  is  unlikely  as  progress  has  been 
slow.  
The Programme is also flexible enough to incorporate emerging needs.  
Another indication of the continuing relevance of the Programme to the current needs is the 
increase  of  demand  for  grants  funded  compared  to  previous  programmes,  especially 
concerning the specific objectives relating to the violence against children, non-discrimination 
and combating racism.  

3.4 Coherence, Complementarity, Synergies16 

According  to  beneficiaries,  the  Programme  presents  a  high  level  of  internal  coherence 
(between the specific  objectives  and interventions) and a high level  of  external  coherence 
and complementarity with other EU instruments, programmes and actions.  
No  significant  overlaps  with  other  EU  funded  programmes  have  been  found  in  the 
evaluation.  This  would  seem  to  confirm  that  specific  objectives  are  more  streamlined  and 
clearly defined if compared to the predecessor programmes.  
Moreover, the Programme is highly coherent with the internationally agreed principles, 
such as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.  
In addition, according to almost 90% of beneficiaries, the Rights, Equality and Citizenship 
Programme is also overall consistent, in its objectives, targets and types of actions, with 
national policies in the same field.  

3.5 EU added value17 

The  inherent  “European”  and  transnational  dimension  is  at  the  core  of  the  EU  added 
value  of  the  Programme.  According  to  the  majority  of  beneficiaries,  in  the  absence  of  the 
Programme activities, similar projects would not have taken place or not be possible with the 
same coverage in terms of beneficiaries and target groups, due to lack of available resources 
at  Member  State  level.  This  is  particularly  relevant  for  the  training  actions  in  the  field  of 
prevention of all forms of violence and in the field of data protection. Similarly, EU funding 
for EU level organisations is particularly vital as national funding for a transnational network 
would  be  even  more  difficult  to  obtain.  Moreover,  projects  financed  by  the  Programme, 
according to surveyed stakeholders, seem to have higher quality and to be more innovative 
than those funded at the national level. In particular, these projects, by allowing innovative 
approaches to be experimented with, can be used to show national governments the benefits 
of the activities undertaken. For example, trainings at schools in the field of bullying would 
not  apply  innovative  methods,  such  as  those  involving  both  perpetrators  and  victims  and 
another example are the projects aiming to pilot the EU disability card. These were supported 
under the specific objective on the rights of  people with disabilities and aimed at setting up 
the respective EU Disability Card national organisations (governmental or nongovernmental 

16 Coherence/Complementarity/Synergies: whether and to what extent the Programme is coherent with other interventions at the EU and 
international level, such as with the predecessor EU programmes in the field16, with activities supported by other Union instruments and, in 
general, with the European priorities in the fields covered by the Programme. 
17  EU  added-value:  to  what  extent  the  effects  from  the  EU action  are additional  to  the  value  that  would  have  resulted from  action  at  the 
national level only. 

10 

 
 
 
 
 
                                                            
entities) and establishing the respective national package of benefits that Member States are 
ready to mutualise. 
Finally,  the  demand  for  Programme  funding  has  continued  to  be  high  throughout  the 
implementation  of  the  Programme.  All  these  findings  suggest  that  there  is  sustained 
demand for EU-level action in the fields covered by the Programme. 

3.6 Equity18 

The  Programme  has  provided  specific  support  to  the  promotion  of  the  cross-cutting 
priorities of gender equality, rights of child and rights of people with disabilities.  
The issue of the gender mainstreaming is promoted through a dedicated specific objective. 
Furthermore,  gender  equality  specific  actions  have  also  been  funded  under  other  specific 
objectives.  This  means  that  significant  financial  resources  have  been  dedicated  to  the 
promotion  of  gender  equality  and  gender  mainstreaming  directly.  Gender  mainstreaming 
principles  and  mechanisms  are  reflected  in  all  Programme  phases  of  programming, 
implementation  and  monitoring  but  still  there  is  scope  for  strengthening  the  protection  of 
women facing multiple disadvantages and also for involving more the equality bodies in the 
setting of Programme priorities. 
Concerning  the  protection  of  the  rights  of  the  child,  the  Programme  has  two  specific 
objectives directly targeting the promotion of the rights of the child. Furthermore, also other 
specific objectives could fund actions potentially relevant for children. Moreover, the respect 
of  the  rights  of  the  child  is  enhanced  by  the  fact  that  organisations  applying  for  funding, 
which  will  work  directly  with  children  during  the  project  implementation,  must  provide  the 
Commission with a description of their child protection policy. However, the mainstreaming 
of  rights  of  child  across  all  Programme  phases  could  be  further  improved,  in  particular 
through  the  involvement  of  bodies  representing  the  interest  of  children  in  the  setting  of 
Programme priorities.  
The  Programme  envisages  a  specific  objective  for  the  promotion  of  the  rights  of  persons 
with disabilities and one on the promotion of the effective implementation of the principle of 
non-discrimination,  including  based  on  disability.  All  applications  submitted  under  this 
specific  objective  have  been  awarded.  The  mainstreaming  of  rights  of  rights  of  disabled 
people across all Programme phases needs to be increased, in particular through a direct link 
with the EU Disability Strategy 2010-2020 and a more involvement of bodies representing the 
interests of disabled people in the setting of Programme priorities.  
Always in relation to equity, the Programme does not seem to capture the needs of people 
suffering from multiple disadvantages, as the specific objectives do not support synergies 
and actions for groups falling under two or more of them.  
In addition, co-financing seems to be a barrier for small non-governmental organisations 
wishing to participate in the Programme. 
Finally, in the future, the Programme should try to distribute its resources in a more balanced 
manner across the different target groups of beneficiaries and Member States.  
To  understand  better  how  the  Programme  promotes  equity  through  the  funded  activities, 
participants' data broken down by sex, disability status or age, as required by the Regulation, 
shall be collected. This is, however, not yet done. 

18 Equity: whether and to what extent the Programme has distributed the available resources fairly among beneficiaries in different Member 
States, took into consideration the needs of target groups, promoted gender mainstreaming, the rights of the child and the rights of people 
with disabilities. 

11 

 
 
 
 
 
                                                            
3.7 Scope for simplification19 

According to the evaluation, the current direct management mode is adequate given the 
size and objectives of the Programme. However, according to the majority of beneficiaries, 
there is scope for further simplification of the implementation, management and design 
of  the  Programme. Among the reasons provided, beneficiaries  indicated, in  particular, that 
the  financial  reporting  is  too  detailed,  especially  compared  to  the  ones  applied  within  other 
EU Programmes (e.g. Horizon 2020 and Erasmus+) and underlined the possibility to reduce 
the current administrative burden in terms of proposal drafting and monitoring and reporting 
requirements. 
Another  current  key  suggestion  from  beneficiaries  concerns  the  operating  grants,  whose 
duration in their view could be extended to cover at least two years (instead of one) in order to 
reduce the administrative burden in terms of project application and management procedures. 
However,  the  annual  operating  grants  allow  the  Commission  to  have  oversight  of  the 
activities  of  the  funded  organisations  and  allow  more  flexibility  to  adapt  the  work  of 
beneficiaries to the emerging needs in their respective fields of expertise. 
Furthermore,  the  absence  of  standard  costs  implies  sometimes  lengthy  negotiations  among 
project partners on the costs of the different activities.  
On  the  positive  side,  beneficiaries  and  Commission  officials  agreed  that  the  recently 
introduced  system  for  applications  (Participant  Portal)  goes  in  the  direction  of 
simplifying  the  application  process  and  improving  the  collection  and  aggregation  of 
monitoring  data.  However,  there  could  be  still  room  for  further  simplifying  the  process, 
particularly in relation to the administrative documentation to be provided.  
Moreover, another key issue according to beneficiaries is that most of the funding available in 
the  Programme 
to  small  civil  society  non-governmental 
inaccessible 
organisations, due to the co-financing amounts required for the set size of grants.  
Finally,  an  element  of  administrative  burden,  as  widely  shared  by  all  beneficiaries,  is  the 
excessive length of the period from the application until the start of project activities. 

is  relatively 

4. CONCLUSIONS AND WAY FORWARD 

The  crucial  role  played  by  the  Rights,  Equality  and  Citizenship  Programme  in  the 
development of a European area of equality and rights was especially important at the start of 
the  Programme  itself,  where  the  effects  of  the  economic  crisis  and  the  related  political  and 
societal developments in Europe could still be felt in many Member States. 
This  report  on  the  interim  evaluation  of  the  2014-2020  Rights,  Equality  and  Citizenship 
Programme  confirms  its  relevance  in  contributing  to  the  promotion  of  relevant  EU  values, 
such  as  the  respect  for  human  dignity,  fundamental  rights,  non-discrimination,  tolerance, 
solidarity and gender equality and in reinforcing and supporting the development of a stronger 
EU  citizenship.  The  Programme’s  current  structure  appears  to  be  adequate  and  sufficiently 
flexible to achieve its general and specific objectives. In particular, the specific objectives of 
the Programme show an effort to tackle the issues identified in the previous programmes in a 
cross-cutting  perspective.  This  effort  has  resulted  in  a  more  streamlined  programme, 
positioned at the intersection between equality and rights of persons, where the contribution 
of the activities to the achievement of specific objectives is more straightforward. 

19 Scope for simplification: whether and to what extent the management of the Rights Equality and Citizenship Programme could be further 
simplified. 

12 

 
 
 
 
 
                                                            
In these years, the Rights, Equality and Citizenship Programme has demonstrated its high EU 
added value both in its positive impact on participants and target groups and in its role as a 
complement to other EU funding instruments and policy initiatives. 
In  the  framework  of  the  preparation  of  the  future  EU  budget  and  funding  programmes,  the 
Commission based on the findings of the interm evaluation will address all aspects that have 
been identified for improvement, in particular the need to focus more on emerging needs, the 
revision  of  the  monitoring  indicators  and  the  achievement  of  a  more  geographic  balance 
among the beneficiaries.  

13