1.   This Regulation establishes the European Cybersecurity Industrial, Technology and Research Competence Centre (the ‘Competence Centre’) and the Network of National Coordination Centres (the ‘Network’). It lays down rules for the nomination of national coordination centres as well as rules for the establishment of the Cybersecurity Competence Community (the ‘Community’).

2.   The Competence Centre shall have an essential role in the implementation of the cybersecurity part of the Digital Europe Programme, in particular with regard to actions related to Article 6 of Regulation (EU) 2021/694, and shall contribute to the implementation of Horizon Europe, in particular with regard to Section 3.1.3 of Pillar II of Annex I to Council Decision (EU) 2021/764 (12).

3.   Member States shall collectively contribute to the work of the Competence Centre and the Network.

4.   This Regulation is without prejudice to the competences of the Member States regarding public security, defence, national security and the activities of the state in areas of criminal law.

1.   The mission of the Competence Centre and the Network is to help the Union to:

2.   The Competence Centre and the Network shall undertake their tasks in collaboration with ENISA and the Community, as appropriate.

3.   The Competence Centre shall, in accordance with the legislative acts establishing the relevant programmes, in particular Horizon Europe and the Digital Europe Programme, use relevant Union financial resources in such a way as to contribute to the mission set out in paragraph 1.

1.   The Competence Centre shall have the overall objective of promoting research, innovation and deployment in the area of cybersecurity in order to fulfil the mission as set out in Article 3.

2.   The Competence Centre shall have the following specific objectives:

3.   The Competence Centre shall implement the specific objectives referred to in paragraph 2 by:

1.   In order to fulfil its mission and objectives, the Competence Centre shall have the following tasks:

2.   The strategic tasks referred to in point (a) of paragraph 1 shall consist of:

3.   The implementation tasks referred to in point (b) of paragraph 1 shall consist of:

4.   The Competence Centre shall carry out the tasks set out in paragraph 1 in close cooperation with the Network.

5.   In accordance with Article 6 of Regulation (EU) 2021/695 and subject to a contribution agreement as defined in point (18) of Article 2 of the Financial Regulation, the Competence Centre may be entrusted with the implementation of the cybersecurity parts under Horizon Europe that are not co-funded by the Member States, in particular with regard to Section 3.1.3 of Pillar II of Annex I to Decision (EU) 2021/764.

1.   By 29 December 2021, each Member State shall nominate one entity which fulfils the criteria laid down in paragraph 5 to act as its national coordination centre for the purposes of this Regulation. Each Member State shall notify that entity to the Governing Board without delay. Such entity may be an entity already established in that Member State.

The deadline set out in the first subparagraph of this paragraph shall be extended for the period during which the Commission is to issue the opinion referred to in paragraph 2.

2.   At any time, a Member State may ask the Commission for an opinion concerning whether the entity that the Member State has nominated or intends to nominate to act as its national coordination centre has the necessary capacity to manage funds to fulfil the mission and objectives laid down in this Regulation. The Commission shall issue its opinion to that Member State within three months of the Member State’s request.

3.   On the basis of the notification by a Member State of an entity as referred to in paragraph 1, the Governing Board shall list that entity as a national coordination centre no later than three months after the notification. The Competence Centre shall publish the list of nominated national coordination centres.

4.   A Member State may at any time nominate a new entity to act as its national coordination centre for the purposes of this Regulation. Paragraphs 1, 2 and 3 shall apply to the nomination of any new entity.

5.   The national coordination centre shall be a public sector entity or an entity, a majority of which is owned by the Member State, which performs public administrative functions under national law, including by means of delegation, and having the capacity to support the Competence Centre and the Network in fulfilling their mission as set out in Article 3 of this Regulation. It shall either possess or have access to research and technological expertise in cybersecurity. It shall have the capacity to engage effectively and coordinate with industry, the public sector, the academic and research community and citizens, as well as with authorities designated pursuant to Directive (EU) 2016/1148.

6.   At any time, a national coordination centre may request to be recognised as having the necessary capacity to manage funds to fulfil the mission and objectives laid down in this Regulation, in accordance with Regulations (EU) 2021/695 and (EU) 2021/694. Within three months of such a request, the Commission shall assess whether that national coordination centre has such capacity and shall issue a decision.

Where the Commission has provided a positive opinion to a Member State in accordance with the procedure laid down in paragraph 2, that opinion shall be deemed to be a decision recognising the relevant entity as having the necessary capacity for the purposes of this paragraph.

No later than 29 August 2021, after consulting the Governing Board, the Commission shall issue guidelines on the assessment referred to in the first subparagraph, including a specification of the conditions for recognition and how opinions and assessments are conducted.

Before issuing the opinion referred to in paragraph 2 and the decision referred to in the first subparagraph of this paragraph, the Commission shall take into account any information and documentation provided by the requesting national coordination centre.

Any decision not to recognise a national coordination centre as having the necessary capacity to manage funds to fulfil the mission and objectives laid down in this Regulation shall be duly reasoned, setting out the requirements the requesting national coordination centre has not yet fulfilled that justify the decision to withhold recognition. Any national coordination centre whose request for recognition has been rejected may resubmit its request with additional information at any time.

Member States shall inform the Commission in the event of changes to the national coordination centre, such as the composition of the national coordination centre, the legal form of the national coordination centre or other relevant aspects, that affect its capacity to manage funds to fulfil the mission and objectives laid down in this Regulation. On receiving such information the Commission may review a decision to grant or withhold recognition of the national coordination centre as having the necessary capacity to manage funds accordingly.

7.   The Network shall be composed of all the national coordination centres that have been notified to the Governing Board by the Member States.

1.   The national coordination centres shall have the following tasks:

2.   For the purposes of point (f) of paragraph 1 of this Article, the financial support to third parties may be provided in any of the forms of Union contribution specified in Article 125 of the Financial Regulation, including in the form of lump sums.

3.   On the basis of a decision as referred to in Article 6(6) of this Regulation, national coordination centres may receive a grant from the Union in accordance with point (d) of the first paragraph of Article 195 of the Financial Regulation in relation to carrying out the tasks laid down in this Article.

4.   National coordination centres shall, where relevant, cooperate through the Network.

1.   The Community shall contribute to the mission of the Competence Centre and the Network set out in Article 3 and shall enhance, share and disseminate cybersecurity expertise across the Union.

2.   The Community shall consist of industry, including SMEs, academic and research organisations, other relevant civil society associations as well as, as appropriate, relevant European Standardisation Organisations, public entities and other entities dealing with cybersecurity operational and technical matters and, where relevant, stakeholders in sectors that have an interest in cybersecurity and that face cybersecurity challenges. The Community shall bring together the main stakeholders with regard to cybersecurity technological, industrial, academic and research capacities in the Union. It shall involve national coordination centres, European Digital Innovation Hubs, where relevant, as well as Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies with relevant expertise, such as ENISA.

3.   Only entities which are established within the Member States shall be registered as members of the Community. They shall demonstrate that they are able to contribute to the mission and shall have cybersecurity expertise with regard to at least one of the following domains:

4.   The Competence Centre shall register entities, at their request, as members of the Community after an assessment made by the national coordination centre of the Member State in which those entities are established to confirm that those entities meet the criteria set out in paragraph 3 of this Article. That assessment shall also take into account any relevant national assessment on security grounds made by the national competent authorities. Such registrations shall not be limited in time but may be revoked by the Competence Centre at any time if the relevant national coordination centre considers that the entity concerned no longer fulfils the criteria set out in paragraph 3 of this Article or falls under Article 136 of the Financial Regulation, or on justified security grounds. Where membership in the Community is revoked on security grounds, the decision to revoke shall be proportional and reasoned. The national coordination centres shall aim to achieve a balanced representation of stakeholders in the Community and actively stimulate participation, in particular of SMEs.

5.   National coordination centres shall be encouraged to cooperate through the Network in order to harmonise the way in which they apply the criteria set out in paragraph 3 and the procedures for assessing and registering entities referred to in paragraph 4.

6.   The Competence Centre shall register relevant Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies as members of the Community after carrying out an assessment to confirm that that Union institution, body, office or agency meets the criteria set out in paragraph 3 of this Article. Such registrations shall not be limited in time but may be revoked by the Competence Centre at any time if it considers that the Union institution, body, office or agency no longer fulfils the criteria set out in paragraph 3 of this Article or falls under Article 136 of the Financial Regulation.

7.   Representatives of the Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies may participate in the work of the Community.

8.   An entity registered as a member of the Community shall designate its representatives to ensure an efficient dialogue. Those representatives shall have expertise with regard to cybersecurity research, technology or industry. The requirements may be further specified by the Governing Board, without unduly limiting the entities in the designation of their representatives.

9.   The Community, through its working groups and in particular through the Strategic Advisory Group, shall provide the Executive Director and the Governing Board with strategic advice on the Agenda, the annual work programme and the multiannual work programme, in accordance with the rules of procedure of the Governing Board.

1.   To ensure consistency and complementarity while avoiding any duplication of effort, the Competence Centre shall cooperate with relevant Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies, including ENISA, the European External Action Service, the Directorate-General Joint Research Centre of the Commission, the European Research Executive Agency, the European Research Council Executive Agency and the European Health and Digital Executive Agency established by Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2021/173 (13), relevant European Digital Innovation Hubs, the European Cybercrime Centre at the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation established by Regulation (EU) 2016/794 of the European Parliament and of the Council (14), the European Defence Agency in relation to the tasks set out in Article 5 of this Regulation and other relevant Union entities. The Competence Centre may also cooperate with international organisations, where relevant.

2.   Cooperation as referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article may take place within the framework of working arrangements. Those arrangements shall be submitted for the approval of the Governing Board. Any sharing of classified information shall take place within the framework of administrative arrangements concluded in accordance with Article 36(3).

1.   The members of the Competence Centre shall be the Union, represented by the Commission, and the Member States.

2.   The structure of the Competence Centre shall ensure the achievement of the objectives set out in Article 4 and the tasks set out in Article 5, and shall comprise:

1.   The Governing Board shall be composed of one representative of each Member State and two representatives of the Commission who act on behalf of the Union.

2.   Each member of the Governing Board shall have an alternate. That alternate shall represent the member in the member’s absence.

3.   Members of the Governing Board appointed by Member States and their alternates shall be public sector staff in their respective Member State and shall be appointed on the basis of their knowledge in the area of cybersecurity research, technology and industry, their ability to ensure the coordination of actions and positions with their respective national coordination centre, or their relevant managerial, administrative and budgetary skills. The Commission shall appoint its members of the Governing Board and their alternates on the basis of their knowledge in the area of cybersecurity, technology, or their relevant managerial, administrative and budgetary skills and of their ability to ensure coordination, synergies and, as far as possible, joint initiatives between different sectoral or horizontal Union policies involving cybersecurity. The Commission and the Member States shall make efforts to limit the turnover of their representatives in the Governing Board, in order to ensure the continuity of the Governing Board’s work. The Commission and the Member States shall aim to achieve a balanced representation between men and women on the Governing Board.

4.   The term of office of members of the Governing Board and of their alternates shall be four years. That term shall be renewable.

5.   The members of the Governing Board shall ensure that the Competence Centre’s mission, objectives, identity and autonomy are safeguarded and that its actions are consistent with that mission and those objectives, in an independent and transparent way.

6.   The Governing Board may invite observers to take part in its meetings as appropriate, including representatives of relevant Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies, and the members of the Community.

7.   A representative from ENISA shall be a permanent observer in the Governing Board. The Governing Board may invite a representative from the Strategic Advisory Group to attend its meetings.

8.   The Executive Director shall take part in the meetings of the Governing Board but shall have no right to vote.

1.   The Governing Board shall have the overall responsibility for the strategic orientation and the operations of the Competence Centre, shall supervise the implementation of its activities and shall be responsible for any task that is not specifically allocated to the Executive Director.

2.   The Governing Board shall adopt its rules of procedure. Those rules of procedure shall include specific procedures for identifying and avoiding conflicts of interest and shall ensure the confidentiality of any sensitive information.

3.   The Governing Board shall take necessary strategic decisions, in particular with regard to:

Insofar the annual work programme contains joint actions, it shall contain information about Member States’ voluntary contributions to joint actions. Where appropriate, proposals, in particular the proposal for the annual work programme, shall assess the need to apply security rules as set out in Article 33 of this Regulation, including the security self-assessment procedure in accordance with Article 20 of Regulation (EU) 2021/695.

4.   Regarding the decisions set out in points (a), (b) and (c) of paragraph 3, the Executive Director and the Governing Board shall take into account any relevant strategic advice and input provided by ENISA, in accordance with the rules of procedure of the Governing Board.

5.   The Governing Board shall be responsible for ensuring that the recommendations contained in the implementation report and the evaluation referred to in Article 38(2) and (4) are adequately followed up.

1.   The Governing Board shall elect a Chairperson and a Deputy Chairperson from among its members, each for a period of three years. The mandate of the Chairperson and the Deputy Chairperson may be extended once by a decision by the Governing Board. If, however, the membership of the Governing Board of the Chairperson or Deputy Chairperson ends at any time during their terms of office, their terms of office shall automatically expire at that time. The Deputy Chairperson shall replace the Chairperson ex officio if the latter is unable to attend to his or her duties. The Chairperson shall take part in the voting.

2.   The Governing Board shall hold ordinary meetings at least three times a year. It may hold extraordinary meetings at the request of the Commission, at the request of one third of all its members, at the request of the Chairperson, or at the request of the Executive Director in the fulfilment of his or her tasks.

3.   The Executive Director shall take part in the deliberations of the Governing Board, unless decided otherwise by the Governing Board, but shall have no right to vote.

4.   The Governing Board may invite other persons to attend its meetings as observers, on a case-by-case basis.

5.   The Chairperson may invite representatives of the Community to take part in the meetings of the Governing Board, but they shall have no right to vote.

6.   The members of the Governing Board and their alternates may be assisted at the meetings by advisers or experts, subject to the rules of procedure of the Governing Board.

7.   The Competence Centre shall provide the secretariat for the Governing Board.

1.   The Governing Board shall use a consensual approach in its discussions. A vote shall be held if the members of the Governing Board fail to achieve consensus.

2.   If the Governing Board fails to achieve consensus on a matter, it shall take its decisions by a majority of at least 75 % of the votes of all its members, the representatives of the Commission constituting a single member for that purpose. An absent member of the Governing Board may delegate his or her vote to his or her alternate or, in the absence of his or her alternate, to another member. No member of the Governing Board shall represent more than one other member.

3.   Decisions of the Governing Board on the joint actions and their management as referred to in points (f) and (g) of Article 13(3) shall be taken as follows:

4.   For decisions which are taken under points (b), (c), (d), (e), (f), (k), (l), (p), (q), (t), (u), (w), (x) and (y) of Article 13(3), the Commission shall have 26 % of the total votes within the Governing Board.

5.   For decisions other than those referred to in point (b) of paragraph 3 and in paragraph 4, each Member State and the Union shall have one vote. The vote of the Union shall be cast jointly by the two representatives of the Commission.

6.   The Chairperson shall take part in the voting.

1.   The Executive Director shall be a person with expertise and a strong reputation in the areas where the Competence Centre operates.

2.   The Executive Director shall be engaged as a temporary agent of the Competence Centre under point (a) of Article 2 of the Conditions of Employment.

3.   The Executive Director shall be appointed by the Governing Board from a list of candidates proposed by the Commission, following an open, transparent and non-discriminatory selection procedure.

4.   For the purpose of concluding the contract of the Executive Director, the Competence Centre shall be represented by the Chairperson of the Governing Board.

5.   The term of office of the Executive Director shall be four years. Before the end of that period, the Commission shall carry out an assessment which takes into account the evaluation of the performance of the Executive Director and the Competence Centre’s future tasks and challenges.

6.   The Governing Board, acting on a proposal from the Commission which takes into account the assessment referred to in paragraph 5, may extend the term of office of the Executive Director once for no more than four years.

7.   An Executive Director whose term of office has been extended shall not participate in another selection procedure for the same post.

8.   The Executive Director shall be removed from office only by a decision of the Governing Board, acting on a proposal from the Commission or from at least 50 % of the Member States.

1.   The Executive Director shall be responsible for operations and for the day-to-day management of the Competence Centre and shall be its legal representative. The Executive Director shall be accountable to the Governing Board and perform his or her duties with complete independence within the powers assigned to him or her. The Executive Director shall be supported by the staff of the Competence Centre.

2.   The Executive Director shall carry out at least the following tasks in an independent manner:

1.   The Strategic Advisory Group shall consist of no more than 20 members. The members shall be appointed by the Governing Board, acting on a proposal from the Executive Director, from among the representatives of the members of the Community other than representatives of Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies. Only representatives of members which are not controlled by a third country or by an entity established in a third-country shall be eligible. The appointment shall be made in accordance with an open, transparent, and non-discriminatory procedure. The Governing Board shall aim for the composition of the Strategic Advisory Group to achieve a balanced representation of the Community between scientific, industrial and civil society entities, demand and supply-side industries, large enterprises and SMEs, as well as balanced representation in terms of geographical provenance and gender. It shall also aim to achieve an intra sectorial balance, having regard to the cohesion of the Union and all of the Member States in the area of cybersecurity research, industry and technology. The Strategic Advisory Group shall be composed so as to enable a comprehensive, ongoing and permanent dialogue between the Community and the Competence Centre.

2.   Members of the Strategic Advisory Group shall have expertise with regard to cybersecurity research, industrial development, offering, implementing, or deploying professional services or products. The requirements for such expertise shall be further specified by the Governing Board.

3.   Procedures concerning the appointment of the members of the Strategic Advisory Group and the operation of the Strategic Advisory Group shall be specified in the rules of procedure of the Governing Board and shall be made public.

4.   The terms of office of members of the Strategic Advisory Group shall be two years. Those terms shall be renewable once.

5.   Representatives of the Commission and of other Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies, in particular ENISA, may be invited by the Strategic Advisory Group to participate in and support its work. The Strategic Advisory Group may invite additional representatives from the Community in the capacity of observer, adviser, or expert, as appropriate on a case-by-case basis, to take into account the dynamic of developments in the area of cybersecurity. Members of the Governing Board may participate as observers in the meetings of the Strategic Advisory Group.

1.   The Strategic Advisory Group shall meet at least three times a year.

2.   The Strategic Advisory Group shall provide advice to the Governing Board on the establishment of working groups within the Community, in accordance with point (n) of Article 13(3) on specific issues relevant to the work of the Competence Centre, whenever those issues directly relate to the tasks and areas of competence set out in Article 20. Where necessary, such working groups shall be subject to the overall coordination of one or more members of the Strategic Advisory Group.

3.   The Strategic Advisory Group shall elect its Chair by a simple majority of its members.

4.   The secretariat of the Strategic Advisory Group shall be provided by the Executive Director and the staff of the Competence Centre, using existing resources, with due regard to the overall workload of the Competence Centre. The resources assigned to the support of the Strategic Advisory Group shall be indicated in the draft annual budget.

5.   The Strategic Advisory Group shall adopt its rules of procedure by a simple majority of its members.

1.   The Competence Centre shall be funded by the Union, while joint actions shall be funded by the Union and by voluntary contributions by the Member States.

2.   The administrative and operational costs of joint actions shall be covered by the Union and by the Member States contributing to the joint actions, in accordance with Regulations (EU) 2021/695 and (EU) 2021/694.

3.   The Union’s contribution to the Competence Centre to cover administrative costs and operational costs shall comprise the following:

4.   The maximum Union contribution shall be paid from the appropriations in the general budget of the Union allocated to Digital Europe Programme, the specific programme implementing Horizon Europe established by Decision (EU) 2021/764 and other programmes and projects falling within the scope of the Competence Centre or the Network.

5.   The Competence Centre shall implement cybersecurity actions of the Digital Europe Programme and Horizon Europe in accordance with point (c)(iv) of the first subparagraph of Article 62(1) of the Financial Regulation.

6.   Contributions from Union programmes other than those referred to in paragraphs 3 and 4 that are part of the Union co-financing to a programme implemented by one of the Member States shall not be accounted for in the calculation of the Union maximum financial contribution referred to in those paragraphs.

7.   Member States shall voluntarily take part in joint actions by means of voluntary financial and/or in-kind contributions. If a Member State takes part in a joint action, the financial contribution by that Member State shall cover administrative costs in proportion to its contribution to that joint action. The administrative costs of joint actions shall be met by financial contributions. The operational costs of joint actions may be met by financial or in-kind contributions, as provided for by Horizon Europe and the Digital Europe Programme. Contributions from each Member State may take the form of support that the Member State provides in a joint action to beneficiaries established in that Member State. In-kind contributions by Member States consist of the eligible costs incurred by national coordination centres and other public entities when participating in projects funded through this Regulation, less any Union contribution to those costs. In the case of projects funded by Horizon Europe, eligible costs shall be calculated in accordance with Article 36 of Regulation (EU) 2021/695. In the case of projects funded by the Digital Europe Programme, eligible costs shall be calculated in accordance with the Financial Regulation.

The envisaged amount of total Member State voluntary contributions to joint actions under Horizon Europe, including financial contributions for administrative costs, shall be determined in order to be taken into account in the strategic planning process of Horizon Europe to be carried out pursuant to Article 6(6) of Regulation (EU) 2021/695, with input from the Governing Board. For actions under the Digital Europe Programme, notwithstanding Article 15 of Regulation (EU) 2021/694, the Member States may make a contribution to the costs of the Competence Centre that are co-financed from the Digital Europe Programme that is lower than the amounts specified in point (a) of paragraph 3 of this Article.

8.   Member States’ national co-funding of actions supported by Union programmes other than Horizon Europe and the Digital Europe Programme shall be considered to be Member States’ national contributions insofar as those contributions are parts of joint actions and are included in the Competence Centre’s work programme.

9.   For the purpose of assessing the contributions referred to in paragraph 3 of this Article and in point (b) of Article 22(2), costs shall be determined in accordance with the usual cost accounting practices of the Member State concerned, the applicable accounting standards of the Member State concerned, and the applicable international accounting standards and international financial reporting standards. Costs shall be certified by an independent external auditor appointed by the Member State concerned. The valuation method may be verified by the Competence Centre if there is any uncertainty arising from the certification.

10.   If any Member State is in default of its commitments concerning its financial or in-kind contributions to joint actions, the Executive Director shall notify the Member State concerned thereof in writing and shall set a reasonable period within which such default is to be remedied. If the situation is not remedied within that period, the Executive Director shall convene a meeting of the Governing Board to decide whether the defaulting participating Member State’s right to vote is to be revoked or whether any other measures are to be taken until that Member State has met its obligations. The defaulting Member State’s right to vote concerning joint actions shall be suspended until the default of its commitments is remedied.

11.   The Commission may terminate, proportionally reduce or suspend the Union’s financial contribution to joint actions if the contributing Member States do not contribute, contribute only partially or contribute late with regard to the contributions referred to in point (b) of paragraph 3. The termination, reduction or suspension of the Union’s financial contribution by the Commission shall be proportionate in amount and time to the Member State’s failure to contribute, partial contribution or late contribution.

12.   The contributing Member States shall report by 31 January of each year to the Governing Board on the value of the contributions referred to in paragraph 7 for joint action with the Union made in each of the previous financial year.

1.   The administrative costs of the Competence Centre shall in principle be covered by means of financial contributions from the Union on an annual basis. Additional financial contributions shall be made by contributing Member States in proportion to their voluntary contributions to joint actions. If part of the contribution for administrative costs is not used, it may be made available to cover the operational costs of the Competence Centre.

2.   The operational costs of the Competence Centre shall be covered by means of:

3.   The resources of the Competence Centre entered into its budget shall be composed of the following contributions:

4.   Any interest yielded by the contributions paid to the Competence Centre by the contributing Member States shall be considered to be the revenue of the Competence Centre.

5.   All resources of the Competence Centre and its activities shall be used to achieve its objectives.

6.   The Competence Centre shall own all assets that are generated by it or are transferred to it for the fulfilment of its objectives. Without prejudice to the applicable rules of the relevant funding programme, the ownership of assets that are generated or acquired in joint actions shall be decided in accordance with point (b) of Article 15(3).

7.   Except when the Competence Centre is wound up, any excess revenue over expenditure shall continue to be owned by the Competence Centre and shall not be paid to the contributing members of the Competence Centre.

8.   The Competence Centre shall cooperate closely with other Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies, with due regard to their respective mandates and without duplicating existing cooperation mechanisms, in order to benefit from synergies with them and, where possible and appropriate, in order to reduce administrative costs.

1.   Each year, the Executive Director shall draw up a draft statement of estimates of the Competence Centre’s revenue and expenditure for the following financial year and shall forward it to the Governing Board, together with the draft establishment plan referred to in point (l) of Article 13(3). Revenue and expenditure shall be in balance. The expenditure of the Competence Centre shall include the staff, administrative, infrastructure and operational expenses. Administrative expenses shall be kept to a minimum, including by means of redeployment of staff or posts.

2.   Each year, the Governing Board shall, on the basis of the draft statement of estimates of revenue and expenditure referred to in paragraph 1, produce a statement of estimates of revenue and expenditure for the Competence Centre for the following financial year.

3.   The Governing Board shall, by 31 January of each year, send the statement of estimates referred to in paragraph 2 of this Article, which shall be part of the draft single programming document referred to in Article 32(1) of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/715, to the Commission.

4.   On the basis of the statement of estimates referred to in paragraph 2 of this Article, the Commission shall enter in the draft budget of the Union the estimates it deems to be necessary for the establishment plan referred to in point (l) of Article 13(3) of this Regulation and the amount of the contribution to be charged to the general budget, which it shall submit to the European Parliament and the Council in accordance with Articles 313 and 314 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU).

5.   The European Parliament and the Council shall authorise the appropriations for the contribution to the Competence Centre.

6.   The European Parliament and the Council shall adopt the establishment plan referred to in point (l) of Article 13(3).

7.   Together with the annual work programme and the multiannual work programme, the Governing Board shall adopt the Competence Centre’s budget. It shall become final following the definitive adoption of the general budget of the Union. Where appropriate, the Governing Board shall adjust the Competence Centre’s budget and the annual work programme in accordance with the general budget of the Union.

1.   The Executive Director shall report annually to the Governing Board on the performance of his or her duties in accordance with the financial rules of the Competence Centre.

2.   Within two months of the end of each financial year, the Executive Director shall submit to the Governing Board for approval an annual activity report on the progress made by the Competence Centre in the previous calendar year, in particular in relation to the annual work programme for that year and the fulfilment of its strategic goals and priorities. That report shall include information on the following matters:

3.   Once approved by the Governing Board, the annual activity report shall be made publicly available.

1.   The Competence Centre shall take appropriate measures to ensure that, when actions financed under this Regulation are implemented, the financial interests of the Union are protected by the application of preventive measures against fraud, corruption and any other illegal activities, by regular and effective checks and, if irregularities are detected, by the recovery of the amounts wrongly paid and, where appropriate, by effective, proportionate and dissuasive administrative penalties.

2.   The Competence Centre shall grant Commission staff and other persons authorised by the Commission, as well as the Court of Auditors, access to the sites and premises of the Competence Centre and to all the information, including information in electronic format that is needed in order to conduct their audits.

3.   OLAF may carry out investigations, including on-the-spot checks and inspections, in accordance with the provisions and procedures laid down in Council Regulation (Euratom, EC) No 2185/96 (17) and Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 883/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council (18) with a view to establishing whether there has been fraud, corruption or any other illegal activity affecting the financial interests of the Union in connection with a grant agreement or a contract funded, directly or indirectly, in accordance with this Regulation.

4.   Without prejudice to paragraphs 1, 2 and 3, contracts and grant agreements resulting from the implementation of this Regulation shall contain provisions expressly empowering the Commission, the Competence Centre, the Court of Auditors and OLAF to conduct such audits and investigations in accordance with their respective competences. Where the implementation of an action is outsourced or sub-delegated, in whole or in part, or where it requires the award of a procurement contract or financial support to a third party, the contract or grant agreement shall include the contractor’s or beneficiary’s obligation to impose on any third party involved explicit acceptance of those powers of the Commission, the Competence Centre, the Court of Auditors and OLAF.

1.   The Staff Regulations and Conditions of Employment and the rules adopted jointly by the institutions of the Union for the purpose of applying the Staff Regulations and Conditions of Employment shall apply to the staff of the Competence Centre.

2.   The Governing Board shall exercise, with respect to the staff of the Competence Centre, the powers conferred by the Staff Regulations on the Appointing Authority and the powers conferred by the Conditions of Employment on the authority empowered to conclude contract (the ‘appointing authority powers’).

3.   The Governing Board shall adopt, in accordance with Article 110 of the Staff Regulations, a decision based on Article 2(1) of the Staff Regulations and on Article 6 of the Conditions of Employment delegating the relevant appointing authority powers to the Executive Director and defining the conditions under which that delegation may be suspended. The Executive Director is authorised to sub-delegate those powers.

4.   Where exceptional circumstances so require, the Governing Board may, through a decision, temporarily suspend the delegation of the appointing authority powers to the Executive Director and any sub-delegation made by the latter. In such a case the Governing Board shall exercise itself the appointing authority powers or delegate them to one of its members or to a member of staff of the Competence Centre other than the Executive Director.

5.   The Governing Board shall adopt implementing rules as regards the Staff Regulations and the Conditions of Employment in accordance with Article 110 of the Staff Regulations.

6.   The staff resources shall be determined in the establishment plan referred to in point (l) of Article 13(3), indicating the number of temporary posts by function group and by grade and the number of contract staff expressed in full-time equivalents, in line with the annual budget of the Competence Centre.

7.   The human resources required by the Competence Centre shall be met in the first instance by redeployment of staff or posts from Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies, and additional human resources through recruitment. The staff of the Competence Centre may consist of temporary staff and contract staff.

8.   All costs related to staff shall be borne by the Competence Centre.

1.   The Competence Centre may make use of seconded national experts or other staff not employed by the Competence Centre.

2.   The Governing Board shall adopt a decision laying down rules on the secondment of national experts to the Competence Centre, in agreement with the Commission.

1.   Article 12 Regulation (EU) 2021/694 shall apply to participation in all actions funded by the Competence Centre.

2.   The following specific security rules shall apply to actions funded by Horizon Europe:

1.   The Competence Centre shall carry out its activities with a high level of transparency.

2.   The Competence Centre shall ensure that the public and any interested parties are given appropriate, objective, reliable and easily accessible information in a timely manner, in particular with regard to the results of its work. It shall also make public the declarations of interest made in accordance with Article 43. Those requirements shall also apply to the national coordination centres, the Community and the Strategic Advisory Group in accordance with relevant law.

3.   The Governing Board, acting on a proposal from the Executive Director, may authorise interested parties to observe the proceedings of some of the Competence Centre’s activities.

4.   The Competence Centre shall lay down in the rules of procedure of the Governing Board of the Competence Centre and of the Strategic Advisory Group the practical arrangements for implementing the transparency rules referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2 of this Article. For actions funded by Horizon Europe, those rules and arrangements shall take account of Regulation (EU) 2021/695.

1.   After approval by the Commission, the Governing Board shall adopt the security rules of the Competence Centre. Those security rules shall apply the security principles and rules laid down in Commission Decisions (EU, Euratom) 2015/443 (19) and (EU, Euratom) 2015/444 (20).

2.   Members of the Governing Board, the Executive Director, external experts participating in ad hoc working groups, and members of the staff of the Competence Centre shall comply with the confidentiality requirements under Article 339 TFEU, even after their duties have ceased.

3.   The Competence Centre may take the necessary measures to facilitate the exchange of information relevant to its tasks with the Commission and the Member States and, where appropriate, the relevant Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies. Any administrative arrangements concluded to that end with regard to the sharing of EU classified information (EUCI) or, in the absence of such arrangements, any exceptional ad hoc release of EUCI, shall have received the Commission’s prior approval.

1.   Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 shall apply to documents held by the Competence Centre.

2.   The Governing Board shall adopt arrangements for implementing Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 by 29 December 2021.

3.   Decisions taken by the Competence Centre pursuant to Article 8 of Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 may be the subject of a complaint to the Ombudsman under Article 228 TFEU or of an action before the Court of Justice of the European Union under Article 263 TFEU.

1.   The Competence Centre shall ensure that its activities, including those managed through the national coordination centres and the Network, shall be subject to continuous and systematic monitoring and periodic evaluation. The Competence Centre shall ensure that the data for monitoring the implementation and results of the Union funding programmes referred to in point (b) of Article 4(3) are collected efficiently, effectively, and in a timely manner, and shall impose proportionate reporting requirements on recipients of Union funds and Member States. The conclusions of that evaluation shall be made public.

2.   Once there is sufficient information available about the implementation of this Regulation, and in any event no later than 30 months after the date provided for in Article 46(4), the Commission shall prepare an implementation report on the activities of the Competence Centre, taking into account the preliminary input of the Governing Board, the national coordination centres and the Community. The Commission shall submit that implementation report to the European Parliament and to the Council by 30 June 2024. The Competence Centre and Member States shall provide the Commission with the information necessary for the preparation of that report.

3.   The implementation report referred to in paragraph 2 shall include assessments of:

4.   After submission of the implementation report referred to in paragraph 2 of this Article, the Commission shall carry out an evaluation of the Competence Centre, taking into account the preliminary input from the Governing Board, the national coordination centres and the Community. That evaluation shall refer to or update, as necessary, the assessments referred to in paragraph 3 of this Article and shall be carried out before expiry of the period specified in Article 47(1), in order to determine in a timely manner whether it is appropriate to extend the duration of the mandate of the Competence Centre beyond that period. That evaluation shall assess legal and administrative aspects regarding the mandate of the Competence Centre and the potential to create synergies and avoid fragmentation with other Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies.

If the Commission considers that the continuation of the Competence Centre is justified with regard to its mission, objectives, mandate and tasks, it may make a legislative proposal to extend the duration of the mandate of the Competence Centre set out in Article 47.

5.   On the basis of the conclusions of the implementation report referred to in paragraph 2, the Commission may take appropriate actions.

6.   The monitoring, evaluation, phasing out and renewal of the contribution from Horizon Europe shall be carried out in accordance with Articles 10, 50 and 52 of Regulation (EU) 2021/695 and agreed implementation arrangements.

7.   The monitoring, reporting and evaluation of the contribution from the Digital Europe Programme shall be carried out in accordance with Articles 24 and 25 of Regulation (EU) 2021/694.

8.   In the event of a winding-up of the Competence Centre, the Commission shall conduct a final evaluation of the Competence Centre within six months of the winding-up of the Competence Centre, and in any event no later than two years after the triggering of the winding-up procedure referred to in Article 47. The results of that final evaluation shall be submitted to the European Parliament and to the Council.

1.   The Competence Centre shall have legal personality.

2.   In each Member State, the Competence Centre shall enjoy the most extensive legal capacity accorded to legal persons under the law of that Member State. It may, in particular, acquire or dispose of movable and immovable property and may be party to legal proceedings.

1.   The contractual liability of the Competence Centre shall be governed by the law applicable to the agreement, decision or contract in question.

2.   In the case of non-contractual liability, the Competence Centre shall make good any damage caused by its staff in the performance of their duties, in accordance with the general principles common to the laws of the Member States.

3.   Any payment by the Competence Centre in respect of the liability referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2 and the costs and expenses incurred in connection therewith shall be considered to be expenditure of the Competence Centre and shall be covered by its resources.

4.   The Competence Centre shall be solely responsible for meeting its obligations.

1.   The Court of Justice of the European Union shall have jurisdiction:

2.   Regarding any matter not covered by this Regulation or by other legal acts of the Union, the law of the Member State where the seat of the Competence Centre is located shall apply.

1.   The financial liability of the Union and the Member States for the debts of the Competence Centre shall be limited to their contribution already made for the administrative costs.

2.   The Competence Centre shall take out and maintain appropriate insurance.

1.   The processing of personal data by the Competence Centre shall be subject to Regulation (EU) 2018/1725.

2.   The Governing Board shall adopt implementing measures as referred to in Article 45(3) of Regulation (EU) 2018/1725. The Governing Board may adopt additional measures necessary for the application of that Regulation by the Competence Centre.

1.   The Commission shall be responsible for the establishment and initial operation of the Competence Centre until it has the operational capacity to implement its own budget. The Commission shall carry out, in accordance with Union law, all necessary actions with the involvement of the competent bodies of the Competence Centre.

2.   For the purpose of paragraph 1 of this Article, the Commission may designate an interim Executive Director until the Executive Director takes up his or her duties following his or her appointment by the Governing Board in accordance with Article 16. The interim Executive Director shall exercise the duties of the Executive Director and may be assisted by a limited number of members of staff of the Commission. The Commission may assign a limited number of its members of staff to the Competence Centre on an interim basis.

3.   The interim Executive Director may authorise all payments covered by the appropriations provided in the annual budget of the Competence Centre once it has been adopted by the Governing Board and may conclude agreements and contracts, including staff contracts, and adopt decisions, following the adoption of the establishment plan referred to in point (l) of Article 13(3).

4.   The interim Executive Director shall determine, in common accord with the Executive Director and subject to the approval of the Governing Board, the date from which the Competence Centre will have the capacity to implement its own budget. From that date onwards, the Commission shall abstain from making commitments and executing payments for the activities of the Competence Centre.

1.   The Competence Centre shall be established for the period from 28 June 2021 to 31 December 2029.

2.   Unless the mandate of the Competence Centre is extended in accordance with Article 38(4), the winding-up procedure shall be triggered automatically at the end of the period referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article.

3.   For the purpose of conducting the proceedings to wind up the Competence Centre, the Governing Board shall appoint one or more liquidators, who shall comply with the decisions of the Governing Board.

4.   When the Competence Centre is being wound up, its assets shall be used to cover its liabilities and the expenditure relating to its winding-up. Any surplus shall be distributed among the Union and the contributing Member States in proportion to their financial contribution to the Competence Centre. Any such surplus distributed to the Union shall be returned to the Union budget.

1.   This Regulation establishes the European Solidarity Corps Programme (the ‘Programme’) for the period of the 2021-2027 MFF.

2.   The Programme sets up the following two strands of actions:

3.   This Regulation lays down the objectives of the Programme, the budget for the period from 2021 to 2027, the forms of Union funding and the rules for providing such funding.

1.   The general objective of the Programme is to enhance the engagement of young people and organisations in accessible and high-quality solidarity activities, primarily volunteering, as a means to strengthen cohesion, solidarity, democracy, European identity and active citizenship in the Union and beyond, addressing societal and humanitarian challenges on the ground, with a particular focus on the promotion of sustainable development, social inclusion and equal opportunities.

2.   The specific objective of the Programme is to provide young people, including young people with fewer opportunities, with easily accessible opportunities for engagement in solidarity activities that induce positive societal changes in the Union and beyond, while improving and properly validating their competences, as well as facilitating their continuous engagement as active citizens.

3.   The Programme objectives shall be implemented under the strands of actions set out in Article 1(2).

1.   The Programme shall support the following actions:

2.   The Programme shall support solidarity activities which present a clear European added value, for example through their:

3.   Solidarity activities shall be implemented in accordance with specific requirements set for each type of activity carried out in the framework of the Programme as referred to in Articles 5, 7, 8 and 10, as well as with applicable regulatory frameworks in Member States and third countries associated to the Programme.

4.   References to the European Voluntary Service in the legal acts of the Union shall be read as including references to volunteering under both Regulation (EU) No 1288/2013 and this Regulation.

1.   Networking activities shall be carried out in-country or cross-border and shall aim to:

2.   Quality and support measures shall include:

1.   Actions implemented under the ‘participation of young people in solidarity activities’ strand shall, in particular, contribute to strengthening cohesion, solidarity, active citizenship and democracy within and outside the Union, while also responding to societal challenges with a particular focus on the promotion of social inclusion and equal opportunities.

2.   The ‘participation of young people in solidarity activities’ strand shall support the following actions:

1.   Volunteering shall:

The agreement referred to in point (d) of the first subparagraph shall set out the rights and obligations of the parties to that agreement, the duration and location of deployment and a description of the tasks involved. Such an agreement shall refer to the terms of the participants’ insurance coverage and, where appropriate, to the relevant clearance requirements, in accordance with applicable national law.

2.   Volunteering may take place in a country other than the participant’s country of residence (‘cross-border volunteering’) or in the participant’s country of residence (‘in-country volunteering’). In-country volunteering shall be open to the participation of all young people, in particular young people with fewer opportunities.

1.   Actions under the European Voluntary Humanitarian Aid Corps shall, in particular, contribute to providing needs-based humanitarian aid aimed at preserving life, preventing and alleviating human suffering and maintaining human dignity and to strengthening the capacity and resilience of vulnerable or disaster-affected communities.

2.   The actions under the European Voluntary Humanitarian Aid Corps shall:

3.   The European Voluntary Humanitarian Aid Corps shall support the following actions:

1.   Volunteering under the European Voluntary Humanitarian Aid Corps shall:

The agreement referred to in point (d) of the first subparagraph shall set out the rights and obligations of the parties to that agreement, the duration and location of deployment and a description of the tasks involved. Such an agreement shall refer to the terms of the participants’ insurance coverage and, where appropriate, to the relevant clearance requirements, in accordance with applicable national law.

2.   Volunteering under the European Voluntary Humanitarian Aid Corps may only take place in those regions of third countries in which:

1.   The financial envelope for the implementation of the Programme for the period from 2021 to 2027 shall be EUR 1 009 000 000 in current prices.

2.   With a maximum of 20 % for in-country volunteering, the indicative distribution of the amount set out in paragraph 1 for the actions referred to in points (a), (b) and (c) of Article 4(1) shall be:

3.   The amount set out in paragraph 1 may be used for technical and administrative assistance for the implementation of the Programme, such as preparatory, monitoring, control, audit and evaluation activities, including corporate information technology systems.

4.   Resources allocated to Member States under shared management may, at the request of the Member State concerned, be transferred to the Programme, subject to the conditions set out in Article 26 of a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down common provisions on the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund Plus, the Cohesion Fund, the Just Transition Fund and the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund and financial rules for those and for the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund, the Internal Security Fund and the Instrument for Financial Support for Border Management and Visa Policy (the ‘Common Provisions Regulation for 2021-2027’). The Commission shall implement those resources directly in accordance with point (a) of the first subparagraph of Article 62(1) of the Financial Regulation or indirectly in accordance with point (c) of that subparagraph. Those resources shall be used for the benefit of the Member State concerned.

1.   The Programme shall be implemented, in a consistent manner, under direct management in accordance with point (a) of the first subparagraph of Article 62(1) of the Financial Regulation or under indirect management with bodies as referred to in point (c) of the first subparagraph of Article 62(1) of that Regulation.

2.   The Programme may provide funding in any of the forms laid down in the Financial Regulation, in particular grants, prizes and procurement.

3.   Contributions to a mutual insurance mechanism may cover the risk associated with the recovery of funds due by recipients and shall be considered a sufficient guarantee under the Financial Regulation. Article 37(7) of Regulation (EU) 2021/695 of the European Parliament and of the Council (25) shall apply.

4.   For selections under both direct and indirect management, members of the evaluation committee may be external experts as provided for in the third subparagraph of Article 150(3) of the Financial Regulation.

1.   The Programme shall be open to the participation of the following third countries:

The contributions referred to in point (d)(ii) of the first subparagraph shall constitute assigned revenues in accordance with Article 21(5) of the Financial Regulation.

2.   The countries listed in paragraph 1 may only participate in the Programme in its entirety and provided that they fulfil all the obligations which this Regulation imposes on Member States.

1.   The Programme shall be open to the participation of overseas countries and territories.

2.   In duly justified cases in the Union’s interest, the actions referred to in Article 5 and volunteering as referred to in Article 7 may also be open to participation of legal entities of third countries not associated to the Programme.

1.   Young people aged between 17 and 30 years or, in the case of volunteering under the European Voluntary Humanitarian Aid Corps as set out in Article 10, between 17 and 35 years who wish to participate in the Programme shall register in the European Solidarity Corps Portal.

2.   At the moment of commencing volunteering or a solidarity project under the ‘participation of young people in solidarity activities’ strand, a participant shall be at least 18 years of age and not older than 30 years of age. At the moment of commencing volunteering under the European Voluntary Humanitarian Aid Corps as set out in Article 10, a participant shall be at least 18 years of age and not older than 35 years of age.

1.   When implementing this Regulation, the Commission, the Member States and third countries associated to the Programme shall ensure that specific and effective measures are taken to promote social inclusion and equal access conditions, in particular for the participation of young people with fewer opportunities.

2.   The Commission shall, by 9 December 2021, develop a framework of inclusion measures to increase participation rates among people with fewer opportunities and guidance for the implementation of such measures. That guidance shall be updated as necessary over the duration of the Programme. Based on the framework of inclusion measures, and with particular attention to the specific Programme access challenges within the national contexts, inclusion action plans shall be developed and shall form an integral part of the national agencies’ work programmes. The Commission shall monitor the implementation of those inclusion action plans on a regular basis.

3.   The Commission shall, where relevant, and safeguarding sound financial management, ensure that financial support measures, including pre-financing, are put in place to facilitate the participation of young people with fewer opportunities in the Programme. The level of support shall be based on objective criteria.

1.   The Programme shall be open to the participation of public or private entities, whether non-profit or profit-making, and international organisations, provided that they have received a quality label.

2.   The competent Programme implementing body shall assess an application from an entity to become a participating organisation based on the principles of:

The competent Programme implementing body shall use the principles referred to in the first subparagraph to ascertain whether the activities of the entity applying to become a participating organisation meet the requirements and objectives of the Programme.

3.   As a result of the assessment referred to in paragraph 2, the entity may be attributed a quality label. The competent Programme implementing body shall periodically reassess whether the entity continues to comply with the conditions that led to the attribution of the quality label. Where the entity no longer complies with those conditions, the competent Programme implementing body shall take remedial measures until such time as the conditions and quality requirements are met. In the event of continued failure to comply with those conditions and quality requirements, the quality label shall be revoked.

4.   Any entity which has received a quality label shall be given access to the European Solidarity Corps Portal in a host capacity, in a support capacity, or in both capacities, and shall be able to make offers of solidarity activities to registered candidates.

5.   The quality label shall not automatically lead to funding under the Programme.

6.   The solidarity activities and related quality and support measures offered by a participating organisation may receive funding under the Programme or from other funding sources which do not depend on the Union budget.

7.   For participating organisations under the European Voluntary Humanitarian Aid Corps, the safety and security of volunteers, based on risk assessments, shall be a priority.

8.   After completion of the solidarity activity and if requested by the participant, a participating organisation shall provide the participant with a certification stating the learning outcomes of, and skills developed during, the solidarity activity, such as Youthpass or Europass.

1.   Indicators to report on the progress of the Programme towards the achievement of the general and specific objectives laid down in Article 3 are set out in the Annex.

2.   To ensure the effective assessment of the Programme’s progress towards the achievement of its objectives, the Commission is empowered to adopt delegated acts, in accordance with Article 30, to amend the Annex with regard to the indicators, where considered necessary, and to supplement this Regulation with provisions on the establishment of a monitoring and evaluation framework.

3.   The performance reporting system shall ensure that data for monitoring the implementation and results of the Programme are collected efficiently, effectively, in a timely manner and at the appropriate level of detail.

To that end, proportionate reporting requirements shall be imposed on recipients of Union funds and, where appropriate, on Member States.

1.   The Commission shall carry out evaluations in a timely manner to feed into the decision-making process.

2.   Once sufficient information about the implementation of the Programme is available but, in any event, no later than 31 December 2024, the Commission shall carry out an interim evaluation of the Programme. That interim evaluation shall also be accompanied by a final evaluation of the 2018-2020 European Solidarity Corps Programme, which shall feed into the interim evaluation. The interim evaluation of the Programme shall assess the overall effectiveness and performance of the Programme, as well as the delivery of the inclusion measures.

3.   Without prejudice to the requirements set out in Chapter IX and the obligations of national agencies set out in Article 24, Member States shall submit to the Commission, by 31 May 2024, a report on the implementation and the impact of the Programme in their respective territories.

4.   Where appropriate, and on the basis of the interim evaluation, the Commission shall put forward a legislative proposal to amend this Regulation.

5.   After 31 December 2027 but, in any event, no later than 31 December 2031, the Commission shall carry out a final evaluation of the results and impact of the Programme.

6.   The Commission shall transmit any evaluations carried out under this Article, including the interim evaluation, accompanied by its observations, to the European Parliament, to the Council, to the European Economic and Social Committee and to the Committee of the Regions.

1.   The recipients of Union funding shall acknowledge the origin of those funds and ensure the visibility of the Union funding, in particular when promoting the actions and their results, by providing coherent, effective and proportionate targeted information to multiple audiences, including the media and the public.

2.   The Commission shall implement information and communication actions relating to the Programme, to actions taken pursuant to the Programme and to the results obtained. Financial resources allocated to the Programme shall also contribute to the corporate communication of the political priorities of the Union, insofar as those priorities are related to the objectives referred to in Article 3.

3.   In cooperation with the Commission, the national agencies shall develop a consistent strategy with regard to effective outreach, and the dissemination and exploitation of the results of activities supported under the actions they manage within the Programme. The national agencies shall assist the Commission in its general task of disseminating information concerning the Programme, including information in respect of actions and activities managed at national and Union level, and its results. National agencies shall inform relevant target groups about the actions and activities undertaken in their respective countries.

4.   Participating organisations shall use the name ‘European Solidarity Corps’ for the purposes of communicating and disseminating information related to the Programme.

1.   In each Member State and third country associated to the Programme, the national agencies designated for the management of the actions referred to in Chapter III of Regulation (EU) 2021/817 in their respective countries shall also act as national agencies in the framework of the Programme. Article 27(1) and (2) and (4) to (8) of Regulation (EU) 2021/817 shall apply mutatis mutandis to the national agencies under the Programme.

2.   Without prejudice to Article 27(2) of Regulation (EU) 2021/817, the national agency shall also be responsible for managing all stages of the project lifecycle of those Programme actions listed in the implementing acts referred to in Article 19 of this Regulation, in accordance with point (c) of the first subparagraph of Article 62(1) of the Financial Regulation.

3.   Where a national agency has not been designated for a third country as referred to in Article 13(1) of this Regulation, it shall be established in accordance with Article 27 of Regulation (EU) 2021/817.

1.   The rules applying to the relationship between the Commission and a national agency shall be laid down, in accordance with Article 27 of Regulation (EU) 2021/817, in a written document which shall:

2.   Each year, the Commission shall make the following funds available to the national agency:

3.   The Commission shall lay down the requirements for the national agency’s work programme. The Commission shall not make Programme funds available to the national agency before having formally approved the national agency’s work programme.

4.   On the basis of the compliance requirements for national agencies referred to in Article 26(3) of Regulation (EU) 2021/817, the Commission shall review the national management and control systems, the national agency’s yearly management declaration and the opinion of the independent audit body thereon, taking due account of the information provided by the national authority on its monitoring and supervision activities with regard to the Programme.

5.   After assessing the yearly management declaration and the opinion of the independent audit body thereon, the Commission shall address its opinion and observations to the national agency and the national authority.

6.   In the event that the Commission cannot accept the yearly management declaration or the independent audit opinion thereon, or in the event of unsatisfactory implementation by the national agency of the Commission’s observations, the Commission may implement any precautionary and corrective measures necessary to safeguard the Union’s financial interests in accordance with point (c) of the first subparagraph of Article 131(3) of the Financial Regulation.

1.   The independent audit body shall issue an audit opinion on the yearly management declaration as referred to in point (c) of Article 155(1) of the Financial Regulation. It shall form the basis of the overall assurance pursuant to Article 127 of the Financial Regulation.

2.   The independent audit body shall:

3.   The independent audit body shall give the Commission and its representatives and the Court of Auditors full access to all documents and reports in support of the audit opinion that it issues on the national agency’s yearly management declaration.

1.   The Commission shall be responsible for the supervisory controls with regard to the Programme actions managed by the national agencies. It shall set the minimum requirements for the controls by the national agency and the independent audit body.

2.   National agencies shall be responsible for the primary controls of grant beneficiaries for the Programme actions which are entrusted to them. Those controls shall provide reasonable assurance that the grants awarded are used as intended and in compliance with the applicable Union rules.

3.   With regard to the Programme funds transferred to the national agencies, the Commission shall ensure proper coordination of its controls with the national authorities and the national agencies on the basis of the single audit principle and following a risk-based analysis. This paragraph shall not apply to investigations carried out by OLAF.

1.   The Programme actions shall be consistent with and complementary to the relevant policies, instruments and programmes at Union level, in particular the Erasmus+ Programme, as well as to existing networks at Union level relevant to the activities of the Programme.

2.   The Programme actions shall also be consistent with and complementary to the relevant policies, programmes and instruments at national level in the Member States and third countries associated to the Programme. To that end, the Commission, national authorities and national agencies shall exchange information on existing national schemes and priorities related to solidarity and youth, on the one hand, and actions under the Programme, on the other hand, with a view to building on relevant good practices and achieving efficiency and effectiveness.

3.   Volunteering as set out in Article 10 shall, in particular, be consistent with and complementary to other areas of Union external action, in particular humanitarian aid policy, development cooperation policy, enlargement policy, neighbourhood policy and the Union Civil Protection Mechanism.

4.   An action that has received a contribution under the Programme may also receive a contribution from another Union programme, provided that the contributions do not cover the same costs. The rules of the relevant Union programme shall apply to the corresponding contribution to the action. The cumulative financing shall not exceed the total eligible costs of the action. The support from the different Union programmes may be calculated on a pro-rata basis in accordance with the documents setting out the conditions for support.

5.   Project proposals may receive support from the European Regional Development Fund or the European Social Fund Plus, in accordance with Article 73(4) of the Common Provisions Regulation for 2021-2027, where they have been awarded a Seal of Excellence label under the Programme by virtue of complying with the following cumulative conditions:

1.   The power to adopt delegated acts is conferred on the Commission subject to the conditions laid down in this Article.

2.   The power to adopt delegated acts referred to in Article 20 shall be conferred on the Commission for the duration of the Programme.

3.   The delegation of power referred to in Article 20 may be revoked at any time by the European Parliament or by the Council. A decision to revoke shall put an end to the delegation of the power specified in that decision. It shall take effect the day following the publication of the decision in the Official Journal of the European Union or at a later date specified therein. It shall not affect the validity of any delegated acts already in force.

4.   Before adopting a delegated act, the Commission shall consult experts designated by each Member State in accordance with the principles laid down in the Interinstitutional Agreement of 13 April 2016 on Better Law-Making.

5.   As soon as it adopts a delegated act, the Commission shall notify it simultaneously to the European Parliament and to the Council.

6.   A delegated act adopted pursuant to Article 20 shall enter into force only if no objection has been expressed either by the European Parliament or by the Council within a period of two months of notification of that act to the European Parliament and the Council or if, before the expiry of that period, the European Parliament and the Council have both informed the Commission that they will not object. That period shall be extended by two months at the initiative of the European Parliament or of the Council.

1.   The Commission shall be assisted by a committee. That committee shall be a committee within the meaning of Regulation (EU) No 182/2011.

2.   Where reference is made to this paragraph, Article 5 of Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 shall apply.

1.   This Regulation shall not affect the continuation of or modification of actions initiated pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2018/1475 or (EU) No 375/2014, which shall continue to apply to those actions until their closure.

2.   The financial envelope for the Programme may also cover the technical and administrative assistance expenses necessary to ensure the transition between the Programme and the measures adopted pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2018/1475 or (EU) No 375/2014.

3.   In accordance with point (a) of the second subparagraph of Article 193(2) of the Financial Regulation, and by way of derogation from Article 193(4) of that Regulation, in duly justified cases specified in the financing decision, activities supported under this Regulation and the underlying costs incurred in 2021 may be considered eligible as of 1 January 2021, even if those activities were implemented and those costs incurred before the grant application was submitted.

4.   If necessary, appropriations may be entered in the Union budget beyond 2027 to cover the expenses provided for in Article 11(3) in order to enable the management of actions and activities not completed by 31 December 2027.

5.   Member States shall ensure, at national level, the unimpeded transition between the actions implemented under the 2018-2020 European Solidarity Corps Programme and those to be implemented under the Programme.