C2009/215/04

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Document C2009/215/04

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Call for proposals — Support for information measures relating to the common agricultural policy — Implementation of information measures under budget heading 05 08 06 for 2010

OJ C 215, 9.9.2009, pp. 3–16 (BG, ES, CS, DA, DE, ET, EL, EN, FR, IT, LV, LT, HU, MT, NL, PL, PT, RO, SK, SL, FI, SV)

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Official Journal

9.9.2009

Official Journal of the European Union

C 215/3

CALL FOR PROPOSALS

‘Support for information measures relating to the common agricultural policy’

Implementation of information measures under budget heading 05 08 06 for 2010

2009/C 215/04

1. INTRODUCTION

This call for proposals is based on Council Regulation (EC) No 814/2000 of 17 April 2000 on information measures relating to the common agricultural policy (CAP) (1), which defines the type and content of the information measures which the Community may co-finance. Commission Regulation (EC) No 2208/2002 (2), as amended by Commission Regulation (EC) No 1820/2004 (3), lays down detailed rules for the application of Council Regulation (EC) No 814/2000.

This is a call for proposals for funding information measures within the meaning of Article 3(1) of Council Regulation (EC) No 814/2000 from appropriations in the 2010 budget. It concerns information measures to be implemented (including preparation, implementation, follow-up and evaluation) between 1 May 2010 and 30 April 2011.

An information measure is a self-contained and coherent information event organised on the basis of a single budget. The activities included in such an event may range from a simple conference to a comprehensive information campaign covering several types of information activities (such as conferences, audiovisual productions, mobile workshops, etc.) carried out in one or more regions of the Member States. In the case of such campaigns, the different activities planned must be interconnected and clear in their conceptual approach; at the same time, the results to be achieved and the work schedule must be realistic and appropriate to the project goals. Measures shall be carried out in the EU-27 and respect the time limits explained in point 3 (duration and budget) below.

As specified in Article 4(2) of Commission Regulation (EC) No 2208/2002, applicants for this call for proposals must be legal persons legally constituted in a Member State for at least two years, particularly:

—	farmers’ or rural development organisations,

—	consumer associations,

—	environmental protection associations,

—	public authorities of the Member States,

—	the media,

—	universities.

2. PRIORITIES AND OBJECTIVES FOR 2010

2.1. Priorities

Under this call for proposals the Commission wishes to give priority to:

—

raising the general public's awareness of the CAP (including its rural development dimension), familiarising the general public with the multifunctional role of European Union farmers, which goes beyond food production. Farmers are also stewards of the countryside, they play an important role in preserving our common natural heritage and in many rural areas they continue to be the economic heartbeat,

—	discussing with agricultural stakeholders in rural areas the opportunities and benefits which the two pillars of the CAP provide for the agricultural sector and for the sustainable development of rural regions,

—

presenting the reformed Common Agricultural Policy and in particular the:

—	need to respond better to market opportunities,

—	simplification and better targeting of direct aid to farmers,

—	strengthening of rural development policy in order to respond to new challenges, relating mainly to climate change, water management, renewable energy and biodiversity,

—	examining Community schemes under the CAP aimed at promoting a healthier diet and healthy eating habits, particularly fruit and vegetables for school children,

—	discussing EU policy concerning the quality of agricultural products,

—	discussing the medium and long term development prospects for the CAP with agricultural stakeholders and the general public.

2.2. Messages to be communicated

The Commission wishes to receive applications for information measures focusing on the following messages:

—

the CAP is a living policy. It evolves to reflect the changing priorities of society. It was conceived as a fundamental component of the construction of Europe, with particular emphasis on the European farming community. Today, European agriculture plays a fundamental role in our societies. It directly affects the quality of our environment, the food we eat and the way we treat farm animals — issues that affect us all. The CAP seeks to promote a sustainable agriculture that responds positively to the concerns of citizens not only in agricultural communities but in society at large,

—

the CAP supports farmers to help them fulfil their role as the economic heartbeat of rural areas. It enables them to supply both high-quality and safe food and public goods which cannot be provided solely by the market: the preservation of a lively economic and social fabric in rural areas, environmental protection and preserved landscapes,

—

international trade barriers are being gradually dismantled. This is a trend which we welcome, particularly as a means of fostering further development in poor countries. European agriculture is increasingly faced with competition from producers in third countries. The CAP embraces international trade. It allows European agriculture to play to its strengths by promoting a sector which is competitive, innovative and responsive to the market and which focuses on the production of quality products and the identification of alternative outlets for its products such as biofuels,

—

agricultural subsidies are financed by taxpayers’ money. We must ensure that they are correctly spent and managed in a transparent way. But we also need to make sure that the CAP is governed by simple, clear, transparent and costefficient rules. The management burden for those who must comply with them and for those who monitor them must be reasonable,

—

EU territory comprises mainly rural areas. These areas are an important source of employment and constitute a strong symbol of Europe's cultural heritage. The CAP fosters a rural development policy which promotes growth and job creation in rural areas, both within and outside the agricultural sector, in a way that will reinforce the social and environmental fabric of our rural areas.

2.3. Types of information measures

Under this call for proposals the Commission wishes to receive applications for the following types of information measures:

—	TV and radio campaigns (documentaries, discussion programmes, etc) (4),

—	visual, audio and audiovisual productions and distribution thereof (5),

—	measures targeting schools and universities,

—	conferences, seminars and workshops (including mobile ones), particularly in rural areas,

—	exchanges and information visits, especially between old and new Member States,

—	information stands at agricultural fairs,

—	information campaigns comprising more than one of the above-mentioned types of information measure,

—	other types of measures, such as publications and web portals, shall be considered only if they are carried out in one of the 12 new Member States.

2.4. Target audiences

The target audiences for projects under this call for proposals shall be:

—	the general public in the EU-27,

—	the population of rural areas,

—	agricultural stakeholders, farmers and other potential beneficiaries of rural development measures.

3. DURATION AND BUDGET

This call for proposals concerns information measures to be implemented (including preparation, implementation, follow-up and evaluation) between 1 May 2010 and 30 April 2011.

The overall budget for the information measures to be carried out under this call for proposals is EUR 3 250 000. This amount will be distributed among the measures deemed best according to the award criteria set out in Annex III(2). The Commission reserves the right to reduce this overall amount or to grant only part thereof.

The amount of grant requested from the Commission shall be between EUR 20 000 and EUR 200 000 per information measure (including a flat-rate amount for staff costs).

Eligible costs are defined in Annex IV (drawing up of the budget). The contribution from the Commission to the selected information measures shall be limited to 50 % of the total eligible costs, excluding staff costs, which shall be covered by a separate flat-rate amount. That flat-rate amount shall not exceed EUR 10 000. For information measures of exceptional interest, the rate of the contribution from the Commission may, if so requested, be increased to a maximum of 75 %.

An information measure shall be recognised as being of exceptional interest as referred to in Article 7(2) of Regulation (EC) No 2208/2002 if the following four conditions are met:

1.	it is carried out in one of the 12 new Member States;

2.	it is of a high technical quality and demonstrates a good cost-effectiveness ratio;

3.	its dissemination plan is such as to guarantee the dissemination of the information to the largest possible audience;

4.	the evaluation committee (hereinafter ‘the committee’) has awarded it at least 75 points out of 100 for the award criteria set out in Annex III(2).

No prefinancing shall be awarded for the information measures for which a grant has been received under this call for proposals. The fact of selecting an application shall not commit the Commission to granting the full amount requested by the applicant. The amount of the grant shall under no circumstances exceed the amount requested.

4. GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMITTING AN APPLICATION

4.1. How to prepare an application

Each applicant may apply for only one information measure per budget year.

Applications shall be submitted on the appropriate forms available at the following internet address: http://ec.europa.eu/comm/agriculture/grants/capinfo/index_en.htm

They shall be drawn up in one of the official languages of the Community. Nevertheless, in order to facilitate prompt processing of applications, applicants are encouraged to submit their application in English or French or, if this is not possible, to include at least a translation into English or French of the content of Form 3.

The application shall contain the following documents, models of which are available at the above-mentioned internet address:

—	the letter of application giving the title of the proposed information measure and the amount of grant requested, signed by the legally authorised person responsible within the applicant organisation,

—

Form 1 (information on the applicant), Form 2 (information on co-organisers, if any), Form 3 (detailed description of the information measure) of the application. If a question does not apply to the proposed information measure, ‘not applicable’ or ‘n/a’ should be entered. Only applications submitted on these forms shall be considered,

—	a budget for the proposed information measure (comprising a detailed table of expenditure and a detailed table of income in balance), duly completed, signed and dated by the legally authorised person within the applicant organisation,

—	all the additional documents listed in Annex I (additional documents to be attached to the grant application).

4.2. Deadline and address for sending applications

Applicants shall send by 31 October 2009 at the latest a paper version of their entire application by registered post with acknowledgement of receipt (the postmark on the envelope being taken as proof of the date of posting) to the following address:

European Commission

Unit AGRI. K.1.

Call for proposals 2009/C 215/04

Attn. Mr H.-E. Barth

L130 4/148A

1049 Brussels

BELGIUM

Applications must be sent in a sealed envelope or cardboard box, which must be placed inside a second sealed envelope or cardboard box. The inner envelope or cardboard box must bear, in addition to the name of the department to which it is addressed, as indicated in the call for proposals, the words ‘Call for proposals — Not to be opened by the mail service’. If self-adhesive envelopes are used, they must be sealed with adhesive tape and the sender must sign across that tape.

Since all documents sent to the Commission must be scanned page by page, candidates are requested not to staple together the pages of the letter of application or the annexes thereto. In addition, for environmental reasons, applicants are encouraged to submit their application on recycled paper and print on both sides of the page.

At the same time, by 24:00 (Brussels time) on 31 October 2009 at the latest, applicants shall also e-mail an electronic version of their application, containing only the letter of application, Forms 1, 2 and 3 and the budget, which shall be identical to those sent by post, to the following address:

AGRI-GRANTS-APPLICATIONS-ONLY@ec.europa.eu

Applicants shall be responsible for ensuring that their application is complete and is dispatched by the deadline. Applications sent after the deadline shall be rejected.

5. PROCEDURE AND TIMETABLE

5.1. Receipt and registration of applications

The Commission shall register applications and e-mail an acknowledgement of receipt, specifying the number allocated to each application, within 15 working days of the deadline for submission.

5.2. Examination of applications in the light of the eligibility and exclusion criteria

An ad hoc evaluation committee shall examine the eligibility of applications. Any application which fails to meet one or more criteria set out in Annex II (eligibility and exclusion criteria) shall be rejected.

All eligible applications shall be admitted to the next phase (examination in the light of the selection criteria — technical and financial capacity of the applicants).

5.3. Examination of applications in the light of the selection criteria — technical and financial capacity of applicants

During this phase the committee shall examine the technical and financial capacity of the eligible applicants on the basis of the information provided in the application according to the criteria described in Annex III(1) (selection criteria)

All applications which have passed this phase shall be admitted to the next phase (evaluation in the light of the award criteria).

5.4. Evaluation of applications in the light of the award criteria

During this phase, the committee shall evaluate applications in the light of the award criteria described in Annex III(2) (award criteria). Only cases which have obtained at least 60 of the 100 points available, and at least 50 % of the points available for each criterion, during this phase of the evaluation shall be proposed for a grant by the committee. The fact of obtaining 60 of the 100 points available shall not, however, guarantee that an information measure will receive a grant. The Commission may raise the minimum acceptable mark on the basis of the number of eligible applications and the budgetary resources available.

Cases which have obtained fewer than 60 of the 100 points available, or under 50 % of the points available for each criterion, shall be rejected and the applicant shall receive written notification specifying the reasons for the rejection.

If a grant is awarded, the beneficiary shall receive a grant agreement (a specimen of which may be downloaded from the internet address given in point 4.1 of this call for proposals), denominated in euros, specifying the conditions and amount of financing, which may be less than the amount requested in the application. In the event of errors of calculation or costs considered ineligible, the budget will be corrected by the Commission. If the correction results in an increase in the total costs, the amount requested shall remain unchanged and the contribution of the applicant shall be increased accordingly.

The evaluation procedure is scheduled to close on 30 April 2010. The Commission departments are not authorised to inform applicants of the status of the evaluation of their application before the award decision. For this reason, applicants are requested not to telephone or write to the Commission regarding the outcome of their application before that date.

6. PUBLICITY

Beneficiaries shall be under a contractual obligation to ensure, by all appropriate means and in accordance with the conditions laid down in the grant agreement, that throughout the life of the measure any communication or publication by them regarding the measure mentions the fact that it is receiving financial support from the Community.

In addition, any communication or publication by the beneficiary, in any form and on any medium whatsoever, must indicate that sole responsibility lies with the author and that the Commission is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained therein.

Evidence of this publicity shall be included in the final technical implementation reports. A model of the logo may be downloaded from the following internet address: http://europa.eu/abc/symbols/emblem/download_en.htm

The Commission reserves the right to reduce the amount of the grant allocated for the information measure concerned or to refuse to pay it at all if the beneficiary organisation does not comply with that obligation.

7. PROTECTION OF PERSONAL DATA

The European Commission shall ensure that any personal data contained in the application are processed as required by Regulation (EC) No 45/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2000 on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data by the Community institutions and bodies and on the free movement of such data (6). This applies in particular to the confidentiality and security of such data.

(1) OJ L 100, 20.4.2000, p. 7.

(2) OJ L 337, 13.12.2002, p. 21.

(3) OJ L 320, 21.10.2004, p. 14.

(4) For this type of measure, the grant agreement shall expressly accord the Commission reproduction and distribution rights for non-commercial purposes, for products or programmes described in the measure or extracts thereof, on any media, for an unlimited period of time and without territorial restrictions.

(5) See footnote 4.

(6) OJ L 8, 12.1.2001, p. 1.

ANNEX I

ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS TO BE ATTACHED TO THE GRANT APPLICATION

To be complete, applications must include (in addition to the letter of application, the application forms and the budget presentation form, which may be downloaded from the Internet address given in point 4.1 of this call for proposals) all the additional documents listed below. Applicants shall ensure that the documents accompanying the application are placed in the order shown in the following table.

Document	Description	Comments
Document A	Legal entity identification sheet	For all applicants. Form available at the Internet address given in point 4.1 of this call for proposals.
Document B	Financial identification sheet	For all applicants. Form available at the Internet address given in point 4.1 of this call for proposals.
Document C	Instrument constituting the association (articles of association)	For all applicants that are not bodies governed by public law.
Document D	Recent extract from the official register provided for by the legislation of the Member State of establishment (such as the official gazette or company register), clearly showing the applicant's name, address and date of registration.	For all applicants.
Document E	If the applicant is subject to VAT, copy of the registration document. If the applicant is not entitled to recover VAT, official document confirming this fact.	For all applicants. If the applicant is not entitled to recover VAT, enclose either a certificate from the VAT authority or from any other external person responsible for establishing or auditing the accounts (independent accountant, auditor, etc.) or, initially, a self-certificate. However, no grant agreement shall be signed until an external certificate has been provided.
Document F	Balance sheets and profit and loss accounts for the last two financial years for which the accounts have been closed, or any other document (such as a bank certificate) proving applicants’ financial situation and capacity to maintain their activity throughout the period during which the information measure is being carried out.	For all applicants that are not bodies governed by public law.
Document G	Curriculum vitae of the persons who will carry out the preparation, implementation, follow-up and evaluation of the proposed information measure.	For all applicants and co-organisers.
Document H	Proof of the financial contributions of the other fund providers (even if the provider of funds is also a co-organiser) to the information measure proposed (such proof shall consist at least of an official financing certificate from each of the expected providers mentioning the title of the information measure and the amount to be contributed).	If applicable.
Document I	Where the applicant intends to use suppliers/subcontractors and the amount of all services to be rendered by one supplier/subcontractor exceeds EUR 10 000, the applicant shall present at least three tenders from three different companies and attach the tender chosen as well as a clear description of the tasks concerned. Applicants shall show that the supplier/subcontractor selected represents the best value for money and justify that choice where the tender selected is not the cheapest.	If not already available at the time of application, this information shall be provided by the time of submission of the final technical and financial implementation reports after the closure of the information measure. Failure to do so shall render the costs concerned ineligible.

ANNEX II

ELIGIBILITY AND EXCLUSION CRITERIA

1. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

(a) Eligibility criteria concerning the applicant:

—

the applicant shall be a legal person legally constituted in a Member State for at least two years. This shall be clearly shown in the application and supporting documents. Applicants that have not been legally constituted in a Member State for at least two years, or fail to prove it, shall be rejected.

(b) Eligibility criteria concerning the application:

Applications under this call for proposals must meet all the following criteria:

—	they must be submitted no later than 31 October 2009 (the postmark on the envelope serving as proof of the date of posting),

—	they must be drawn up using the relevant forms provided for the application and budget, which may be downloaded from the Internet address given in point 4.1,

—	they must be drawn up in one of the official languages of the Community,

—	they must be accompanied by all the documents listed in point 4.1 of this call for proposals,

—	they must comprise a letter of application giving the title of the information measure and the amount of grant requested and be signed by the legally authorised person within the applicant organisation,

—	applicants are authorised to submit only one application per budget year,

—

the amount of grant requested from the Commission (including the flat-rate amount for staff costs) must be between EUR 20 000 and EUR 200 000 and the percentage of part-financing requested (in addition to the flat-rate amount for staff costs) must not exceed 50 % (or 75 % for measures of exceptional interest — see point 3),

—

the budget of the proposed information measures must:

—	be presented in euro,

—	contain an expenditure table and an income table in balance,

—	be dated and signed in both the expenditure and income parts by the legally authorised person within the applicant organisation,

—	be drawn up using detailed calculations (quantities, unit prices, total prices) and the relevant specifications; no flat-rate amounts (except for staff costs) will be accepted,

—	respect the maximum amounts established by the Commission for certain categories of expenditure (see Annex IV and the document entitled ‘maximum accommodation costs (hotel) accepted by the Commission’ which is available at the Internet address given in point 4.1),

—	be presented exclusive of VAT if the applicant is subject to and entitled to deduct VAT,

—	enter on the income part the direct contribution from the applicant, the requested Commission funding, and (if applicable) details of any contributions from other fund providers, as well as any revenue generated by the project, including, where appropriate, the fees required of participants,

—	the proposed information measure must be carried out between 1 May 2010 and 30 April 2011,

—

the following are not eligible:

—	measures required by law,

—	measures receiving Community financing under another budget line,

—	profit-making measures,

—	general or statutory meetings.

Any application which fails to fulfil one or more of the above criteria shall be ineligible and shall be rejected.

2. EXCLUSION CRITERIA

The Commission shall exclude any applicant who is in one of the situations described in Article 5 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 2208/2002 and in Articles 93(1), 94 and 96(2a) of Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002 (Financial Regulation of 25 June 2002 applicable to the general budget of the European Communities). Grants may not be awarded to applicants who are, at the time of a grant procedure, in one of the following situations: applicants who:

—

are bankrupt or being wound up, are having their affairs administered by the courts, have entered into an arrangement with creditors, have suspended business activities, are the subject of proceedings concerning those matters, or are in any analogous situation arising from a similar procedure provided for in national legislation or regulations,

—	have been convicted of an offence concerning their professional conduct by a judgment which has the force of res judicata,

—	have been guilty of grave professional misconduct proven by any means which the contracting authority can justify,

—

have not fulfilled obligations relating to payment of social security contributions or the payment of taxes in accordance with the legal provisions of the country in which they are established or with those of the country of the contracting authority or those of the country where the measure is to be performed,

—	have been the subject of a judgment which has the force of res judicata for fraud, corruption, involvement in a criminal organisation or any other illegal activity detrimental to the Communities’ financial interests,

—	following another procurement procedure or grant award procedure financed by the Community budget, they have been declared to be in serious breach of contract for failure to comply with their contractual obligations,

—	are in a situation of conflict of interest,

—	are guilty of misrepresentation in supplying the information required by the authorising department or of failing to supply this information.

Applicants must declare on honour that they are not in one of the above situations (see the letter of application available at the Internet address mentioned in point 4.1 of this call for proposals). The Commission may, depending on the analysis of management risks, request additional evidence. Applicants who are found guilty of false declarations may be subject to administrative and financial penalties.

ANNEX III

SELECTION AND AWARD CRITERIA

1. SELECTION CRITERIA

In order to prove their technical capacity applicants shall demonstrate that:

—	they have the necessary technical skills of direct relevance to the preparation, implementation, follow-up and evaluation of the type of information measure proposed,

—	they have at least two years’ experience in dealing with the subject(s) proposed.

In order to prove their financial capacity applicants shall demonstrate that:

—	their financial situation is sufficiently sound to maintain their activity throughout the period during which the information measure is being carried out.

The technical and financial capacity of the applicants shall be assessed on the basis of the information provided in their application file. The Commission may, however, request additional information. Applicants are reminded that the Commission will provide no prefinancing for information measures benefiting from a grant under this call for proposals. Applicants shall assume the entire cost of the information measures themselves. The Commission grant shall be paid only after approval of the final technical and financial implementation report submitted by the beneficiaries at the end of the information measure.

2. AWARD CRITERIA

Each information measure shall be evaluated by the ad hoc committee in the light of the following criteria:

(maximum 25 points): the relevance and general interest of the measure shall be assessed, particularly in the light of:

—	the extent to which the goals and the content of the measure meet the objectives laid down in Article 1 of Regulation (EC) No 814/2000 and the priorities and objectives set out in the call for proposals (15 points),

—

the overall quality of the proposal. The conceptual approach and the results to be achieved must be clearly defined in the project proposals. The description of the measure and the messages must be precise and the roles and responsibilities of the applicant and of each co-organiser must be clear. The programme for the measure must be detailed and the work schedule must be realistic and in keeping with the project goals (10 points);

(maximum 25 points): the overall added value of the proposal shall be assessed, particularly in the light of:

—	the countries covered by the measure. Preference shall be given to measures targeting audiences in more than one Member State and/or addressing the general public in the 12 new Member States (10 points),

—	the number and representativeness of the organisations — excluding subcontractors — involved in drawing up, implementing and disseminating the measure (5 points),

—	the financial quality of the proposal. Proposals must show that the measure will offer good value for the financial support requested from the Commission and that it will be cost-effective (10 points);

(maximum 25 points): the impact of the measure and the dissemination policy adopted shall be assessed, particularly in the light of:

—	the dimension, status and representativeness of the target audience (including indirect beneficiaries) in relation to the type of measure (10 points),

—	the capacity of the applicant and co-organisers to ensure effective follow-up and disseminate the results achieved, and of the dissemination channels used (in particular the press, radio and television, Internet, direct distribution) and their role in the measure (15 points);

(maximum 25 points): the evaluation of the measure shall be assessed particularly in the light of:

—	the justification for the expected impact of the measure and of an analysis of the results after the execution of the measure (15 points),

—	the techniques used (surveys, questionnaires, statistics, etc.) to measure the impact of the messages transmitted (10 points).

Any measure which has obtained at least 60 of the 100 points provided for criteria 1 to 4 and at least 50 % of the points available for each shall be deemed to be of the best quality by the Evaluation Committee and shall be proposed for a grant. The Commission may raise this minimum acceptable mark on the basis of the budget resources available. Please note that the Commission's final decision regarding the award of a grant may differ from the Evaluation Committee's proposal.

ANNEX IV

DRAWING UP THE BUDGET

The budget must comply with all the relevant rules laid down in Annex II (Eligibility and Exclusion Criteria). It must be submitted on the original forms (tables of expenditure and income).

The expenditure table must be specific and permit a clear understanding of each item of expenditure (e.g. no ‘sundries’). The different categories of costs must be reflected in the description of the information measure (Form 3).

The income table must be specific and permit a clear understanding of each item of income/financial contribution and comply with the non-profit rule. Proof of contributions from other fund providers must be attached (see Document H of Annex I).

In order to facilitate the drawing up of the budget, an example of a correctly completed budget is available at the Internet address given in point 4.1.

The budget expenditure table must include only eligible costs (see below).

Any expenditure pre-dating the signature of the agreement shall be incurred at the applicant's own risk and shall not be legally or financially binding on the Commission.

1. Eligible costs

Eligible costs for the information measure shall be the costs actually incurred by the beneficiary which meet the following criteria:

(a)	they are related to the subject of the agreement and are set out in the overall budget provided for the information measure;

(b)	they are necessary for the implementation of the information measure which is the subject of the grant;

(c)	they are borne and paid by the beneficiary during the period of the information measure as specified in Article I.2.2 of the grant agreement, i.e. backed by the original supporting documents (see table in point 3 below) and by the respective documents proving payment;

(d)	they are identifiable and verifiable, particularly by being entered in the accounting records of the beneficiary and determined according to the accounting standards of the country where the beneficiary is established and according to the usual cost-accounting practices of the beneficiary;

(e)	they are reasonable and justified, and comply with the requirements of sound financial management, particularly as regards economy and efficiency;

(f)	they comply with the requirements of the tax and social legislation in force;

SUPPLIERS/SUBCONTRACTORS for services exceeding EUR 10 000

It should be noted that, where applicants intend to use suppliers/subcontractors and the amount of all the services to be rendered by one supplier/subcontractor exceeds EUR 10 000, they must submit to the Commission at least three tenders from three different companies, attach the tender selected, show that the supplier/subcontractor selected represents the best value for money and justify their choice if the tender selected is not the cheapest.

These documents must be submitted as soon as possible to the Commission and, at the latest, along with the final technical and financial reports.

Failure to do this shall entitle the Commission to consider those costs ineligible.

2. Ineligible costs

The following costs shall not be considered eligible:

—	contributions in kind,

—	unspecified or flat-rate expenditure apart from staff costs,

—	indirect costs (rent, electricity, water, gas, insurance, taxes, etc.),

—	cost of office supplies (paper, stationery, etc.),

—	costs connected with the purchase of new or second-hand equipment,

—	costs relating to the depreciation of equipment,

—	costs not provided for in the projected budget,

—	VAT, unless beneficiaries prove that they cannot recover it under the relevant national legislation,

—	return on capital,

—	debt and debt-service charges,

—	provision for any future losses or debts,

—	debit interest,

—	doubtful debts,

—	exchange losses,

—	costs declared by the beneficiary and covered by another measure or work programme receiving a Community grant,

—	excessive or reckless expenditure.

3. Specific provisions relating to eligible costs and the requisite supporting documents

Category of expenditure

Eligible

Supporting document required (NB: Where more than one document is listed, all must be provided)

Staff costs

Employees

A maximum flat-rate amount of EUR 10 000 shall be paid, including staff costs for preparation, implementation, follow-up and evaluation.

NB: If the final costs deemed eligible (excluding the flat-rate amount for staff costs) are below EUR 15 000, the flat-rate amount paid to cover those staff costs shall not exceed EUR 5 000.

No supporting documents are required in order to obtain the flat-rate amount.

However, for analysis purposes, beneficiaries are requested to attach a document indicating the staff costs actually incurred in connection with the information measure.

2.	Self-employed persons

—	Invoice indicating at least the title of the information measure, the nature of the work carried out and the dates when the work was carried out.

—	Proof of payment.

Transport costs (1)

Rail

Cost of second-class travel by the shortest route (2).

—

Ticket.

—	Proof of payment.

Air

Booking fees and the cost of air travel in economy class, using the lowest promotional fare available on the market (APEX, PEX, Excursion, etc.).

—	Electronic reservation (including the price).

—	Used boarding pass. The boarding pass must state the name, date, place of origin and destination.

—	Where applicable, the travel agency invoice.

—	Proof of payment.

Coach

Intercity travel by the shortest route.

—	Invoice indicating at least the place of departure and arrival, the number of passengers and the dates of travel.

—	Proof of payment.

Ferry

—

Ticket.

—	Proof of payment.

Accommodation

1.	During preparation of the information measure

Hotel accommodation up to a maximum amount per night determined by country. The relevant maximum amount can be found at the Internet address given in point 4.1 of this call for proposals (‘Maximum accommodation costs (hotel) accepted by the Commission’).

—	Detailed invoice of the hotel stating the name of the persons, the dates and the number of nights. If the invoice relates to a group, the same information must be provided.

—	Description by the grant beneficiary of the purpose of the accommodation, the link with the co-financed information measure and the role of the persons concerned in the measure.

—	Where appropriate, record of the meeting.

—	Proof of payment.

2.	During implementation of the information measure

—	Detailed invoice of the hotel stating the name of the persons, the dates and the number of nights. If the invoice relates to a group, the same information must be provided.

—	Attendance list signed by the participants as requested for the technical report (see Article I.5.2.2 of the grant agreement).

—	Proof of payment.

Meals

Only during the implementation of the information measure up to a maximum amount (excluding VAT) of:

—	EUR 5 per person for coffee break,

—	EUR 25 per person for lunch,

—	EUR 40 per person for dinner.

—	Overall invoice (3) (from catering company, hotel, conference centre, etc.) indicating at least the title of the information measure, the date, the number of persons, the type of services provided (coffee breaks, lunches and/or dinners), the unit prices and the total price.

—	Attendance list signed by the participants as requested for the technical report (see Article I.5.2.2 of the grant agreement).

—	Proof of payment.

Interpretation

1.	Employees: the salary costs are included in the maximum flat-rate amount provided for under ‘staff costs’.

No document required.

2.	Self-employed persons: up to an amount of EUR 600 per day (excluding VAT).

—	Invoice indicating at least the title of the information measure, the source and target languages covered by the interpreting services, the dates when the services were provided and the number of hours worked.

—	Proof of payment.

Translation

1.	Employees: the salary costs are included in the maximum flat-rate amount provided for under ‘staff costs’.

No document required.

2.	Self-employed persons: up to a maximum amount of EUR 45 per page (excluding VAT).

NB: One page is equal to 1 800 characters without spacing.

—	Invoice indicating at least the title of the information measure, the source and target languages covered by the translation services and the number of pages translated.

—	Proof of payment.

Consultants’ and speakers’ fees

Up to a maximum of EUR 600 per day (excluding VAT).

The fees of experts or speakers are not eligible where the persons concerned are national, Community or international civil servants or members or employees of the organisation receiving the grant or an associated or affiliated organisation.

Accommodation and transport costs: please refer to these categories of expenditure.

—	Invoice indicating at least the title of the information measure, the nature of the work performed and the dates of performance.

—	Final conference programme including the name and position of the speaker.

—	Proof of payment.

Hire of conference rooms and equipment

NB: hire of simultaneous interpreting booths is limited to a maximum of EUR 750/day (excluding VAT).

Invoice indicating at least the title of the information measure, the nature of the equipment and the dates of hire of the conference rooms and equipment.

—	Proof of payment.

Mailing costs

Postal or courier services used for sending documents relating to the information measure (such as invitations, etc.)

Detailed invoice indicating at least the title of the documents sent and the number involved or a receipt from the post office together with details supplied by the beneficiary.

—	Proof of payment.

(1) Only public transport costs (rail, air, ship) shall be financed. It should be noted, however, that bus, underground, tram and taxi fares shall not be eligible.

(2) Where a class other than economy is used, expenses shall be deemed to be eligible up to the amount of the economy-class fare, provided that a certificate specifying the fare in that class is provided by the transport company.

(3) Individual restaurant bills shall not be accepted.

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