The COVID-19 pandemic deeply affected Europe's economies, societies, and health systems. To help repair the damage and prepare for future challenges, the European Commission, European Parliament and EU leaders agreed on a comprehensive recovery plan to create a greener, more digital, and more resilient Europe.
The plan combines:
Together, this €1.85 trillion package is the largest stimulus ever financed through the EU budget.
NextGenerationEU funding is channelled via the MFF (especially in 2021–2023) to:
It will help repair the immediate economic and social damage brought by the coronavirus pandemic, kick-start the recovery and prepare for a better future for the next generation.
Key components include the Recovery & Resilience Facility in the form of loans and grants, REACT-EU (an extended crisis response initiative), and the new EU4Health programme.
The Recovery and Resilience Facility is the centrepiece of NextGenerationEU with €672.5 billion in loans and grants available to support reforms and investments undertaken by EU Member States. Its aim is to mitigate the economic and social impact of the coronavirus pandemic and make European economies and societies more sustainable, resilient and better prepared for the challenges and opportunities of the green and digital transitions.
Key Points:
How will it impact Irish civil society organisations?
In 2021, the Department of the Taoiseach ran a public consultation on Ireland’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan. Businesses, representative bodies, and members of the public were asked to submit their ideas and proposals. The Wheel advocated for dedicated funding for the community, voluntary, charity, and social enterprise sectors. Read Ireland's final recovery and resilience plan.
EU4Health is the EU’s funding programme for 2021 - 2027 to build resilient health systems and promote innovation in the health sector. By investing €5.1 billion, it is the largest health programme ever and provides funding to EU countries, health organisations and NGOs. EU4Health aims to make the EU population healthier, support the fight against cross-border health threats and boost the EU's preparedness and capability to respond effectively to future health crises.
Focus areas:
How will it impact Irish civil society organisations?
Civil society organisations can apply for EU4Health funding for activities aligned with the programme’s objectives. Other EU funding programmes, European Social Fund Plus and Horizon Europe, also provide complementary health-related funding.
REACT-EU (Recovery Assistance for Cohesion and the Territories of Europe) is one of the largest programmes under NextGenerationEU, amounting to EUR 50.6 billion. It continues and extends the crisis response and crisis repair measures delivered through the Coronavirus Response Investment Initiative and the Coronavirus Response Investment Initiative Plus and constitutes a bridge to the long-term recovery plan.
Key Points:
How will it impact Irish civil society organisations?
REACT-EU provides additional funding through:
Civil society organisations can access funding via calls for proposals or by engaging with initiatives delivered by Irish bodies implementing these funds.
EU4Health 2021-2027 – a vision for a healthier European Union
Decisions that are made at the EU level can have a big impact on our daily lives. At The Wheel we believe that citizens’ active participation in society is vital so they can play a part in influencing the decisions that affect them.
Here’s how you can connect with the EU:
Together.eu is an online community of pan-European active citizens interested in learning from each other and finding common ground on EU issues. Created by the European Parliament during the 2019 European elections, together.eu encourages everybody to participate in democracy through events and activities.
Together.eu connects people both locally and across Europe to meet, share knowledge, and learn new skills. The community has brought together more than 350,000 people who actively advocate the importance of voting, democracy and civic engagement. Today, together.eu stands as a vibrant, interconnected and growing community dedicated to advancing European democracy.
Check out the latest events organised by the European Parliament and the together.eu community, happening online and across Europe, by joining together.eu.
Following the European elections in June 2024, 14 MEPs representing Ireland's three constituencies, Dublin, South and Midlands-North-West, took their seats in the European Parliament on 16 July 2024 for Parliament's 10th term.
Due to demographic changes, Ireland gained one additional MEP, bringing the number of MEPs elected in 2024 to 14. The additional seat was allocated to the Midlands-North-West constituency. Going forward, the constituencies of Ireland South and Midlands-North-West will have five seats each, and the Dublin constituency will have four seats.
Who are your MEPs and how can you contact them? We have gathered the information for you!
Through involvement in EU-funded projects, you’ll deliver on current EU policy and programme goals while helping to shape future policy.
Learn more about the various EU funding programmes and the projects they support.
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