Europe’s Largest Pan-European Anti-Racism Network (ENAR) Loses European Commission Funding
On 18 March 2026, we launched our “Defend Anti-Racism” appeal because the European Network Against Racism (ENAR) found itself in an increasingly difficult situation. At the time, we deliberately shared only limited information because we were engaged in an ongoing administrative process with the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) – a grant management agency of the European Commission – concerning our 2026-2028 Framework Partnership Agreement (FPA), our operating grant under the CERV – Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values – programme. ENAR considered it important to respect that process while continuing to engage constructively with EACEA.
However, we also believe it is now important to explain to our members, partners and the wider public why ENAR is facing a situation where its work is under severe threat.
In July 2026, following more than ten months of exchanges with EACEA, we received formal notification from EACEA confirming its decision to terminate the Grant Agreement Preparation process and reject ENAR’s proposal for the 2026-2028 Framework Partnership Agreement. ENAR disagrees with the assessment underlying the basis of this decision.
The Framework Partnership Agreement was planned to commence in January 2026. As a result of the prolonged assessment process, ENAR has continued operating between January to August 2026 by relying on its own financial reserves while awaiting a final decision.
Over the past ten months, we have responded to five rounds of detailed requests for information concerning ENAR’s governance and operational capacity with deadlines as short as 15 days for our official responses including a request received from the EACEA just before the winter break.
Over the same period, ENAR was also required to respond to a number of audit-related requests and information requests, which added significantly to our administrative workload. In light of these concurrent demands, which also coincided with the period during which we were required to submit our annual technical and financial reporting as well as the continuous implementation of our work programme, ENAR requested a modest extension of one deadline in order to ensure the continued quality and completeness of our submissions. Our request received a response when the deadline had already passed.
These processes took place simultaneously and collectively required the preparation of lengthy questionnaires, the digitisation of several years of financial documentation, and the submission of hundreds of pages of supporting evidence, often within very short deadlines. This required the ENAR staff to maintain an intensive workload, often working long hours over several consecutive months.
This cumulative administrative burden was exceptionally demanding for the organisation. Nevertheless, we responded to every request in a spirit of transparency and cooperation, providing all requested information and supporting documentation while continuing to fulfil our operational, financial and reporting obligations.
As ENAR is now challenging EACEA’s decision before the General Court of the European Union, we cannot comment in detail on the substance of the legal proceedings. We nevertheless wish to make one point absolutely clear:
ENAR remains operational and continues to fulfil its mandate.
Throughout 2025 and 2026, we continued to implement our work programme, coordinate our network, engage with European institutions, publish research and policy analysis, organise advocacy and member activities, support grassroots organisations, fulfil our reporting obligations and maintain robust financial oversight. Indeed, EACEA itself accepted ENAR’s 2025 technical and financial reports and authorised payment of the balance of our operating grant.
For almost three decades, ENAR has been Europe’s largest anti-racism network, bringing together more than 140 anti-racist organisations across Europe. Since 1998, we have helped shape some of the European Union’s most important equality and anti-discrimination initiatives, including contributing to the Race Equality Directive, the Employment Directive, advocating for the EU Anti-Racism Action Plan, supporting the development of the first EU Anti-Racism Strategy, mainstreaming intersectionality at EU policy level, producing independent research on structural racism, coordinating European civil society advocacy, and supporting grassroots organisations through our Empowerment and Resilience Fund, through our capacity building trainings, our regional meetings, and our thematic working groups.
Our work has always been rooted in the belief that racial justice is essential to democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights in Europe. This mission is more necessary today than ever, at a time when racism, hate speech and attacks against racialised communities are increasing across Europe.
We regret that this situation may significantly affect the activities of a long-standing civil society network, who has demonstrated its operational and financial capacity over many years, working in areas that are closely aligned with the objectives pursued by the Anti-Racism Strategy and recently adopted Civil Society Strategy.
Regardless of the outcome of the ongoing proceedings, one reality remains.
Without access to our structural operating grant, ENAR’s financial reserves will eventually be exhausted. Unless this situation is resolved, we may be forced to cease our operations by the end of 2026, and with this our ability to do anti-racism work and to support our members at the grassroots level.
While we continue to pursue every available administrative and legal avenue to protect ENAR, our members and the future of the anti-racism movement, we also need the solidarity of everyone who believes that anti-racist civil society deserves to exist and thrive in Europe.
Every contribution to our Defend Anti-Racism campaign helps us continue supporting over 140 member organisations, defending racial justice, strengthening grassroots movements, and ensuring that independent anti-racist voices remain present within European democracy.
The outcome of this process is about more than one organisation. It concerns the future of independent anti-racist civil society in Europe.
We will continue to keep our members, partners and supporters informed as the process progresses.
If you have any inquiry please contact us via email on communications@enar-eu.org or info@enar-eu.org
