From 25 to 28 March, WAVE participated in a high-level conference in Nicosia focused on gender budgeting within the EU’s next Multiannual Financial Framework (2028–2034). The discussions centred on the European Commission’s proposal for a more flexible budget structure, which would eliminate earmarked funding for gender equality. In a political context where human rights are increasingly under pressure, this approach risks reversing gains made over the past decade, both within the EU and through its external action frameworks, including the Gender Action Plan IV.
A central message from the European Gender Budgeting Network was clear: resilience, competitiveness, and security are not gender-neutral. All policies have gendered consequences, and all policies must have gendered outcomes. A European agenda that prioritises competitiveness and security without accounting for the impact of reduced investment in social services, care systems, and human rights risks directly affecting the quality of life, work, and access to rights of people across Europe.
The conference resulted in the Nicosia Declaration, which calls on EU institutions and member states to invest in what matters for people by placing gender equality, women’s rights, care, and social priorities at the core of the EU budget. The Declaration outlines six key demands, including earmarking funding, embedding gender equality objectives across all programmes, ensuring meaningful civil society participation, and integrating gender mainstreaming throughout the full budget cycle.
WAVE’s participation in the Nicosia conference is part of a broader and sustained coalition effort to defend gender equality in the next EU budget. The Nicosia Declaration’s six key asks are fully aligned with WAVE’s own advocacy positions on the MFF 2028–2034 and the AgoraEU resolution, reinforcing WAVE’s role as a credible and consistent voice in this space. This alignment is not coincidental: as a network of over 1,600 women’s specialist organisations across 46 countries, WAVE brings together the collective expertise and lived experience of frontline services to shape EU-level policy from the ground up.
Since 2025, WAVE has been working in coalition with nine other organisations to push for joint amendments to the AgoraEU regulation, the successor to the CERV programme and a critical funding stream for civil society working on gender equality, citizenship, and rights. As part of this coalition work, WAVE has engaged extensively across EU institutions, including with co-rapporteurs in the FEMM and LIBE committees, permanent representations in Brussels, Members of the European Parliament, and the European Commission.
The Nicosia conference added an important dimension to these efforts by connecting budget advocacy with a broader network of gender equality organisations and reinforcing a shared demand: that the EU budget must reflect EU values. In this context, the EU budget is not simply a technical instrument, but a political statement about priorities, commitments, and the future direction of the Union.
