| 1.
CONTEXT
Article A-3022 of the general budget of the European
Union provides for subsidies for projects and initiatives
organised by the academic world (institutes, study and
research centres, organisations or associations and
university networkof teachers, researchers or students)
and aimed at promoting discussion, reflection and knowledge
on the process of European integration.
Subsidy heading A-3022 thus demonstrates the Commission's
desire to support European study and research centres
in the European Union and to promote activities organised
by bodies operating individually or via transnational
networks to raise public awareness of European integration.
2. OBJECTIVE
The main objective of these subsidies is to reinforce
European citizenship and the active participation of
citizens in the process of European integration through
reflection and discussion on the various aspects of
this process.
This budget heading is also designed to consolidate
associations which pursue their activities in university
circles and endeavour to strengthen teaching and/or
research on European integration and citizenship.
The subsidies will be used to co-finance projects whose
direct aim is to promote the dissemination of knowledge
on European integration.
3. AVAILABLE BUDGET
The available budget is EUR 1 000 000.
4. SELECTION CRITERIA
4.1. Eligibility of applicants
Only proposals from academic circles: institutes, study
and research centres, organisations and associations
of university teachers, researchers or students will
be considered, provided they:
(a) possess their own legal status at the time of submission
of the application;
(b) are constituted and operate as centres, organisations,
associations or networks run on a non-profit making
basis and are established in the European Union ( 1
);
(c) have experience in organising the activities proposed;
(d) substantiate a capacity for mobilisation and communication
which will guarantee a multiplier effect.
The setting-up of national and transnational networks
will be a definite asset in this regard.
4.2. Technical and financial capacity of applicants
4.2.1. Technical capacity will be assessed on the basis
of
(a) the CVs of the project leaders and their experience
in directing, managing, coordinating and organising
projects;
(b) the annual activity report or an assessment report
from the applicant organisation.
4.2.2. Financial capacity will be assessed on the basis
of:
(a) the amount of funding requested in relation to the
provisional budget managed by the applicant for 2001;
(b) the capacity to assemble co-funding;
(c) the applicant organisation's accounts for the previous
financial year and, if appropriate, other administrative
or accounting documents supplied by the applicant.
4.3. Eligible activities
4.3.1. For the year 2001 priority will be given to projects
which:
(a) relate to the following themes:
enlargement, the euro, the future of the EU: the Nice
Treaty, reform of the European institutions and European
governance;
(b) have the potential to mobilise, publicise and disseminate,
e.g. symposia, debates, meetings, joint projects for
studies, reflection or research, projects designed to
circulate information, publications, multimedia dissemination,
Internet dissemination.
The foreseeable multiplier effect of the overall project
and of its component parts must be described in the
subsidy application form.
( 1 ) European study and research centres and university
teacher associations and networks established in the
Member States or the applicant countries:
Bulgaria, Cyprus, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania,
Malta, Poland, Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia
and Turkey.
In the event of a general programme of activities, applications
must specify the activities covered by the application
for a subsidy. Associations, organisations and networks
of associations submitting a general programme of activities
must include the overall budget estimate and the part
budgets for each activity envisaged.
The overall budget and each of the part budgets must
be accompanied by a detailed budget giving the information
requested in the budget form.
Special attention will be paid to projects which help
to consolidate European integration studies in university
circles.
As heading A-3022 complements the other European Commission
programmes, simultaneous applications for funding under
other budget headings may not be made under any circumstances.
The applicant may not submit the same project in response
to other calls for proposals from the European institutions.
4.3.2. Priority will be given to projects centred on
research work conducted by young researchers (aged up
to 35) on the (priority) themes set out in 4.3.1. As
it is the Commission's aim to support young researchers
working on European integration at the start of their
careers, three types of projects are envisaged:
a) the allocation
of grants to young researchers seeking to complement
their research by spending a period in another country.
The amount of the grant will be determined on the basis
of the following criteria:
the grants will consist of a flat-rate payment of EUR
1 000 monthly for a maximum period of six months.
Additional assistance of up to EUR 1 000 for travelling
costs actually incurred may also be paid, these grants
are intended to offset the extra living and travelling
costs generated by research work in another country.
Payment of these grants is thus compatible with other
national allowances to young researchers (but not with
another EU grant for research in another country);
(b) the organisation of very high level seminars for
young university researchers (aged up to 35) ableb to
substantiate results in the area of research. Preference
will be given to projects organised at the international
level in partnership with associations of teachers and
universities in several countries.
The EU's financial contribution will be used to set
up a system of grants for participants;
(c) the organisation of meetings around the results
of university research on the priority themes mentioned
in 4.3.1 and pursued by young researchers (aged upto
35).
4.3.3. Depending on the quality of applications, the
Commission will limit subsidies for these new types
of activities to a maximum of 20 % of the budget available
in 2001.
5. AWARD CRITERIA
5.1. Subsidies will be granted as a function of:
(a) the evaluation of the quality of the projects pursuing
the priority themes mentioned;
(b) the quality of the project presentation (detail
and clarity of the activities envisaged) and its implementation;
(c) the applicant's technical and financial capacity;
(d) the project's multiplier effect;
(e) the quality of the project's financial presentation
and the quality and clarity of the general estimated
budget and of the detailed budget;
(f) the results of any previous subsidies granted under
heading A-3022.
Close consideration will be given to projects which
contain innovative aspects (in terms of means or targets).
5.2. The use of appropriations under budget heading
A-3022 is the subject of a formal decision adopted by
the Commission.
6. TERMS AND CONDITIONS
OF FUNDING
6.1. The subsidies are awarded on a strictly annual
basis and do not give any entitlement whatsoever to
a subsidy in subsequent years.
6.2. The maximum amount of the subsidies will be EUR
50 000 per project. In general, the subsidies awarded
may not exceed 50 % of the total cost. A higher subsidy
may be allocated in certain justified cases if the 20
% project funding is secured from sources other than
the EU budget.
If the amount actually spent is less than initially
anticipated the Commission will reduce the subsidy inproportion
to the difference between the two amounts.
6.3. The subsidy will be granted only for activities
taking place after submission of the application and
expenditure will be considered as eligible only as from
the date of submission.
The action or series of actions must be completed no
later than 30 September 2002.
Actions already running or completed will not be awarded
funding retroactively.
6.4. The subsidy application must include a detailed
budget.
This provisional budget must be expressed in euro. This
estimated budget must be balanced and must also be detailed
enough to allow the proposed activities to be identified,
monitored and verified.
6.5. Eligible expenditure:
The following costs are eligible:
(a) personnel costs directly linked to the execution
of the project;
(b) travel costs linked directly to the execution of
the project
(c) the cost of consumables and supplies;
(d) information dissemination;
(e) communication and postage costs directly linked
to the project;
(f) costs generated by the terms of the grant agreement
(audits, evaluations).
Indirect costs (overheads) are eligible, but must not
exceed 7 % of the total eligible costs.
The following costs are not eligible:
(a) costs which do not give rise to actual, effective
expen- diture;
(b) expenditure on luxuries or expenditure considered
excessive;
(c) expenditure on the purchase of fixed equipment;
(d) contributions in kind. However, these may be taken
into consideration when the maximum amount of the subsidies
is being determined;
(e) contingency costs.
The rules on eligibility of categories of expenditure
are set out in the ‚General terms and conditions applicable
to grant agreements of the European Communities™,
which will be sent to applicants on request, together
with a grant application form. These documents are also
available on the Europa website at:
http://europa.eu.int/comm/education/integration/
home.html
6.6. The beneficiaries must clearly acknowledge the
support received from the European Commission.
6.7. The Commission reserves the right to award a grant
of less than the amount requested by the applicant.
Grants will not be awarded for more than the amount
requested.
Should the actual eligible cost on completion of the
project be less than the estimated total cost, the
Commission will apply
the stipulated percentage to the actual costs, and the
beneficiary will be required to refund amounts already
paid which exceed the resulting amount.
6.8. An advance of 80 % of the grant will be paid within
60 days of receipt of the agreement signed by the organisation's
authorised representative.
Any outstanding amount payable will be paid following
submission and acceptance by the Commission of an activity
report and a detailed financial statement showing income
and expenditure (stating unit costs).
The financial statement must be balanced, dated, certified,
signed and set out in euro.
7. SUBMISSION OF APPLICATIONS
7.1. The application forms and the vade-mecum for
heading A 3022 are available on the Internet at:
http://europa.eu.int/comm/education/integration/home.html
or upon request is obtainable from the following address
up to 10 working days before the deadline established
for the submission of applications:
European Commission Directorate-General for Education
and Culture
Unit A 2 Higher Education Heading A-3022
Rue de la Loi/Wetstraat 200
B-1049 Brussels
E-mail:
eac-a3022@cec.eu.int
Tel. (32-2) 299 94 54
Fax (32-2) 299 92 05.
7.2. Applications must be supported by a programme of
activities and a duly certified copy of the applicant's
annual budget. A copy of the organisation's articles
of association must also be appended, except in the
case of public bodies such as universities.
7.3. Only properly completed applications will be accepted.
An application will not be considered ‚properly completed™
unless it is accompanied by:
an official letter of application, dated and signed,
the application form (in triplicate) duly completed,
and signed by the organisation's
representative, a balanced budget estimate (income and
expenditure) setting
out expenditure and revenue in detail and indicating
unit costs, a proper description of the project and
the other documents stated on the form, the requisite
documents to substantiate points 4.1 and 4.2 concerning
the eligibility of applicants and their technical and
financial capacity.
7.4. Applications must be submitted to the Directorate-
General for Education and Culture using the specific
subsidy application form and the specific budget form.
The request for a subsidy
must always be presented on this form.
7.5. The form must be properly completed, signed, dated
and sent in triplicate along with the other requisite
documentation no later than 30 April 2001 (date as postmarked)
to:
European Commission Directorate-General for Education
and Culture
Unit A 2 Higher Education Š Heading A-3022
Rue de la Loi/Wetstraat 200
B-1049 Brussels.
7.6. Applications submitted by fax or e-mail will not
be considered.
7.7. If the application is accepted, the responsible
person in the recipient organisation must give a signed
undertaking to provide proof that the subsidy has been
properly used and to permit the Commission and/or the
Court of Auditors to check the organisation's accounts
if they so wish.
7.8. If a subsidy is granted by the Commission, an agreement
drawn up in euro stating the terms and conditions and
the level of funding, will be sent to the beneficiary.
This agreement must be signed and returned to the Commission
immediately.
7.9. Applications from organisations which have previously
received a subsidy from the Commission will be considered
only if the proper use of this previous subsidy has
been duly proven. If necessary, internal or external
audit reports for the previous financial year should
be appended to the application. If these reports are
not available, the accounts for the previous year should
be appended, duly certified by the responsible person
in the organisation.
7.10. The closing date for the submission of applications
is 30 April 2001, date as postmarked.
The Commission intends to take its decisions by 31
July 2001.
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