2 February 2026
Catering Lab, Ljubljana

Members of the EPEKA Association will attend an important consultation on the newly adopted EU Civil Society Strategy and the proposal for the new EU Multiannual Financial Framework, organized by CNVOS.

The event will be crucial for understanding the future of the non-governmental sector, as it will directly influence the conditions and extent to which organizations will access European funds over the next seven years. The consultation will take place on Monday, 2 February 2026, from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM at Catering Lab (Kavčičeva 66, Ljubljana).

The discussion will focus on the proposed AgoraEU program. After 2028, the current CERV (Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values) and Creative Europe (Culture and MEDIA) programs are expected to merge into this unified framework. The European Commission proposes a total budget of 8.6 billion euros for AgoraEU, which represents a near doubling of funds for civil society, democracy, culture, and media.

Despite the optimistic figures, the merger brings certain challenges:

  • Greater competition between different fields within the same program.
  • The issue of a clear definition and protection of funds for civil society.
  • Lack of a clear commitment to funding advocacy activities in the current budget proposal.

Special emphasis will also be placed on the EU Civil Society Strategy, which finally strategically recognizes the key role of NGOs in shaping EU policies. The consultation will feature prominent representatives of decision-makers and civil society:

  • Matjaž Nemec, Member of the European Parliament
  • Jure Trbič, State Secretary, Ministry of Public Administration
  • Marko Rusjan, State Secretary, Ministry of Culture
  • Giada Negri, Deputy Secretary General, European Civic Forum
  • Petra Cilenšek, Head of Legal Service, CNVOS

More information about the event and registration can be found on the official CNVOS website.