Fundamental rights and citizenship: action grants - specific transnational projects

CALL PRIORITIES

Protection of the rights of the child
The 2006 communication "Towards an EU strategy for the rights of the child" advocates increased promotion of children's rights, as listed in the United Nations Convention on the rights of the child. This activity will support awareness raising campaigns, surveys concerning good practice in Member States and ways to disseminate them, analysis of particular problems such as specific needs of the children, children who are victims of crimes, etc.

Combating racism, xenophobia and anti-Semitism
The European Union, within the powers conferred on it by the Treaties, implements a policy against racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism and other related intolerance, such as Islamophobia and anti- Roma racism. This activity will provide financial support for actions aimed at fighting traditional and new stereotypes whose persistence or diffusion are at the roots of racist attitudes and speech, discriminatory action and violent incidents. It will particularly encourage initiatives aiming at countering such stereotypes and their divulgation, as well as initiatives aiming at fostering mutual understanding. Priority will be given to projects aimed at developing cross-community approaches.

Fight against Homophobia: Enhanced/improved understanding and tolerance
Priority will be given to actions that emphasise the fundamental rights perspective in the fight against  omophobia, in particular projects aimed at better identifying homophobic attitudes and stereotypes. Actions that duplicate other activities in this area, particularly in the framework of non-discrimination in the area of employment, will not be retained.

Active participation in the democratic life of the Union.
The Commission intends to promote information and civic education initiatives on the active participation of Union citizens in the democratic life of the Union, and in particular, participation in European Parliament and municipal elections. Priority will be given to projects focusing on the exercise of electoral rights of Union citizens in the Member State where they reside and of which they are not nationals. The Commission will support activities aimed at encouraging and supporting grassroots initiatives and projects carried out by associations in which non national Union citizens, residing in another Member State than their own, are involved.

Training and networking between legal professions and legal practitioners
There is a need to develop and strengthen a shared culture of fundamental rights within the European Union. This requires that the legal, judicial and administrative authorities, legal professionals and practitioners have a good knowledge and understanding of the principles laid down in Art 6 of the Treaty on European Union and reflected in the Charter of Fundamental Rights. Training and awareness-raising are means to achieve this goal. The Commission will support training on the Charter, as well as cooperation and exchange of information between the legal profession and all legal practitioners in the area of fundamental rights. Projects which involve a larger number of partners will be prioritised.

Data protection and privacy rights
The development of a legal framework allowing the free circulation of information based on the protection of the fundamental rights of the individual and in particular their right to privacy with respect to the processing of personal data is an important task not only at European level but at international level as well. Under this subject, priority actions should focus on: Reinforcing children's privacy in the current environment; Tackling the risks posed by internet and electronic means of communication and surveillance in respect of the privacy of citizens and their economic interests; general information on the fundamental right to the protection of personal data and awareness-raising campaign, for example on the occasion of the European Data Protection Day (28th January); Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PETs).