According to Article 10(4) of the Treaty on European Union, the political parties at European level contribute to forming a European awareness and express the political will of the citizens of the Union. Furthermore, Article 224 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union stipulates that the European Parliament and the Council, acting in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure, by means of regulations, shall lay down the regulations governing political parties at European level referred to in Article 10(4) of the Treaty on European Union and in particular the rules regarding their funding.

In this context the Parliament is launching a call for proposals for grants to political parties at European level.

1.   BASIC ACT

Regulation (EC) No 2004/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 4 November 2003 (hereinafter ‘Regulation (EC) No 2004/2003’) laying down the regulations governing political parties at European level and the rules regarding their funding (1).

Decision of the Bureau of the European Parliament of 29 March 2004 laying down the procedures for implementing Regulation (EC) No 2004/2003 (hereinafter ‘Bureau Decision’) (2).

Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002 of the Council of 25 June 2002 on the Financial Regulation applicable to the General Budget of the European Communities (hereinafter ‘Financial Regulation’) (3).

Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 2342/2002 of the Commission of 23 December 2002 laying down detailed rules for the implementation of Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002 on the Financial Regulation applicable to the General Budget of the European Communities (hereinafter ‘Implementing Rules for the Financial Regulation’) (4).

2.   OBJECTIVE

Under Article 2 of the Bureau Decision ‘The European Parliament shall publish each year, before the end of the first half of the year, a call for proposals with a view to the awarding of grants to fund parties and foundations. The published document shall set out the eligibility criteria, the arrangements for the provision of Community funding and the proposed timetable for the award procedure.’

This call for proposals relates to grant applications for the financial year 2012 covering the period of activity from 1 January 2012 to 31 December 2012. The grant's objective is to support the beneficiary's annual work programme.

3.   ADMISSIBILITY

Applications will not be admissible unless they are submitted in writing on the grant application form as in Annex 1 to the above Bureau Decision and are forwarded to the President of the European Parliament by the closing date.

4.   CRITERIA AND SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS

4.1.   Eligibility criteria

In order to be eligible for a grant, a political party at European level must satisfy the conditions laid down in Article 3(1) of Regulation (EC) No 2004/2003, i.e.:

(a)	it must have legal personality in the Member State in which its seat is located;

(b)

it must be represented, in at least one quarter of Member States, by Members of the European Parliament or in the national Parliaments or regional Parliaments or in the regional assemblies, or it must have received, in at least one quarter of the Member States, at least three per cent of the votes cast in each of those Member States at the most recent European Parliament elections;

(c)	it must observe, in particular in its programme and in its activities, the principles on which the European Union is founded, namely the principles of liberty, democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and the rule of law;

(d)	it must have participated in elections to the European Parliament, or have expressed the intention to do so.

4.2.   Exclusion criteria

Applicants must also certify that they do not find themselves in any of the circumstances described in Articles 93(1) and 94 of the Financial Regulation.

4.3.   Selection criteria

Applicants must provide evidence that they possess the legal and financial viability required to carry out the work programme set out in the application for funding and that they have the technical capability and management skills needed to carry out successfully the work programme for which they are applying for a grant.

4.4.   Award criteria

In accordance with Article 10 of Regulation (EC) No 2004/2003, the available appropriations for the financial year 2012 will be distributed as follows among the political parties at European level which have obtained a positive decision on their application for funding on the basis of the eligibility, exclusion and selection criteria:

(a)	15 % will be distributed in equal shares;

(b)	85 % will be distributed among those which have elected members in the European Parliament, in proportion to the number of elected members.

4.5.   Supporting documents

For the purpose of assessing the above criteria, applicants must provide the following supporting documents:

(a)	original covering letter indicating the grant amount requested;

(b)	application form in Annex 1 to the Bureau Decision duly completed and signed (including the written solemn declaration);

(c)	statutes of the political party;

(d)	official certificate of registration;

(e)	recent proof of existence of the political party;

(f)	list of the directors/members of the Management Board (names and forenames, titles or functions within the applicant party);

(g)	documents certifying that the applicant meets the conditions laid down in Article 3(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 2004/2003 (5);

(h)	documents certifying that the applicant meets the conditions laid down in Article 3(1)(d) of Regulation (EC) No 2004/2003;

(i)	programme of the political party;

(j)	comprehensive financial statement for 2010 certified by an external auditing body (6);

(k)	provisional operating budget for the period concerned (1 January 2012 to 31 December 2012) indicating expenditure eligible for funding from the Union's budget.

As regards points (c), (d), (f), (h) and (i), the applicant may submit a declaration of honour that the information provided at the previous stage remains valid.

5.   FINANCING FROM THE EU BUDGET

The appropriations for the financial year 2012 in Article 402 of the EU budget ‘Contributions to European political parties’ are estimated at a total of EUR 18 900 000. They are subject to approval by the budgetary authority.

The maximum amount paid to the beneficiary by the European Parliament may not exceed 85 % of the eligible operating costs of political parties at European level. The burden of proof shall lie with the political party concerned.

The financing shall take the form of an operating grant as provided for by the Financial Regulation and Implementing Rules for the Financial Regulation. The arrangements for paying the grant and the obligations governing its use will be set out in a grant award decision, a specimen of which appears in Annex 2a to the Bureau Decision.

6.   PROCEDURE AND CLOSING DATE FOR SUBMITTING PROPOSALS

6.1.   Closing date and submission of applications

The closing date for forwarding the applications is 30 September 2011. Applications forwarded after that date will not be considered.

Applications must:

(a)	be made on the grant application form (Annex 1 to the Bureau Decision);

(b)	be signed, without fail, by the applicant or his duly authorised representative;

(c)

be submitted under double cover; the two envelopes must be sealed: in addition to the address of the recipient department as given in the call for proposals, the inner envelope must bear the following: ‘CALL FOR PROPOSALS — 2012 GRANTS TO POLITICAL PARTIES AT EUROPEAN LEVEL NOT TO BE OPENED BY THE MAIL SERVICE OR BY ANY OTHER UNAUTHORISED PERSON’ If self-adhesive envelopes are used, they must be sealed with adhesive tape and the sender must sign across this tape. The signature of the sender shall be deemed to comprise not only his handwritten signature, but also his organisation's stamp. The outer envelope must show the sender's address and be addressed to: European Parliament Mail Service KAD 00D008 2929 Luxembourg LUXEMBOURG The inner envelope must be addressed to: President of the European Parliament via Mr Vanhaeren, Director-General of Finance SCH 05B031 2929 Luxembourg LUXEMBOURG

(d)	be forwarded at the latest on the closing date laid down in the call for proposals either by registered mail, as evidenced by the postmark or by courier service as evidenced by the date of the deposit slip,

6.2.   Indicative procedure and timetable

The following procedure and timetable will apply to the awarding of grants to political parties at European level:

(a)	forwarding of the application to the European Parliament (no later than 30 September 2011);

(b)	consideration and selection by the European Parliament's departments: only the applications deemed admissible will be examined on the basis of the eligibility, exclusion and selection criteria set out in the call for proposals;

(c)	adoption of the grant award decision by the Bureau of the European Parliament (in principle no later than 1 January 2012 as stipulated in the Article 4 of the Bureau Decision) and notification of applicants;

(d)	payment of an advance of 80 % (within 15 days following the grant award decision).

6.3.   Further information

The following texts are available on the European Parliament's Internet site at the following address: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/tenders/invitations.htm

(a)	Regulation (EC) No 2004/2003;

(b)	Bureau Decision;

(c)	Grant application form (Annex 1 to Bureau Decision).

Any questions relating to this call for proposals with a view to the awarding of grants should be sent by e-mail, quoting the publication reference, to the following address: fin.part.fond.pol@europarl.europa.eu

6.4.   Processing of personal data

In accordance with Regulation (EC) No 45/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council (7), for the purposes of safeguarding the financial interests of the Communities, the personal data of potential beneficiaries may be transferred to internal audit services, to the European Court of Auditors, to the Financial Irregularities Panel or to the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF).

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(1)   OJ L 297, 15.11.2003, p. 1.

(2)   OJ C 155, 12.6.2004, p. 1.

(3)   OJ L 248, 16.9.2002, p. 1.

(4)   OJ L 357, 31.12.2002, p. 1.

(5)  Including the lists of elected persons referred to in Articles 3(b), first subparagraph, and 10(1)(b).

(6)  Unless the political party at European level was established during the current year.

(7)   OJ L 8, 12.1.2001, p. 1.