Fundamental rights, justice and citizenship. Multiannual Financial Framework 2014-2020 – Investment in Children

Negotiations on the 2014-2020 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) are expected to end by mid 2013, allowing the new EU budget to enter into force in 2014. The MFF will establish EU spending between 2014 and 2020 and provides a political as well as budgetary framework for focusing resources and investments where needed. Save the Children believes that the EU and its Member States must show political willingness to prioritise children’s rights and to be held accountable for the commitments that they make in regard to children. In the framework of Save the Children’s global priority “Investment in Children”, the organization works to ensure that the EU allocates adequate human and financial resources to realize children’s rights, and that the EU spends resources efficiently. This policy brief by Save the Children promotes EU funding for children in the area of Justice and Fundamental Rights and Citizenship, in particular with regard to child protection, child rights governance and child-friendly justice. Funding through the proposed Programme for the period 2014-2020 can provide added value in complementing Member States’ allocations and ensuring that children enjoy their rights as set out in the UNCRC.
It sets out the following recommendations to EU for the negotiations of the next MFF:
– Secure resources for long-term and sustainable action by introducing specific objectives on children’s rights and child protection to the proposed Justice and Rights and Citizenship Programmes 2014-2020, including action to combat all forms of violence against children;
– Fund action to strengthen national child protection systems, including national and transnational inter-agency cooperation and coordination;
– Allocate resources to strengthen national infrastructure for children, including awareness raising, training, cross-border and interagency collaboration and exchange of good practice;
– Allocate resources to promote child-friendly justice and victim protection, including training and cross-border collaboration and exchange of good practice