Call: Democratic politics in the EU’s neighbourhood

Expected Outcome

Projects should contribute to at least two of the following expected outcomes:

• Comprehensive stocktaking of developments over the last decade, so that the European Union’s democracy support efforts can both regain traction and be revamped where necessary.
• Development of an improved policy toolkit for supporting liberal democracy in the European Union’s neighbourhood, paving the way for more stability and cooperation.
• Evidence base for the mid-term review of the implementation of the Action Plan for Human Rights and Democracy 2020-2024.
• Reflection on the European Union’s aspiration and role in supporting democracy in its neighbourhood.

Scope:

Since the EU Council conclusions of 2009, EU democracy support has evolved and has been fine-tuned, with advances and setbacks. Following the adoption of the EU strategic framework on human rights and democracy in 2012, the EU adopted three Action Plans in order to implement its commitments and reach its goals. The current Action Plan covers years 2020-2024.

Despite the hopes raised by the ‘colour revolutions’ in Eastern Europe in the 2000s and the Arab Spring in 2011 as boosters of democratisation in the European neighbourhood, a more troubling reality persists: some democratic advances coexist with the continued persistence of authoritarian rule in Eastern Europe, the Middle East and North African countries. Research should assess the EU’s actual role in promoting democracy. It should examine the EU’s influence on political governance in the neighbourhood, its capacity to react and address potential gaps between the declared intentions, and the results and consequences of its democracy support policies. Critical reflection should facilitate understanding of the dynamics, including opposition to the EU’s democratic efforts in the neighbourhood. Such an overarching assessment should contribute to innovations in democratisation policies corresponding to the realities on the ground.

Proposals are expected to address some of the following points: To take stock of developments in democracy building or failure in the EU’s neighbourhood countries. Research should draw lessons as regards success factors and barriers (political, economic, social, cultural, etc.) in the different regional, national and supranational contexts. The role of third country actors like the United States of America, China, Russia and their impact on democratisation processes or the entrenchment of authoritarianism should be examined. Similarly, the interplay of security and stability considerations and democratisation support in the EU’s agenda and actions should be analysed. Proposals should also assess the mechanisms the EU uses to support political change, as well as examine the discourses and narratives it employs and the actors it targets. They are expected to collect reliable and comparable data on funding for democracy, human rights, gender equality, the rule of law and good governance support, in order to build an account of the outcomes of a decade’s efforts, and thus facilitate learning and improvement. International cooperation with partners from countries in the EU’s neighbourhood is strongly encouraged.

Cross-cutting Priorities:

• Socio-economic science and humanities
• Africa

eligible non-EU countries:

• countries associated to Horizon Europe

• low-and middle-income countries


• Due to the scope of this topic, legal entities established in all member states of the African Union are exceptionally eligible for Union funding.

Legal entities which are established in countries not listed above will be eligible for funding if provided for in the specific call conditions, or if their participation is considered essential for implementing the action by the granting authority.

Specific cases:

• Affiliated entities - Affiliated entities are eligible for funding if they are established in one of the countries listed above.
• EU bodies - Legal entities created under EU law may also be eligible to receive funding, unless their basic act states otherwise.
• International organisations - International European research organisations are eligible to receive funding. Unless their participation is considered essential for implementing the action by the granting authority, other international organisations are not eligible to receive funding. International organisations with headquarters in a Member State or Associated Country are eligible to receive funding for ‘Training and mobility’actions and when provided for in the specific call conditions.

Unless otherwise provided for in the specific call conditions , legal entities forming a consortium are eligible to participate in actions provided that the consortium includes:

• at least one independent legal entity established in a Member State;and
• at least two other independent legal entities, each established in different Member States or Associated Countries.

Proposal page limits and layout:

The application form will have two parts:

• Part A to be filled in directly online  (administrative information, summarised budget, call-specific questions, etc.)
• Part B to be downloaded from the Portal submission system, completed and re-uploaded as a PDF in the system

Page limit - Part B: 45 pages