27.4.2016

Official Journal of the European Union

C 148/2

HERCULE III Programme

Call for proposals — 2016

Legal Training and Studies

(2016/C 148/02)

1. Objectives and description

This notice of Call for Proposals is based on Regulation (EU) No 250/2014 establishing the Hercule III Programme (1), in particular Article 8(b) (‘Eligible Actions’), as well as the Financing Decision 2016 adopting the annual work programme (2) for the implementation of the Hercule III Programme in 2016, in particular Section 7.2.1 (Legal Training and Studies).

The Financing Decision 2016 provides for the organisation of a Call for Proposals ‘Legal Training and Studies’.

2. Eligible applicants

As defined in Article 6 of the Programme, applicants must be:

—	national or regional administrations of a Member State and a participating country which promote the strengthening of action at Union level to protect the financial interests of the Union, or

—

research and educational institutes and non-profit-making entities provided that they have been established and have been operating for at least one year, in a Member State or a participating country, and promote the strengthening of action at Union level to protect the financial interests of the Union.

Article 7(2) of the Programme defines the participating countries other than Member States.

3. Eligible actions

The actions eligible for funding under this Call for Proposals are:

(1)	developing high-profile research activities, including studies in comparative law;

(2)	improving the cooperation between practitioners and academics (through actions such as conferences, seminars and workshops), including the organisation of the annual meeting of the Presidents of the Associations for European Criminal Law and for the Protection of the Union’s Financial Interests;

(3)	raising the awareness of the judiciary and other branches of the legal profession for the protection of the financial interests of the Union, including the publication of scientific knowledge concerning the protection of the financial interests of the Union.

The actions can be achieved through the organisation of: studies in comparative law, conferences, seminars, workshops, periodical publications, etc.

4. Budget

The indicative available budget for this Call is EUR 500 000. The financial contribution will take the form of a grant. The financial contribution awarded will not exceed 80 % of the eligible costs. In exceptional and duly justified cases, the financial contribution may be increased to cover a maximum of 90 % of the eligible costs. The Call lists the criteria that will be applied to determine these exceptional and duly justified cases.

The minimum threshold for a ‘Legal Training and Studies’ action shall be EUR 40 000. The total budget of an action for which a grant is requested shall not be lower than this threshold.

The Commission reserves the right not to allocate all the funds available.

5. Deadline for submission of applications

Applications must be submitted to the Commission no later than: Thursday, 16 June 2016.

6. Further Information

All documents related to this Call for Proposals can be downloaded from the following internet website:

http://ec.europa.eu/anti_fraud/policy/hercule/index_en.htm

Question and/or requests for additional information in relation to this Call have to be sent by email to:

OLAF-FMB-HERCULE-LEGAL@ec.europa.eu

The questions and answers may be anonymously published in the Guidelines for filling in the Application Form on OLAF’s internet website if they are relevant to other applicants.

(1) Regulation (EU) No 250/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 February 2014 establishing a programme to promote activities in the field of the protection of the financial interests of the European Union (Hercule III programme) (OJ L 84, 20.3.2014, p. 6).

(2) Commission Decision concerning the adoption of the annual work programme and the financing of the Hercule III Programme in 2016 C(2016) 868 final of 17 February 2016.