21.6.2013

Official Journal of the European Union

C 176/1

Authorisation for State aid pursuant to Articles 107 and 108 of the TFEU

Cases where the Commission raises no objections

(Text with EEA relevance)

2013/C 176/01

Date of adoption of the decision

17.10.2012

Reference number of State Aid

SA.34501 (12/N)

Member State

Germany

Region

Dahme-Spreewald

Article 107(3)(c)

Title (and/or name of the beneficiary)

Ausbau des Binnenhafens Königs Wusterhausen/Wildau

Legal basis

Landeshaushaltsordnung (LHO) mit den dazugehörigen Verwaltungsvorschriften (VV-LHO) in der Fassung der Bekanntmachung vom 21. April 1999

Type of measure

Ad hoc aid

Lutra GmbH

Objective

Regional development, Environmental protection

Form of aid

Direct grant

Budget

Overall budget: EUR 2,63 million

Intensity

75 %

Duration (period)

Until 31.10.2013

Economic sectors

Inland freight water transport

Name and address of the granting authority

InvestitionsBank des Landes Brandenburg (ILB)

Steinstraße 104-106

14480 Potsdam

DEUTSCHLAND

Other information

—

The authentic text(s) of the decision, from which all confidential information has been removed, can be found at:

http://ec.europa.eu/competition/elojade/isef/index.cfm

Date of adoption of the decision

27.9.2012

Reference number of State Aid

SA.35276 (12/N)

Member State

Germany

Region

Brandenburg

Article 107(3)(a)

Title (and/or name of the beneficiary)

Förderrichtlinie des Ministeriums für Wirtschaft zur Gewährung von Zuwendungen zur Konsolidierung und Standortsicherung für kleine und mittlere Unternehmen im Land Brandenburg (Konsolidierungs- und Standortsicherungsprogramm)

Legal basis

Haushaltsordnung des Landes Brandenburg (Landeshaushaltsordnung — LHO) mit den dazugehörigen Verwaltungsvorschriften (VV-LHO)

Type of measure

Scheme

—

Objective

Rescuing firms in difficulty, Restructuring firms in difficulty

Form of aid

Soft loan

Budget

Overall budget: EUR 2 million

Annual budget: EUR 1,50 million

Intensity

100 %

Duration (period)

10.10.2012-31.12.2013

Economic sectors

All economic sectors eligible to receive aid

Name and address of the granting authority

InvestitionsBank des Landes Brandenburg

Steinstraße 104-106

14480 Potsdam

DEUTSCHLAND

Other information

—

The authentic text(s) of the decision, from which all confidential information has been removed, can be found at:

http://ec.europa.eu/competition/elojade/isef/index.cfm

Date of adoption of the decision

6.5.2013

Reference number of State Aid

SA.36207 (13/N)

Member State

Belgium

Region

Reg. Bruxelles-Cap./Brussels Hfdst. Gew.

—

Title (and/or name of the beneficiary)

Régime de soutien au transport intermodal par voie d'eau dans la Région de Bruxelles-Capitale

Steun aan het intermodaal vervoer per binnenvaart binnen het Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest

Legal basis

Contrat de Gestion entre la Région de Bruxelles-Capitale et le Port de Bruxelles 2013-2017

Beheerscontract tussen het Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest en de Haven van Brussel 2013-2017

Budget/Begroting 2013 Port de Bruxelles

Type of measure

Scheme

—

Objective

Sectoral development, Environmental protection

Form of aid

Direct grant

Budget

Overall budget: EUR 1,53 million

Annual budget: EUR 0,51 million

Intensity

50 %

Duration (period)

22.4.2013-31.12.2015

Economic sectors

Inland freight water transport

Name and address of the granting authority

Port de Bruxelles/Haven van Brussel

Redersplein 6

1000 Bruxelles/Brussel

BELGIQUE/BELGIË

Other information

—

The authentic text(s) of the decision, from which all confidential information has been removed, can be found at:

http://ec.europa.eu/competition/elojade/isef/index.cfm

Date of adoption of the decision

6.5.2013

Reference number of State Aid

SA.36406 (13/N)

Member State

Spain

Region

Pais Vasco

—

Title (and/or name of the beneficiary)

Promoción del euskera en los medios de comunicación — Prórroga

Legal basis

Orden de la Consejera de Cultura, por la que se regula la concesión de subvenciones destinadas a la consolidación, desarrollo y normalización de los medios de comunicación en euskera (convocatoria Hedabideak 2012)

Type of measure

Scheme

Print media TV and radio broadcasters

Objective

Culture

Form of aid

Direct grant

Budget

Overall budget: EUR 19 500 000 million

Annual budget: EUR 4 875 000 million

Intensity

65 %

Duration (period)

Until 31.12.2016

Economic sectors

Information and communication

Name and address of the granting authority

Blanca Urgell

Donostia Kalea, 1

Vitoria-Gasteiz

ESPAÑA

Other information

—

The authentic text(s) of the decision, from which all confidential information has been removed, can be found at:

http://ec.europa.eu/competition/elojade/isef/index.cfm

Date of adoption of the decision

6.5.2013

Reference number of State Aid

SA.36408 (13/N)

Member State

Spain

Region

Pais Vasco

—

Title (and/or name of the beneficiary)

Promoción del euskera en las tecnologías de la información y la comunicación — Prórroga

Legal basis

Orden de la Consejera de Cultura por la que se regula la concesión de subvenciones para la promoción, difusión y/o normalización del euskera en el ámbito de las tecnologías de la información y la comunicación en el año 2012 (Convocatoria IKT)

Type of measure

Scheme

—

Objective

Culture

Form of aid

Direct grant

Budget

Overall budget: EUR 3 230 000 million

Annual budget: EUR 807 500 million

Intensity

60 %

Duration (period)

Until 31.12.2016

Economic sectors

Information and communication

Name and address of the granting authority

Blanca Urgell

Donostia-San Sebastian, 1

Vitoria-Gasteiz

ESPAÑA

Other information

—

The authentic text(s) of the decision, from which all confidential information has been removed, can be found at:

http://ec.europa.eu/competition/elojade/isef/index.cfm

21.6.2013

Official Journal of the European Union

C 176/6

Authorisation for State aid pursuant to Articles 107 and 108 of the TFEU

Cases where the Commission raises no objections

(Text with EEA relevance)

2013/C 176/02

Date of adoption of the decision

30.5.2013

Reference number of State Aid

SA.35814 (12/N)

Member State

Slovakia

Region

Bratislavský

—

Title (and/or name of the beneficiary)

Madách-Posonium, spol. s. r. o.

Devätinova 54

821 06 Bratislava

Legal basis

—	Zákon č. 523/2004 Z. z. o rozpočtových pravidlách verejnej správy a o zmene a doplnení niektorých zákonov v znení neskorších predpisov

—	Zákon č. 231/1999 Z. z. o štátnej pomoci v znení neskorších predpisov

—

Zákon č. 524/2010 Z. z. z 8. decembra 2010 o poskytovaní dotácií v pôsobnosti Úradu vlády Slovenskej republiky v znení zákona č. 287/2012 Z. z, ktorým sa mení a dopĺňa zákon č. 575/2001 Z. z. o organizácii činnosti vlády a organizácii ústrednej štátnej správy v znení neskorších predpisov a ktorým sa menia a dopĺňajú niektoré zákony

Type of measure

Individual aid

Madách-Posonium, spol. s. r. o.

Objective

Culture

Form of aid

Direct grant

Budget

Overall budget: EUR 0,10 million

Intensity

53,22 %

Duration (period)

—

Economic sectors

Publishing of books, periodicals and other publishing activities

Name and address of the granting authority

Úrad vlády Slovenskej republiky

Námestie slobody 1

813 70 Bratislava

SLOVENSKO/SLOVAKIA

Other information

—

The authentic text(s) of the decision, from which all confidential information has been removed, can be found at:

http://ec.europa.eu/competition/elojade/isef/index.cfm

Date of adoption of the decision

30.5.2013

Reference number of State Aid

SA.35815 (12/N)

Member State

Slovakia

Region

Trnavský kraj

—

Title (and/or name of the beneficiary)

Lilium Aurum, s. r. o.

Galantská cesta 658/2F

929 01 Dunajská Streda

Legal basis

—	Zákon č. 523/2004 Z. z. o rozpočtových pravidlách verejnej správy a o zmene a doplnení niektorých zákonov v znení neskorších predpisov

—	Zákon č. 231/1999 Z. z. o štátnej pomoci v znení neskorších predpisov

—

Type of measure

Individual aid

Lilium Aurum, s. r. o.

Objective

Culture

Form of aid

Direct grant

Budget

Overall budget: EUR 0,06 million

Intensity

47,35 %

Duration (period)

—

Economic sectors

Publishing of books, periodicals and other publishing activities

Name and address of the granting authority

Úrad vlády SR

Námestie slobody 1

813 70 Bratislava

SLOVENSKO/SLOVAKIA

Other information

—

The authentic text(s) of the decision, from which all confidential information has been removed, can be found at:

http://ec.europa.eu/competition/elojade/isef/index.cfm

Date of adoption of the decision

30.5.2013

Reference number of State Aid

SA.35816 (12/N)

Member State

Slovakia

Region

Bratislavský

—

Title (and/or name of the beneficiary)

Petit Press, a. s.

Lazaretská 12

811 08 Bratislava

Legal basis

—	Zákon č. 523/2004 Z. z. o rozpočtových pravidlách verejnej správy a o zmene a doplnení niektorých zákonov v znení neskorších predpisov

—	Zákon č. 231/1999 Z. z. o štátnej pomoci v znení neskorších predpisov

—

Type of measure

Individual aid

Petit Press, a. s.

Objective

Culture

Form of aid

Direct grant

Budget

Overall budget: EUR 0,08 million

Intensity

14,05 %

Duration (period)

—

Economic sectors

Publishing of books, periodicals and other publishing activities

Name and address of the granting authority

Úrad vlády SR

Námestie slobody 1

813 70 Bratislava

SLOVENSKO/SLOVAKIA

Other information

—

The authentic text(s) of the decision, from which all confidential information has been removed, can be found at:

http://ec.europa.eu/competition/elojade/isef/index.cfm

Date of adoption of the decision

30.5.2013

Reference number of State Aid

SA.35817 (12/N)

Member State

Slovakia

Region

Bratislavský

—

Title (and/or name of the beneficiary)

MPhilms s. r. o.

Horná 5

831 52 Bratislava

Legal basis

—	Zákon č. 523/2004 Z. z. o rozpočtových pravidlách verejnej správy a o zmene a doplnení niektorých zákonov v znení neskorších predpisov

—	Zákon č. 231/1999 Z. z. o štátnej pomoci v znení neskorších predpisov

—

Type of measure

Individual aid

MPhilms s. r. o.

Objective

Culture

Form of aid

Direct grant

Budget

Overall budget: EUR 0,01 million

Intensity

46,20 %

Duration (period)

—

Economic sectors

Motion picture, video and television programme production activities

Name and address of the granting authority

Úrad vlády Slovenskej republiky

Námestie slobody 1

813 70 Bratislava

SLOVENSKO/SLOVAKIA

Other information

—

The authentic text(s) of the decision, from which all confidential information has been removed, can be found at:

http://ec.europa.eu/competition/elojade/isef/index.cfm

Date of adoption of the decision

27.2.2013

Reference number of State Aid

SA.36024 (13/N)

Member State

Belgium

Region

Reg. Bruxelles-Cap./Brussels Hfdst. Gew., Vlaams Gewest

—

Title (and/or name of the beneficiary)

CultuurInvest

Legal basis

Beslissing van de Vlaamse regering betreffende de oprichting van CultuurInvest d.d. 31 maart 2006

Type of measure

Scheme

—

Objective

Culture, Risk capital, SMEs

Form of aid

Provision of risk capital

Budget

Overall budget: EUR 10 million

Intensity

50 %

Duration (period)

Until 31.12.2016

Economic sectors

Creative, arts and entertainment activities

Name and address of the granting authority

Vlaams Gewest

Martelaarsplein 19

1000 Brussel

BELGIË

Other information

—

The authentic text(s) of the decision, from which all confidential information has been removed, can be found at:

http://ec.europa.eu/competition/elojade/isef/index.cfm

21.6.2013

Official Journal of the European Union

C 176/12

Euro exchange rates (1)

20 June 2013

2013/C 176/04

1 euro =

	Currency	Exchange rate
USD	US dollar	1,3200
JPY	Japanese yen	129,26
DKK	Danish krone	7,4588
GBP	Pound sterling	0,85450
SEK	Swedish krona	8,6724
CHF	Swiss franc	1,2319
ISK	Iceland króna
NOK	Norwegian krone	7,8500
BGN	Bulgarian lev	1,9558
CZK	Czech koruna	25,806
HUF	Hungarian forint	298,80
LTL	Lithuanian litas	3,4528
LVL	Latvian lats	0,7014
PLN	Polish zloty	4,3183
RON	Romanian leu	4,5260
TRY	Turkish lira	2,5324
AUD	Australian dollar	1,4323
CAD	Canadian dollar	1,3651
HKD	Hong Kong dollar	10,2375
NZD	New Zealand dollar	1,6927
SGD	Singapore dollar	1,6813
KRW	South Korean won	1 523,98
ZAR	South African rand	13,4884
CNY	Chinese yuan renminbi	8,0892
HRK	Croatian kuna	7,4860
IDR	Indonesian rupiah	13 100,18
MYR	Malaysian ringgit	4,2288
PHP	Philippine peso	57,796
RUB	Russian rouble	42,9600
THB	Thai baht	41,078
BRL	Brazilian real	2,9514
MXN	Mexican peso	17,5380
INR	Indian rupee	78,7840

(1) Source: reference exchange rate published by the ECB.

21.6.2013

Official Journal of the European Union

C 176/13

Call for proposals IX-2014/01 — ‘Grants to political parties at European level’

2013/C 176/05

Under Article 10(4) of the Treaty on European Union, political parties at European level contribute to forming European political awareness and to expressing the will of 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, Parliament is launching a call for proposals with a view to the awarding of 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’) on 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 ‘the Bureau Decision of 29 March 2004’) (2).

Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012 of 25 October 2012 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union and repealing Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002 (hereinafter ‘Financial Regulation’) (3).

Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 1268/2012 of 29 October 2012 laying down detailed rules for the implementation of Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union (hereinafter ‘Rules of Application’) (4).

2. Objective

Under Article 2 of the Bureau Decision of 29 March 2004, ‘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 political parties at European level.’

This call for proposals relates to grant applications for the financial year 2014 covering the period of activity from 1 January to 31 December 2014. 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 of the Bureau Decision of 29 March 2004 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.

In order for the provisions laid down in Regulation (EC) No 2004/2003 to apply, a Member of the European Parliament may only be a member of one political party at European level (Article 10(1), last subparagraph of Regulation (EC) No 2004/2003).

In view of this, political parties are informed that the European Parliament applies the provisions in Article 3(1)(b) such that a Member of the European Parliament may only be a member of the political party at European level of which his or her national political party is a member.

4.2. Exclusion criteria

Applicants must also certify that they are not in any of the circumstances described in Articles 106(1) and 107 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 2014 will be distributed as follows among the political parties at European level whose applications for funding have been approved in the light of the eligibility, exclusion and selection criteria:

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

(b)	85 % will be distributed among those parties with 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 as in Annex 1 to the Bureau Decision of 29 March 2004, duly completed and signed (including the written solemn declaration).

(c)	Statutes of the political party, including a list of affiliated organisations in accordance with Article 122 of the Financial Regulation.

(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.

(h)	Documents certifying that the applicant meets the conditions laid down in Article 3(1)(d) of Regulation (EC) No 2004/2003 (5).

(i)	Programme of the political party.

(j)	Comprehensive financial statement for 2012 certified by an external auditing body (6).

(k)	Provisional operating budget for the period concerned (1 January 2014 to 31 December 2014) indicating expenditure eligible for funding from the Community budget.

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

5. Financing from EU budget

The funding for the financial year 2014 under Article 402 of Parliament’s budget ‘Contributions to European political parties’ is put at a total of EUR 27 794 200. It is 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 Rules of application. 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 of 29 March 2004.

6. Procedure and closing date for submitting proposals

6.1. Closing date and submission of applications

The closing date for submitting applications is 30 September 2013. Applications submitted after that date will not be considered.

Applications must:

(a)	be submitted on the grant application form (Annex 1 to the Bureau Decision of 29 March 2004);

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

(c)

be submitted under double cover; the two envelopes shall 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 — 2014 GRANTS TO POLITICAL PARTIES AT EUROPEAN LEVEL

NOT TO BE OPENED BY THE MAIL SERVICE OR BY ANY 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 hand-written signature, but also his organisation’s stamp;

The outer envelope must display 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

Attn. Mr Roger 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)	Submission of applications to the European Parliament (no later than 30 September 2013).

(b)	Consideration and selection by the relevant European Parliament department; only those 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 Parliament’s Bureau (in principle no later than 1 January 2014 as stipulated in Article 4 of the Bureau Decision of 29 March 2004).

(d)	Notification of grant decisions.

(e)	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 of 29 March 2004.

(c)	Grant application form (Annex 1 to Bureau Decision of 29 March 2004).

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), personal data included in the application for funding and Annexes thereto will be processed pursuant to the principles of fairness, lawfulness and proportionality for the express and legitimate purposes of this action. For the purposes of processing the application and of safeguarding the financial interests of the Communities, personal data may be processed by the competent services and bodies of the European Parliament and transferred to internal audit services, to the European Court of Auditors, to the Financial Irregularities Panel or to the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF).

Names of the members and representatives of the European political parties communicated with the application for funding to fulfil the requirement for representation as laid out in Article 3(b) of Regulation (EC) No 2004/2003 may be published by the European Parliament and disclosed to the public under Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 regarding public access to European Parliament documents (8). Political parties are invited to include with their applications a declaration signed by the party members or representatives concerned indicating that they have been informed about, and agree to, disclosure of their names to the public.

Any individual concerned may contact the European Data Protection Supervisor (edps@edps.europa.eu) in order to appeal.

(1) OJ L 297, 15.11.2003, p. 1.

(2) OJ C 155, 12.6.2004, p. 1.

(3) OJ L 298, 26.10.2012, p. 1.

(4) OJ L 362, 31.12.2012, p. 1.

(5) Including the lists of elected persons referred to in Articles 3(1)(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.

(8) Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2001 regarding public access to European Parliament, Council and Commission documents (OJ L 145, 31.5.2001, p. 43).

21.6.2013

Official Journal of the European Union

C 176/18

Call for proposals IX-2014/02 — ‘Grants to political foundations at European level’

2013/C 176/06

Regulation (EC) No 2004/2003 as revised in 2007 recognises the role of political foundations at European level which, as organisations affiliated to political parties at European level, ‘may through their activities support and underpin the objectives of the political parties at European level notably in terms of contributing to the debate on European public policy issues and on European integration, including by acting as catalysts for new ideas, analysis and policy options’. The Regulation provides, in particular, for an annual operating grant from the European Parliament to political foundations which apply and which satisfy the conditions laid down in the Regulation.

In this context the Parliament is launching a call for proposals with a view to the awarding of grants to political foundations 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).

Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012 of 25 October 2012 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union (hereinafter ‘the Financial Regulation’) (3).

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.’.

This call for proposals relates to grant applications for the financial year 2014, covering the period of activity from 1 January to 31 December 2014. 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 of 29 March 2004. 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 foundation at European level must satisfy the conditions laid down in Article 3(2) of Regulation (EC) No 2004/2003, i.e.:

(a)	it must be affiliated with one of the political parties at European level recognised in accordance with this Regulation, as certified by that party;

(b)	it must have legal personality in the Member State where it has its registered office; said legal personality must be separate from that of the political party at European level to which the foundation is affiliated;

(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 not promote profit goals;

(e)	its governing body must have a geographically balanced composition.

Furthermore it must also satisfy the conditions laid down in Article 3(3) of Regulation (EC) No 2004/2003: Within the framework of this Regulation, it remains for each political party and foundation at European level to define the specific modalities for their relationship, in accordance with national law, including an appropriate degree of separation between the daily management as well as the governing structures of the political foundation at European level, on the one hand, and the political party at European level with which the former is affiliated, on the other hand.

4.2. Exclusion criteria

Applicants must also certify that they are not in any of the circumstances described in Articles 106(1) and 107 of the Financial Regulation.

4.3. Selection criteria

4.4. Award criteria

In accordance with Article 4(5) of Regulation (EC) No 2004/2003, the available appropriations for the financial year 2014 will be distributed as follows among the political foundations 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 affiliates of the political parties at European level 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 as in Annex 1 to the Decision of the Bureau Decision of 29 March 2004, duly completed and signed (including the written solemn declaration);

(c)	statutes of the political foundation;

(d)	official certificate of registration;

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

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

(g)	programme of the political foundation;

(h)	comprehensive financial statement for 2012 certified by an external auditing body (5);

(i)	provisional operating budget for the period concerned (1 January 2014 to 31 December 2014) indicating expenditure eligible for funding from the Union budget;

(j)	documents certifying that the political foundation meets the conditions laid down in Article 3(3) of Regulation (EC) No 2004/2003;

As regards points (c), (d), (f) and (g), the political foundation may submit a declaration on its honour that the information provided at the previous stage remains valid.

5. Financing from the EU budget

The funding for the financial year 2014 under Article 403 of Parliament’s budget, ‘Contributions to European political parties’, is put at a total of EUR 13 400 000. It is 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 foundations at European level. The burden of proof shall lie with the political foundation concerned.

The funding shall take the form of an operating grant, as provided for by the Financial Regulation and Rules of application. 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 2b of the Bureau Decision of 29 March 2004.

6. Procedure and closing date for submitting proposals

6.1. Closing date and submission of applications

The closing date for submitting applications is 30 September 2013. Applications submitted after that date will not be considered.

Applications must:

(a)	be made on the grant application form (Annex 1 to the Bureau Decision of 29 March 2004);

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

(c)

be submitted under double cover; the two envelopes shall 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 — 2014 GRANTS TO POLITICAL FOUNDATIONS AT EUROPEAN LEVEL

NOT TO BE OPENED BY THE POSTAL SERVICE OR BY ANY UNAUTHORISED PERSON’

If self-adhesive envelopes are used, they must be sealed with adhesive tape bearing the signature of the sender. The signature of the sender shall be deemed to comprise not only his hand-written 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

Attn. Mr Roger 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 post, 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 foundations at European level:

(a)	Submission of applications to the European Parliament (no later than 30 September 2013);

(b)	Examination and selection by the relevant European Parliament department; only those 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 Parliament’s Bureau (in principle no later than 1 January 2014, as stipulated in Article 4 of the Bureau Decision of 29 March 2004) and notification of applicants;

(d)	Notification of grant decisions;

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

6.3. Additional 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 of 29 March 2004;

(c)	Grant application form (Annex 1 to Bureau Decision of 29 March 2004).

6.4. Processing of personal data

In accordance with Regulation (EC) No 45/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council (6), personal data included in the application for funding and Annexes thereto shall be processed pursuant to the principles of fairness, lawfulness and proportionality for the express and legitimate purpose of this action. For the purposes of processing the application and of safeguarding the financial interests of the Communities, personal data may be processed by the competent services and bodies of the European Parliament, and transferred to internal audit services, to the European Court of Auditors, to the Financial Irregularities Panel or to the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF).

Any individual concerned may contact the European Data Protection Supervisor (edps@edps.europa.eu) in order to appeal.

(1) OJ L 297, 15.11.2003, p. 1.

(2) OJ C 155, 12.6.2004, p. 1.

(3) OJ L 298, 26.10.2012, p. 1.

(4) OJ L 362, 31.12.2012, p. 1.

(5) Unless the applicant was established during the current year.

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

21.6.2013

Official Journal of the European Union

C 176/22

HERCULE II

Call for proposals

Technical assistance for the fight against EU fraud — ‘Investigation support’

2013/C 176/07

1. Objectives and description

This notice of call for proposals is based on Decision No 878/2007/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 July 2007 establishing a Community action programme to promote activities in the field of the protection of the Community's financial interests (‘Hercule II’ programme) (1). This call relates to the activities under Article 1a(a) of the Hercule II Decision, which consists of:

‘technical assistance for national authorities through the provision of specific knowledge, equipment and information technology (IT) tools facilitating transnational cooperation and cooperation with the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) in order to fight against fraud, corruption and other illegal activities as well as the development and implementation of fraud prevention and detection policies.’

The Financing Decision 2013 (2) provides for the organisation of two calls for proposals for the sector of activity ‘Technical assistance’. This call relates to technical assistance ‘Investigation support’.

2. Eligible applicants

This notice is aimed at national or regional administrations (‘applicants’) of a Member State or a country outside the European Union which promote the strengthening of European action to protect the European Union's financial interests.

3. Eligible actions

Eligible actions for technical assistance ‘Investigation support’ consist of:

the purchase of special investigation tools and methods used in operations within the framework of investigations carried out, amongst others, to countering fraud and any other illegal activities affecting the Union's financial interests. This includes the purchase of new technical equipment or the upgrade of existing technical equipment as well as their maintenance costs (3), such as:

—	technical equipment for electronic and mobile surveillance,

—	technical equipment for the analysis of digital evidence,

—	technical equipment for encrypted communications.

4. Award criteria

Each submitted eligible action will be assessed in the light of the following award criteria:

1.	consistency of the action with the Commission's objectives for combating fraud and, in particular, preventing, detecting and investigating the flow of illicit tobacco products into the EU;

2.	quality of other measures accompanying the purchase and/or organisation of the action to improve the detection of illicit tobacco products;

3.	technical quality and suitability of the proposed action to meet the needs expressed by the grant applicant;

4.	cost-effectiveness: the costs of the action should be consistent with its objectives;

5.	compatibility of the action with the work carried out or planned in connection with the EU's policy priorities for preventing fraud against the EU budget (prevention; information analysis, methods of cooperation, etc.);

6.	compatibility of the action with similar projects carried out in other Member States and carried out by other national law enforcement and customs agencies;

7.	possibility for using the methods and/or results of the action to enhance cooperation and effectiveness in the fight against fraud and cigarette smuggling (‘mainstreaming’).

If several actions have equal merit in the light of these award criteria, funding priority may be given to (in descending order):

—	those law enforcement agencies which do not have, or which are not considered having sufficient, equipment to combat cigarette smuggling and cigarette counterfeiting,

—	applications that make fair geographical distribution possible,

—	applicants who have not received grants in previous years or under previous calls for proposals for the same or a similar action.

5. Budget

The indicative available budget for this call is EUR 3 500 000. The financial contribution will take the form of a grant. The financial contribution awarded will not exceed 50 % of the eligible costs.

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

6. Further information

The technical specifications and the application form can be downloaded from the following site:

http://ec.europa.eu/anti_fraud/about-us/funding/techn-assist/index_en.htm

Question and/or requests for additional information in relation to this call have to be sent by e-mail to:

OLAF-FMB-HERCULE-TA@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.

7. Deadline for submission of applications

Applications must be submitted no later than: Friday, 12 July 2013.

(1) OJ L 193, 25.7.2007, p. 18.

(2) C(2013) 612 final of 7 February 2013.

(3) Maintenance costs not covered by a warrant.

21.6.2013

Official Journal of the European Union

C 176/24

HERCULE II

Call for proposals

Technical Assistance for the fight against EU fraud ‘Cigarettes’

2013/C 176/08

1. Objectives and description

This notice of Call for Proposals is based on Decision No 878/2007/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 July 2007 establishing a Community action programme to promote activities in the field of the protection of the Community's financial interests (Hercule II programme) (1). This call relates to the activities under Article 1a(a) of the Hercule II Decision, which consists of:

The Financing Decision 2013 (2) provides for the organisation of two Calls for Proposals for the sector of activity ‘Technical Assistance’. This Call relates to Technical Assistance ‘Cigarettes’.

2. Eligible applicants

This notice is aimed at national or regional administrations (‘Applicants’) of a Member State or a country outside the European Union which promote the strengthening of European action to protect the European Union's financial interests.

3. Eligible actions

Eligible actions for Technical Assistance ‘Cigarettes’ consist of:

(a)

Technical and financial support needed to support and strengthen inspections of containers and trucks at the EU's external borders. This includes:

—

The purchase of mobile and fixed (X-Ray) scanners as well as the costs related to their installation and maintenance (3), used by customs to check containers, trucks and cars crossing the EU's external borders or in transit over the territory of a Member State, in order to carry out checks on the presence of illicit goods, in particular smuggled or counterfeited cigarettes and tobacco;

—	Training for customs staff to operate the scanner as well as training for the correct interpretation of the images generated by the scanners;

—	Software and hardware to enable the exchange of images, generated by different types of scanners, within and between EU customs.

(b)	The purchase, training, food and housing for animals (such as sniffer dogs, but also specially trained bees, rats or pigs) used in the detection of illicit goods, in particular smuggled or counterfeited cigarettes and tobacco;

(c)	The development, implementation, improvement or upgrading of existing automated container-code recognition systems and automated number-plate recognition systems. This includes the development of software as well as the purchase and installation of hardware for systems and training of operators.

4. Award criteria

Each submitted eligible action will be assessed in the light of the following award criteria:

1.	Consistency of the action with the Commission's objectives for combating fraud and, in particular, preventing, detecting and investigating the flow of illicit tobacco products into the EU;

2.	Quality of other measures accompanying the purchase and/or organization of the action to improve the detection of illicit tobacco products;

3.	Technical quality and suitability of the proposed action to meet the needs expressed by the grant applicant;

4.	Cost-effectiveness: the costs of the action should be consistent with its objectives;

5.	Compatibility of the action with the work carried out or planned in connection with the EU's policy priorities for preventing fraud against the EU budget (prevention; information analysis, methods of cooperation, etc.);

6.	Compatibility of the action with similar projects carried out in other Member States and carried out by other national law enforcement and customs agencies;

7.	Possibility for using the methods and/or results of the action to enhance cooperation and effectiveness in the fight against fraud and cigarette smuggling (‘mainstreaming’).

If several actions have equal merit in the light of these award criteria, funding priority may be given to (in descending order):

—	those law enforcement agencies which do not have, or which are not considered having sufficient, equipment to combat cigarette smuggling and cigarette counterfeiting,

—	applications that make fair geographical distribution possible,

—	applicants who have not received grants in previous years or under previous Calls for Proposals for the same or a similar action.

5. Budget

The indicative available budget for this Call is EUR 3 500 000. The financial contribution will take the form of a grant. The financial contribution awarded will not exceed 50 % of the eligible costs.

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

6. Further information

The technical specifications and the application form can be downloaded from the following site: http://ec.europa.eu/anti_fraud/about-us/funding/techn-assist/index_en.htm

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

OLAF-FMB-HERCULE-TA@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.

7. Deadline for submission of applications

Applications must be submitted no later than: Friday, 12 July 2013.

(1) OJ L 193, 25.7.2007, p. 18.

(2) C(2013) 612 final of 7 February 2013.

(3) Maintenance costs not covered by a warrant.

21.6.2013

Official Journal of the European Union

C 176/26

Prior notification of a concentration

(Case COMP/M.6887 — Snam/GICSI/TIGF)

Candidate case for simplified procedure

(Text with EEA relevance)

2013/C 176/09

On 13 June 2013, the Commission received a notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (1) by which Snam SpA (‘Snam’, Italy), ultimately controlled by Cassa Depositi e Prestiti SpA (‘CDP’, Italy), and Pacific Mezz (Luxembourg) Sarl (‘Pacific Mezz Luxembourg’ Luxembourg), ultimately controlled by GIC Special Investments Pte Ltd (‘GICSI’, Singapore), acquire within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Merger Regulation joint control over Transport et Infrastructure Gaz France SA (‘TIGF’, France) by way of a purchase of shares.

The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:

—	for Snam: active in transmission, storage and distribution of natural gas, as well as an LNG terminal, in Italy,

—	for GICSI: active in management of a global portfolio of investments in private equity, venture capital and infrastructure funds, as well as direct investments in private companies,

—	for TIGF: active in the transmission and storage of natural gas in the South-west of France.

On preliminary examination, the Commission finds that the notified transaction could fall within the scope of the EC Merger Regulation. However, the final decision on this point is reserved. Pursuant to the Commission Notice on a simplified procedure for treatment of certain concentrations under the EC Merger Regulation (2) it should be noted that this case is a candidate for treatment under the procedure set out in the Notice.

The Commission invites interested third parties to submit their possible observations on the proposed operation to the Commission.

Observations must reach the Commission not later than 10 days following the date of this publication. Observations can be sent to the Commission by fax (+32 22964301), by email to COMP-MERGER-REGISTRY@ec.europa.eu or by post, under reference number COMP/M.6887 — Snam/GICSI/TIGF, to the following address:

European Commission

Directorate-General for Competition

Merger Registry

1049 Bruxelles/Brussel

BELGIQUE/BELGIË

(1) OJ L 24, 29.1.2004, p. 1 (the ‘EC Merger Regulation’).

(2) OJ C 56, 5.3.2005, p. 32 (‘Notice on a simplified procedure’).

		ISSN 1977-091X doi:10.3000/1977091X.C_2013.176.eng
Official Journal of the European Union		C 176

English edition	Information and Notices	Volume 56 21 June 2013

Notice No	Contents	page
	II Information
	INFORMATION FROM EUROPEAN UNION INSTITUTIONS, BODIES, OFFICES AND AGENCIES
	European Commission
2013/C 176/01	Authorisation for State aid pursuant to Articles 107 and 108 of the TFEU — Cases where the Commission raises no objections ( 1 )	1

2013/C 176/02	Authorisation for State aid pursuant to Articles 107 and 108 of the TFEU — Cases where the Commission raises no objections ( 1 )	6

	III Preparatory acts
	European Central Bank
2013/C 176/03	Opinion of the European Central Bank of 23 May 2013 on a proposal for a Council regulation on denominations and technical specifications of euro coins intended for circulation (CON/2013/35)	11

	IV Notices
	NOTICES FROM EUROPEAN UNION INSTITUTIONS, BODIES, OFFICES AND AGENCIES
	European Commission
2013/C 176/04	Euro exchange rates	12

	V Announcements
	ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES
	European Parliament
2013/C 176/05	Call for proposals IX-2014/01 — Grants to political parties at European level	13

2013/C 176/06	Call for proposals IX-2014/02 — Grants to political foundations at European level	18

	European Commission
2013/C 176/07	Hercule II — Call for proposals — Technical assistance for the fight against EU fraud — Investigation support	22

2013/C 176/08	Hercule II — Call for proposals — Technical Assistance for the fight against EU fraud Cigarettes	24

	PROCEDURES RELATING TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF COMPETITION POLICY
	European Commission
2013/C 176/09	Prior notification of a concentration (Case COMP/M.6887 — Snam/GICSI/TIGF) — Candidate case for simplified procedure ( 1 )	26