ENAR, Europe’s leading anti-racism network, loses EU funding
As anti-rights movements continue to gain ground, Eurochild is deeply alarmed by reports that the European Network Against Racism (ENAR) has lost its EU operating grant after more than 20 years of partnership. As a signatory of the open letter, Eurochild stands in solidarity with ENAR and its peers facing increasing pressure.
According to ENAR, after ten months of questioning, auditing, and profound uncertainty, the organisation was notified late in July that its operating grant for 2026–2028 had been terminated, apparently over concerns about its operational and organisational capacity.
It should be noted that a year earlier, in July 2025, along with other EU grantees, ENAR was informed that it had successfully passed the evaluation required to sign its grant agreement. However, among the 70 successful EU grantees, ENAR was the only one left without a signed agreement and, eventually, to face termination.
While ENAR has stated publicly that it has launched a legal challenge against this decision following its disagreement with the assessment behind the decision, the network faces a serious risk of closure. We support ENAR's decision to seek legal recourse to assert its rights.
At a time when anti-racist organisations across Europe are operating in an increasingly hostile environment, the consequences of weakening the infrastructure that supports more than 140+ independent anti-racist civil society organisations extend far beyond a single organisation.
Further information
- Read about Eurochild's campaign Fighting Anti-Rights Movements
- Listen to theEurochild podcast episodes on the attacks on civil society and on shrinking funds for NGOs.
