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Deutsches Rotes Kreuz e.V.

DRK

In Germany, the core activities of the German Red Cross (GRC) focus on welfare and social work, health programmes, including the provision of first aid and ambulance services, national level disaster preparedness, youth work and public advocacy on humanitarian issues.

Lobbying Activity

Meeting with Hildegard Bentele (Member of the European Parliament)

4 Mar 2024 · Hostages in Gaza

Meeting with Olaf Gamal Deussen (Cabinet of Commissioner Janez Lenarčič)

19 Dec 2023 · Exchange with the German Red Cross from Lower Saxony and a Colonel from the German civilian-military cooperation focusing on possible areas of European civil protection cooperation

Meeting with Olaf Gamal Deussen (Cabinet of Commissioner Janez Lenarčič)

18 Oct 2023 · Exchange with MEP Düpont and DE Lower Saxony Red Cross on civil protection

Response to Developing social economy framework conditions

30 Sept 2022

Social Economy – developing framework conditions The German Red Cross welcomes the initiative of the Commission to develop a proposal for a Council Recommendation for Social Economy Framework Conditions and highlights the following recommendations: 1. Stronger emphasis on non-profit social service provision The diversity of the social economy is widely acknowledged by the Commission, with the Social Economy Action Plan it wants to scale up its activities and impact. Yet, the initiative falls short in addressing the needs of non-profit businesses, which is particularly disappointing as the accompanying document (COM (2021) 778) shows that non-profit organisations had the largest participation in the preceding consultation process. To a large extent, the social economy in Europe is organised in non-profit businesses, organisations and associations. So far initiatives of the European Commission to strengthen the social economy, focus on the profitability of social enterprises and their role as economic players. For the recommendation, we recommend to put a stronger focus on the special role of non-profit social service providers that fully reinvest their profits and therefore need special consideration of procurement, taxation and state aid. 2. Better access to funding Accessing funding and financial resources, non-profit social service providers face several challenges. Non-profit organisations struggle in applying and implementing EU funded projects because of complex administration or low co-financing rates. Simplifying access and implementation, particularly to the structural and cohesion funds, would allow organisations like the Red Cross to use the resources provided on a broader scale to develop innovative projects and collaborations. Public procurement has not proven to be the best way to ensure quality service provision as in practice it primarily sets the lowest price as the decisive criterion. Multiple options for funding should be developed beyond public procurement including but not limited to grants and favourable financing options through loans and guarantees. The recommendation should also ensure that a stronger and more varied finance and investment environment will support particularly not for profit social services providers. 3. Legal frameworks need to prioritise non-profits Services provided by non-profit organisations are largely based on the engagement of volunteers. This civic engagement is actively implementing the objectives of the European Pillar of Social Rights by creating more inclusive and resilient communities and providing support to millions of people in need. This special value needs to be reflected by prioritising non-profit organisations in legal frameworks. Legal frameworks like state aid rules and the application of the public procurement directive do not sufficiently reflect this special value and barely respond to the specific needs of non-profit organisations. The recommendation should acknowledge the special needs of non-profit organisations with regard to the rights and obligations in the context of the EU public procurement directive and state aid rules. 4. International dimension of the social economy The German Red Cross expects further elaborations on the international dimension of the social economy and its links to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. So far, the Commission initiatives to strengthen the social economy internationally have been vague. It needs concrete actions and a transversal approach to achieve noticeable improvements. This must be anchored in relevant policy fields like economic cooperation, social protection, human rights protection, as well as trade and climate policies. The recommendation needs to include follow-up initiative specifically addressing the international dimension. It should formulate concrete measures and objectives for cooperation with non-EU countries and actively involve the respective Directorates General.
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Meeting with Katrin Langensiepen (Member of the European Parliament)

7 Jun 2022 · EoV Situation PWD at Ukraine

Meeting with Cornelia Ernst (Member of the European Parliament)

14 Dec 2021 · Migration Poland/Belarus border

Meeting with Nicolas Schmit (Commissioner) and

28 Jan 2021 · Meeting on EU and Red Cross activities in response to the pandemic as well as social protection and inclusion in addressing the effects of the crisis.

Meeting with Paraskevi Michou (Director-General European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations)

2 Apr 2020 · Discussion related with COVID-19 response

Meeting with Monique Pariat (Director-General European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations)

19 Jan 2018 · EU Civil Protection Mechanism - revision of the legislation / Registration of Red Cross assets / German Red Cross partnership