Fieldwork and Publicity: Uncovering Violations in European Union Funding

The aim of the project was to build capacities to identify violations of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and Roma rights in EU projects through fieldwork and publicity. Sub-objectives:
- Experts from the implementing organisations in three counties (Borsod, Szabolcs, Hajdú) work to improve the capacity of local NGOs;
- launch legal actions, e.g. complaints, court proceedings at Hungarian and EU level;
- creating media publicity.
The direct target group of the project were the professionals and activists of NGOs working in the three counties. It also included infringement lawyers, media professionals and decision-makers of EU programmes.

Capacity building activities (training, workshops, coaching, etc.) provided knowledge and skills necessary to achieve the project's objectives. The direct result was that Charter of Fundamental Rights violations are reported to Hungarian and EU organisations in the form of complaints. Furthermore, as a result of capacity building, the detection of violations will continue after the end of the project. By strengthening media publicity, the wider public will be informed about violations.

Public policy proposals helped the responsible authorities to draft guidelines and calls for proposals in line with the Charter of Fundamental Rights. In the long term, the project can help to prevent and address violations of the Charter of Fundamental Rights in EU-funded projects, which together will strengthen the social inclusion processes of Roma.

Some local workshops have been cancelled, therefore the final fund was reduced.