Safeguarding LGBTIQ rights in European funding instruments

Question for written answer  E-001441/2021
to the Commission
Rule 138
Sophia in 't Veld (Renew), Michal Šimečka (Renew), Pierre Karleskind (Renew)

In 2019, the Carpathian route project received a grant from the European Economic Area and Norway Grants. However, the Financial Mechanism Office of the Norwegian funds withdrew the funding in September 2020, stating that the project leader, Polish voivodeship Podkarpackie, was discriminating against a specific group of people by adopting a resolution referring to ‘LGBT ideology’. This is not the only time a project had its grant withdrawn from Norwegian Funds because of this resolution.

• 1.How many project proposals applying for EU funding have been denied a grant for failing to comply with selection criteria on non-discrimination?
• 2.Do European Structural and Investment Funds co-financing agreements include a clause prohibiting project participants and end beneficiaries from practising any form of discrimination, and if so, does the clause provide for a partial or total suspension or revocation of the grant should they violate this right?
• 3.How does the Commission plan to safeguard the rights of LGBTIQ persons in the 2021-2027 Partnership Agreement and in new funding instruments, in particular in the European Social Fund+?