NGOs and advocacy organisations in Brussels are eagerly waiting for the European Commission to announce the budget for the coming few years. This budget, also known as the Multiannual Financial Framework, will determine among other things, funds allocated towards advocacy. This budget is just a first proposal and will be up for discussion and comments.

Recently, NGOs have been under attack in Brussels by right-wing politicians in the European Parliament. They have targeted the lifeline of these civil society organisations – their funding.

With the next budget proposal soon being announced, civil society organisations in Brussels want to highlight to the European Commission the importance of sustainable funding. This means long term and structured funding for NGOs to achieve their goals. This structured funding is referred to as ‘Operational Grants’.

Civil society organisations (CSOs) rely on Operational Grants for salaries, rent and other day-to-day office costs. Currently, within the EU, funds are being redirected towards defense spending, this means further cuts in budget for civil society is predicted.

EASPD supports Civil Society Europe’s Statement, "Common civil society requests for the Operating Grants (OGs)". This statement addresses the importance of these grants, the current challenges faced by CSOs in relation to them, and recommendations for improving them in the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF).