Gender budgeting as a way of complying with EU legal requirements

What does this mean?

Gender budgeting is not specifically required as a methodology while programming and implementing EU Funds programmes; nonetheless, it is the most comprehensive and transparent way of meeting the requirements and duties on gender equality defined by EU Funds regulations.

These requirements, laid down in the Commission's proposal for the Common Provisions Regulation (CPR) (COM(2018) 375 final) as a basis for all EU Funds programmes, comprise:

  • the requirement to consider gender equality as a horizontal principle;
  • the definition of partners to be involved in programming processes and the implementation of the programmes, including 'bodies responsible for gender equality';
  • the duty of managing authorities to 'establish and apply criteria and procedures which are non-discriminatory, transparent, [and] ensure gender equality' (Article 67).

Alongside the proposed CPR, further requirements for considering gender equality are defined in funds' specific regulations:

  • this is especially true of the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) regulation, which includes a specific objective targeting women’s labour market participation and a better work-life balance, including access to childcare;
  • the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)[1] and Cohesion Fund regulations mainly restate requirements already defined in the CPR, particularly the requirement to consider gender equality as a horizontal principle;
  • the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) reiterates the CPR’s emphasis on the need to involve 'bodies responsible for gender equality' as partners 'where relevant'[2], and defines the requirement for managing authorities to inform bodies involved in promoting equality between men and women about possibilities for receiving funding.