Gender Budgeting: complying with equality between men and women in the European Funds

The EU Multiannual Financial Framework for 2021-2027 is the fundamental instrument to advance the EU's long-term priorities in all its areas of action, being gender equality one of those priorities. Regulation (EU) No 2021/1060 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 June 2021 establishes that Member States and the Commission shall ensure that the integration of the gender perspective is taken into account and promoted throughout the preparation, execution, monitoring, and evaluation of the programs.

In December 2022, the European Commission approved the new Programs of the European Structural and Investment Funds for Andalusia - European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), European Social Fund Plus (ESF+), Just Transition Fund (FTJ) and European Agricultural Fund of Rural Development (EAFRD) - through which the Autonomous Community will receive a total investment of 8,499.6 million euros, including co-financing of 1,274.8 million euros.

The Junta de Andalucía is currently implementing the aforementioned funds, whose management is coordinated from the Regional Ministry of Economy, Finance and European Funds to all the ministries. For this purpose, the Andalusian Administration has an extensive experience in applying gender budgeting, which, due to its horizontal nature, constitutes the ideal instrument to bring together the requirements of Andalusian public policies on gender equality with compliance with the requirements and duties defined by the regulations of the EU Funds in this matter.

The IEHPA Foundation, an entity attached to the Regional Ministry of Economy, Finance and European Funds, organizes this International Conference in order to share the best formulas and methodologies to integrate the principle of gender equality in the management of European Funds in the different areas of public policy; as well as to reflect on the challenges that this effort represents for Public Administrations and the solutions that can be implemented to overcome them.