Step4all guide 2 introduction to eu programmes final by Step4all

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CE-NET: EU Project IST-1999-29107

Short Guide 2

Leonardo Da Vinci 2012-1-IT1-LEO04-02901 1

Principal Programmes Managed by the European Commission Circulation: Authors:

Confidential/Partners/Public Step4all Consortium

Circulation: Confidential/Partners/Public Date: dd/mm/yyyy Authors: Step4all Consortium Date: 05/06/2014 Doc. Ref. N°: STEP4ALL - SHORT GUIDE 2 – 05/06/2014

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EUROCREA MERCHANT SRL

SPIS REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT AGENCY

KOCAELI EU PROJECTS COORDINATION CENTRE HDI CONSULTING LTD.

AVACA TECHNOLOGIES

STICHTING BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT FRIESLAND BULGARIAN CONSTRUCTION CHAMBER TEMÁTICA POSITIVA

EUROPEAN LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE

This document may not be copied, reproduced, or modified in whole or in part for any purpose without written permission from the STEP4All Consortium. In addition an acknowledgement of the authors of the document and all applicable portions of the copyright notice must be clearly referenced. All rights reserved.

This document may change without notice.

DOCUMENT HISTORY Version

Date

Comment

05/06/2014

Interim

02 03 04

09/06/2014 11/06/2014

Draft Final

Contents 1. Introduction......................................................................................................................4 2. EU Funds and Budget Allocation .............................................................................5 2.1 Direct and Indirect Funds....................................................................................5 2.1.1 Direct Funds.......................................................................................................5 2.1.2 Indirect funds ....................................................................................................5

2.2 EU Budget Allocation Process............................................................................6 2.2.1 Where does the money come from? ........................................................6 2.2.2 Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the money spent on?.......................................................................7 2.2.3 Multiannual Financial Framework...........................................................8

3. Main Programmes....................................................................................................... 10 3.1 LIFE Programme .................................................................................................. 10 3.2 Erasmus +................................................................................................................ 15 3.3 DG Justice Programme ....................................................................................... 18 3.4 Horizon 2020 ......................................................................................................... 19 3.5 Horizon 2020 - Energy Efficiency ................................................................. 28 3.6 EUROPEAID ............................................................................................................ 30 3.7 Programme for Employment and Social Innovation ............................ 34 3.8 Creative Europe .................................................................................................... 39 3.9 Europe for Citizens.............................................................................................. 46

4. References & Useful Links ....................................................................................... 50 5. Contacts & Addresses of EC Functionary and Staff (Who is Who) ......... 53

1. INTRODUCTION The present document aims at providing useful information and selection of the programmes managed by the European Commission, so that the reader would be able to identify the most relevant aspects for the development of a given project idea. The team behind the project STEP4All selected the most relevant information which is indispensable for the confident orientation in the field of 2014-2020 European programs and funding schemes. At the same time, the present Guide 2 is connected to Guide 1 and Guide 3, which respectively present the European Union and its institutions, and relevant guidelines for EU project management. What is the EU budget allocation process? Where does the money come from? What’s the money spent on? Guide 2 provides answers to these and many other questions regarding the functioning of the EU as well as exhaustive information about some of the most popular programmes managed by the European Commission.

Guide 2 consists of two separate documents: 1. Guide with short description of each Programme, managed by the European Commission 2. Annex including all actions’ fiches (by clicking on the title in the table of contents the user can be directed to the relevant fiche). It is worth underlying that, as some programmes are very complex and include a big number of actions, only the most representative actions have been chosen. Further, as each year deadlines change, in the fiches only the period of the year is indicated (e.g. “1 st quarter”, or e.g. “usually in May”), and the link to the relevant Call for proposals webpage, is included.

2. EU FUNDS AND BUDGET ALLOCATION The vast array of EU activities, from competitiveness and environmental protection to customs policies, external borders and promoting human rights, are financed by the EU budget. The budget is formulated jointly by the Commission, the Council and the Parliament - the Commission submits a draft spending plan to the Council and the Parliament for their consideration. If required, the draft can be changed to incorporate compromise texts. The actual spending however is conducted by the Commission and the EU countries.

The budget is part of the EU long-term spending plan, known as the “financial framework”. This is a seven-year framework, currently running from 2014-20, allowing for effective long term planning of the EU spending programmes.

2.1 Direct and Indirect Funds 2.1.1 Direct Funds

The programmes managed and financed directly by the European Commission (including most of the Community Programmes) are defined as “direct support”. It accounts for 22% of the total funding. Most often direct grants come as a form of cofinancing (usually 50%) and are paid by the European Commission. These are directed at facilitating the implementation of the projects. What defines which projects and costs are eligible for co-financing is the specific EU support programme and current calls for project proposals. The proposals for co-financing go through strict evaluation, thus, they must be prepared thoroughly and equipped with all necessary programme documents. 2.1.2 Indirect funds

Around 76% of the funding is subject to the national and the regional authorities (including most of the structural funds and the agricultural support). Since the management of this funding is shared between the national authorities and the European Commission, it is also referred to as “indirect support”.

2.2 EU Budget Allocation Process One of the central pillars of the functioning of the European Union is the balanced budget. Its main goal is to improve the life of the EU citizens and communities by allocating a substantial part of the funds to the regions that need it the most, and groups in the society. Furthermore, the resources are invested into creating jobs and economic growth in the EU. The EU annual budget is adopted through a unique decision-making process. Since the late 1980s, the EU budgetary procedure has been established within a multiannual financial framework which is negotiated by the Council, the Commission, and the Parliament. Every year the budget is proposed by the European Commission for the following year and it covers each policy and programme. The Council and the Parliament have to agree on the annual budget, if they don’t and until they do, the EU adheres to the budget from the previous year. Once the annual budged has been decided, the Parliament and the EU Council prepare the corresponding spending plans. Legally, the EU cannot run a deficit. This often creates problems when it comes to unpaid bills from the previous year. Parliament’s negotiators have the difficult task to ensure that the multiannual financial framework is flexible enough to allow available funds to be used optimally. Again the Parliament is the one to call for a review of the multiannual financial framework spending. The Parliament also stresses that all EU expenditure should go through the budget.

As a follow-up, the budgetary procedure presumes that once the money has been used, the Commission must report back to the Parliament. The European Court of Auditors also has the authority to scrutinize the expenditure. Usually the most contentious areas of spending are agriculture and cohesion, contributing to about 75% of the total EU expenditure. This is due to that fact that they are both directed at EU’s poorer regions, and administrative costs are also controversial topic. 2.2.1 Where does the money come from? A. Own Resources Around 99% of the EU budget is funded by the EU’s own resources and is supplemented by other sources of revenue. Own resources are not allowed exceeding 1.23% of the overall EU Gross national income (GNI). There is a central principle on which the EU budget is based – the expenditure must be matched with the revenue. Also there is an in-built scheme for compensating certain EU countries. The remaining 1% of the budget revenue comes from other sources of income.

According to Article 311 in the Consolidated version of the Treaty on the functioning of the European Union, the European Council (in alliance with a special legislative procedure) unanimously adopts (after consultations and consent of the European Parliament) a decision setting the provisions related to the own resources system of the Union. That being said, the Council may establish new categories of own resources or abolish the existing ones (only with the approval of all Member States). The EU distinguishes between three kinds of own resources:

1. Traditional - mainly customs duties on imports from third countries, agricultural levies, sugar contributions, etc.). Traditional own resources are credited each month as they are collected. Member States can retain 25% of the amounts raised (by way of collection costs).

2. Own resources from value added tax (VAT) - the VAT base to be taxed is capped at 50% of the GNI for each country. This rule is intended to prevent less prosperous countries having to pay a disproportionate amount (in such countries consumption, and so VAT, tend to account for a higher percentage of national income). The maximum rate of call of the VAT resource is 0.30%.

3. Own resource based on gross national income (GNI) - a standard percentage is levied on the GNI of each EU country. It is used to balance revenue and expenditure, i.e. to fund the part of the budget not covered by other sources of income.1 The GNI resource is based on the application of a uniform rate to the sum of the GNIs of all the Member States. B. Other Revenue

Among the other EU sources of revenue are taxes on EU staff salaries, fines on companies for breaching competitions laws, bank interest, third-country contributions to certain Community programmes (research, for instance), reimbursement of Community grants not used, interest on late payments and balances from previous years, and others. 2.2.2 Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the money spent on? Being a major global player, the EU has certain obligations abroad. Among these obligations are promoting economic and social development, maintaining peace and helping victims of disasters and conflicts. Thus, the budget is not spent exclusively within Europe. 1

VAT own resources and the GNI-based resource are available to the Commission on the first working day of each month at the rate of one twelfth of the estimate entered in the Community budget.

As for the “domestic” uses, among these are: stimulating businesses, preserving the environment, improving the quality of life through rural and regional development, innovation and creating jobs, training people in new skills, construction (building hard infrastructure), promoting and supporting cultural diversity and educational exchanges, providing emergency assistance, and many others.

According to Europa.eu (the official website of the EU, run by the Communication Department of the European Commission on behalf of the EU institutions), the Top 3 spending areas for 2013 are:  



46.8% goes for boosting the EU competitiveness and the development of the poorer EU countries/regions (cohesion); 29.1% is spent on market-related expenditure and direct aids, securing the supplies of safe food at reasonable prices and ensuring farmers enjoy a fair income in return for preserving the environment; 10.7% is allocated to rural development, environment and fisheries.

Among the most beneficial fields are: R&D, biotechnology, information technologies, nanotechnology and space research. In 2013, the annual EU budget is EUR 150.9 billion (which is only 1% of the annual wealth generated by the EU countries). 2.2.3Multiannual Financial Framework Generally speaking, the multiannual financial framework (MFF) is to determine the maximum spending of the EU within a certain time period. Its purpose is to set maximum amounts (also known as “ceilings”) for each broad category of expenditures (also known as “headings” for a clearly determined period of time). The Framework is established for a period of at least 5 years. Its main goal is to make sure that the EU expenditure develops in an orderly manner and most importantly within the EU own resources limit. There are two types of amounts: a. commitments, paying out funds to specific initiatives; and b. payments, forecasted for the period covered by the budget. There are also two types of expenditure ceilings: a. one ceiling for each heading and b. overall ceiling for all headings. The multiannual financial framework is a spending plan that translates the EU priorities into financial terms. It is not a seven-year budget, but the basis for the annual budgetary exercise. It sets the maximum annual amounts which the EU may spend in different political fields. It therefore provides a political as well as budgetary framework for the benefit of 500 million Europeans. The current MFF period started in 2014 and will end in 2020.

The Council has agreed an overall ceiling of € 959.988 billion in the MFF 20142020, under five headings:  Smart and inclusive growth: 47%  Sustainable growth: natural resources: 39%  Global Europe: 6%

 Administration: 6%

 Security and citizenship: 2%

The new commitment ceiling amounts to 1.00% of EU gross national income (GNI) compared to 1.12% for the 2007-2013 MFF.

The new ceiling for payments equates to 0.95% of EU GNI compared to 1.06% for 2007-2013. A comparison of the MFF 2007-13 with the MFF 2014-20 is presented below: Fig.1

Source: Council of the European Union, Press Release, December 2013 http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_Data/docs/pressdata/en/ecofin/139831.pdf

3. MAIN PROGRAMMES 3.1 LIFE Programme The LIFE Programme is the EU’s funding mechanism for the environment and the climate action. LIFE began in 1992 and there are 4 completed phases of the programme (LIFE I: 1992-1995, LIFE II: 1996-1999, LIFE III: 2000-2006 and LIFE+: 2007-2013). The new phase of LIFE for the period 2014 - 2017 is called LIFE multiannual work programme. GENERAL AIMS - OBJECTIVES LIFE aims at supporting the application, updating and development of the EU environmental policy and legislation by co-funding projects that apply new techniques or methods, or evaluate and disseminate new actions, methodologies or approaches, with European added value. LIFE program has the following 4 objectives: A. To contribute to a more resource efficient, low carbon and climate-resilient economy, to the protection and improvement of the environment and to stopping and reverting biodiversity loss B. To improve the development and implementation of the Union environmental and climate policy and legislation and promote the integration and mainstreaming of environmental and climate objectives into other Union policies and public and private sector practice. C. To support better environmental and climate governance, including better involvement of civil society, NGOs and local actors. D. To support the implementation of the 7th Environment Action Programme. LIFE programme consists of the following 2 Sub-programmes: 1. Sub-programme for Environment, which has 3 priority areas:  Environment and Resource Efficiency  Nature and Biodiversity  Environmental Governance and Information Environment and Resource Efficiency (specific objectives):

1. Solutions to environmental challenges in support of resource efficiency related policy and legislation, including the Roadmap to a resource efficient Europe

2. Support integrated approaches to EU environmental policy and legislation, primarily in the areas of water, waste and air 3. Improve the knowledge base for environmental policy and legislation 4. Responding to thematic priorities and specific objectives in LIFE regulation and project topics in MAWP 2014-2017: (http://ec.europa.eu/environment/life/about/documents/mawp_annex.pdf) a. Water and the Marine Environment - Water, floods and drought; Marine and coastal management; Water industry b. Waste c. Resource efficiency, soil, forests, green and circular economy d. Environment and health, chemicals and noise e. Air quality and emissions, urban environment

Nature and Biodiversity (specific objectives):

1. Implementation of EU Biodiversity strategy to 2020, preferably with pilot or demonstration projects 2. Nature: a. Improving conservation status of habitats and species, including marine ones and birds b. Activities in support of NATURA 2000 network 3. Biodiversity; Maintain/enhance ecosystems through green and blue infrastructure and restoring degraded ecosystems a. Actions Targeting Invasive alien species b. Projects targeting (non-priority) threatened species classed as endangered or worse in the European Red Lists or the IUCN Red List 4. Integrated projects implementing Prioritized Action Frameworks

Environmental Governance & Information (specific objectives):

1. Promote awareness raising on environmental matters 2. Support communication, management and dissemination of information 3. Promote and contribute to more effective compliance with and enforcement of EU environmental legislation 4. Promote better environmental governance by broadening stakeholder involvement, including NGOs, in consultation on and implementation of policy 5. Priority areas: a. Activities in support of effective control process as well as measures to promote compliance

b. Promoting non-judicial conflict resolution

2. Sub-programme for Climate Action, which also has 3 priority areas: ď&#x201A;ˇ Climate Mitigation ď&#x201A;ˇ Climate Adaptation ď&#x201A;ˇ Governance and Information

Climate Change Mitigation - Climate Change Adaptation (specific objectives): 1. Contribute to the implementation and development of Union policy and legislation on climate change mitigation and adaptation, including mainstreaming across policy areas. 2. Improve the knowledge base for the development, assessment, monitoring, evaluation and implementation of effective climate change mitigation and adaptation actions and measures and to enhance the capacity to apply that knowledge in practice 3. Facilitate the development and implementation of integrated approaches, such as for climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies and action plans, at local. regional or national level 4. Contribute to the development and demonstration of innovative climate change mitigation and adaptation technologies, systems, methods and instruments that are suitable for being replicated, transferred or mainstreamed.

Climate Governance and Information (specific objectives):

1. Promote awareness rising on climate matters, including generating public and stakeholder support of Union policy-making in the field of climate, and to promote knowledge on sustainable development. 2. Support communication, management and dissemination of information in the field of the climate and to facilitate knowledge sharing on successful climate solutions and practice, including by developing cooperation platforms among stakeholders and training 3. Promote and contribute to more effective compliance with and enforcement of Union climate legislation. 4. Promote better climate governance by broadening stakeholder involvement, including NGOs, in consultation on and implementation of policy.

INDICATORS The performance of the LIFE programme will be assessed against the following indicators: A. Attributable environmental and climate improvements. B. The number of interventions developed or undertaken that implement plans, programmes or strategies pursuant to Union environmental or climate policy and legislation and the number of interventions suitable for replication or transfer. C. The number of interventions achieving synergies with or mainstreamed into other Union funding programmes. D. The number of interventions to ensure better governance, dissemination of information and awareness of environmental and climate aspects. FUNDING

Types of Funding: 1. EU Funding may take the following legal forms: - Grants - Public procurement contracts - Contribution to financial instruments in accordance with provisions on financial instruments under Regulation No 966/2012 and with operational requirements set out in specific Union acts. - Any other interventions needed for the purpose of achieving the general objectives of the programme. 2. The commission shall implement this regulation in accordance with Regulation No 966/2012 3. Funding under this Regulation which constitutes state aid within the meaning of article 107(1) TFEU should be implemented in a way consistent with the relevant Union state aid rules. 4. At least 81% of budgetary resources for the LIFE programme should be allocated to projects supported by way of action grants or financial instruments. 5. A maximum of 30% of the budgetary resources allocated to action grants may be allocated to integrated projects. The maximum percentage should be reevaluated in the framework of the mid-term evaluation of the LIFE Programme and accompanied by a legislative proposal. Projects: Action grants may finance the following projects:

        

Pilot projects Demonstration projects Best practice projects Integrated projects Technical assistance projects Capacity-building projects Preparatory projects Information, awareness and dissemination projects Any other projects needed for the purpose of achieving the general objectives of the Programme.

3.2 Erasmus + Erasmus+ is the new EU Programme in the fields of higher education, school education, VET, youth and sport, for the period 2014-2020. This initiative integrates the Lifelong Learning Programme (Erasmus, Leonardo da Vinci, Comenius, Grundtvig), Youth in Action and five international cooperation programmes (Erasmus Mundus, Tempus, Alfa, Edu link and the programme for cooperation with industrialised countries), which were all implemented during 2007 and 2013. The overall objective of the programme unification is to remove the boundaries between the various Actions by fostering new ideas, attracting new actors, stimulating new forms of cooperation and promoting synergies and cross-fertilisation throughout the different fields of education, training and youth. In such a manner, Erasmus+ is envisaged to boost its efficiency and facilitate more effectively human and social capital development within the EU. In general, Erasmus+ supports actions, cooperation and tools aligned with the objectives of the Strategy Europe 2020, ET2020 Strategy, the European Youth Strategy and of the EU External Action. The Programme aims to fight the rising levels of unemployment, especially in the youth segment; facilitate active social involvement of young people; enhance the skills and competences on EU level; promote leadership and cooperation; enhance the policy cooperation in the field of sport; and transfer knowledge and know-how in various sectors among others. Furthermore, the Programme puts a special focus on the following themes:

 Recognize and validate skills and qualifications, to ensure easier recognition of skills and qualifications within and across national borders, more successful labour market integration and higher mobility;

 Promote open access to materials, documents and media, developed by Erasmus+, which are useful for learning, teaching, training and youth work;  Strong international dimension in the fields of higher education and youth;

 Multilingualism and strive to promote language learning and linguistic diversity;  Promote equity and inclusion by facilitating the access of disadvantaged learners.

For the period 2014-2020, Erasmus+ has a total budget of EUR 14.774 billion. The Programme is managed indirectly, meaning that the promotion and implementation at national level is provided by appointed National Agencies. The following actions are planned to be implemented:

A) KEY ACTION 1: MOBILITY OF INDIVIDUALS, supporting Mobility of learners and staff (opportunities for students, trainees, young people and volunteers, as well as for professors, teachers, trainers, youth workers, staff of education institutions and civil society organisations), Joint Master Degrees (awarding full degree scholarships to master students worldwide) and Master Student Loan Guarantee (loan backed up by the Programme for a full Master Degree abroad). B) KEY ACTION 2 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; COOPERATION FOR INNOVATION AND THE EXCHANGE OF GOOD PRACTICES, supporting Transnational Strategic Partnerships (aimed to develop initiatives for education training and youth, and promote innovation, exchange of experience and know-how), Knowledge Alliances between higher education institutions and enterprises (to foster innovation, entrepreneurship, creativity, employability, knowledge exchange and multidisciplinary teaching), Sector Skills Alliances (design and delivery of joint vocational training curricula, programmes and teaching addressing the skills gaps), Capacity Building (cooperation between Partner Countries in the fields of higher education and youth) and IT support platforms, such as eTwinning, the European Platform for Adult Learning (EPALE) and the European Youth Portal (online services for teachers, trainers and practitioners).

C) KEY ACTION 3 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; SUPPORT FOR POLICY REFORMS, supporting knowledge in the fields of education, training and youth (cooperation with academic networks and Open Methods of Coordination in education), Prospective initiatives to stimulate innovative policy, European policy tools to facilitate transparency and recognition of skills and qualifications, Cooperation with international organisations with highly recognised expertise and analytical capacity and Stakeholder dialogue, policy and Programme promotion with public authorities, providers and stakeholders. D) JEAN MONNET ACTIVITIES, supporting Academic Modules, Chairs, Centres of Excellence (to deepen teaching in EU integration studies as well as to conduct, monitor and supervise research on EU content), Policy debate with academic world (through networks and projects for innovation and cross-fertilisation), Support to institutions and associations (by organising activities dealing with EU studies and EU issues, and publicizing EU facts), and Studies and conferences (to provide policy-makers with new insights and concrete suggestions via independent academic views, and to reflect on current issues of the EU).

E) SPORT, supporting Collaborative Partnerships (to encourage participation in sport and physical activity, sport related social inclusion and equal opportunities) and Not-for-profit European sport events (organisation of training and sports activities), Strengthening of the evidence base for policy making ( through studies; data gathering, surveys; networks; conferences and seminars), Dialogue with relevant European stakeholders (the annual EU Sport Forum) and support to Sport Presidency Events.

Erasmus + reaches the following target groups: students, trainees, apprentices, pupils, adult learners, young people, volunteers, professors, teachers, trainers, youth workers and professionals of organisations active in the fields of education, training, youth and sport. The projects can be submitted and managed by eligible organisations, institutions, bodies and/or groups, who represent the participants. The eligible Programme countries are the EU member states as well as the following non EU countries: Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland and Turkey. The Partner countries, who can take part only in certain Actions are the Eastern Partnership countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine), the Southern Mediterranean countries (Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine, Syria, Tunisia), the Western Balkans (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, Serbia) as well as the Russian Federation. The duration of the projects vary from 3 to 24 months. In most of the cases, the minimum number of participating countries is at least two or three. The funding scheme could be Unit costs or Portions of eligible costs, based on the actual programme scheme. The award criteria, with different weight for each action, include Relevance of the project, Quality of the project design and implementation, and Impact and dissemination. The deadlines for each action vary.

3.3 DG Justice Programme Justice, fundamental rights and citizenship policies are based on Europeans' most cherished values and principles, such as solidarity, democracy, freedom, tolerance and the rule of law.

In today's Europe, millions of citizens are involved in cross-border situations - either in their private lives, through their work or studies, or as consumers. The creation of the Directorate-General Justice reflects the new opportunities of the Lisbon Treaty to improve the everyday lives of EU citizens. The DG Justice Programme offers practical solutions to cross-border problems, so that citizens feel at ease about living, travelling and working in another Member State and trust that their rights are protected no matter where in the European Union they happen to be. The Mission behind the DG Justice Programme is building a European area of justice.

In a Europe of open borders, more and more people live, work and do business in other EU countries. The European Commission wants to make life easier for them by building an EU-wide area of justice. The aim is to offer practical solutions to cross-border problems, so that citizens feel at ease when moving around the EU and businesses can make full use of the Single Market. What doest it mean for the EU citizens?  Respect for the fundamental rights of the EU as well as of the member states 

 

on national level;

Equal treatment on the basis of sex, race, ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age and sexual orientation;

Protection for personal data anywhere in the EU;

Access to justice in case of legal difficulties anywhere in the EU: o o o

protection and support if you fall victim to crime fair trial if you are accused of a crime

resolution of civil matters like divorce, family maintenance, property and inheritance in cross-border situations

3.4 Horizon 2020 Horizon 2020 is the European Programme for research and innovation for the period 2014-2020. It brings together into a single, coherent and flexible framework all research and innovation funding provided during the previous funding period 20072013 through the Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development, the Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme (CIP) and the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT). Horizon 2020 provides funding for every stage of the innovation process - from basic research, to market uptake. It is the financial instrument implementing the Innovation EU.

Horizon 2020 structure consists of 3 priorities or pillars, which are implemented through specific programmes and a dedicated financial contribution: 1. Excellent science

2. Industrial leadership 3. Societal challenges

The major novelties in Horizon 2020 compared to FP7 are:

 A new structure consisting of 3 pillars with similar rules for the entire programme

 Simplification of Rules for Participation, in particular regarding the funding model where all types of participants receive similar funding rates in accordance with the activities to be undertaken  The use of 3 years Strategic Programmes to set the priorities in the Work Programmes  Biannual Work Programmes

 A challenge-driven approach to the formulation of topics. Topic texts include the definition of a specific challenge, a scope which defines the elements addressed by selected projects, and the expected impact of selected projects  More emphasis on industry, innovation and linking research to deployment, market application, and impact

Horizon 2020 will combine all research and innovation funding previously provided by the Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development, the innovation related activities of the Competitiveness, Innovation Framework Programme (CIP), and the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT).

Compared to previous European research and innovation programmes Horizon 2020 intents to simplify access to funding by applying the same set of rules across the three pillars of Horizon 2020. The funding model is a simplification compared to previously as the same funding rates for direct and for indirect costs will apply to all types of participants whether they are research institutions, companies, or public authorities. Furthermore, the aim is to shorten the period from a call is published to the selected projects can start (time to grant) by on average 100 days, and to make use of considerably fewer audits of the granted projects. Calls will be broadly defined, and all project administration from issuing a proposal to final reporting will be digitalized and web-based. The Specific Programme is part of the legislative package that establishes Horizon 2020. It defines the implementation of Horizon 2020. The Specific Programme includes in broad terms the issues and activities to be covered during the seven years of Horizon 2020. The Specific Programme describes the programmes under the three pillars and activities and objectives of these programmes. The Specific Programme is implemented through biannual Work Programmes with announcement of calls for proposals. The Specific Programme also covers the instruments that implement the Framework Programme.

The Strategic Programmes is a novelty for Horizon 2020. It complements the Specific Programme by prioritizing particularly important issues and activities to be supported by Horizon 2020 over a three-year period. It is implemented through the biannual Work Programmes. The Strategic Programmes aim to ensure a flow and continuity between the biannual Work Programmes. Activities and focus areas included in the Strategic Programmes will receive a relatively large part of the budget during the period it covers. Three Strategic Programmes are expected to be prepared under Horizon 2020 (2014-2016, 2016-2018 and 2018-2020). This is illustrated in table below.

Fig 2. Calendar for adoption of Work Programmes during Horizon 2020 2014 2015 Strategic Programme

2016

2017

Work Programme 1 (plus tentative information for 2016)

Strategic Programme Work Programme 2 (plus tentative information for 2018)

2018

2019

2020

Strategic Programme Work Programme 3 (plus tentative information for 2020)

Work Programme 4

GENERAL OBJECTIVES   Horizon 2020 aims at:

 Promoting scientific excellence and the European research system;

 Increasing and supporting competitiveness and European industrial leadership;

 Responding to the major societal challenges Europe is facing by helping to bridge  the gap between research and the market.

In particular, Excellent Science pillar aims at raising the level of excellence in Europe's science base and ensuring a steady stream of world-class research to secure Europe's long-term competitiveness. It supports the best ideas and the best talents by providing training and career development opportunities, developing future and emerging technologies and EU research infrastructures.

Industrial Leadership objective is to make Europe a more attractive location to invest in research and innovation by supporting major investments in key industrial technologies, facilitating access to risk finance for innovative companies and projects, and providing Union wide support for innovation in small and medium-sized enterprises.

Societal Challenges pillar addresses major concerns shared by citizens in Europe and elsewhere and covers activities from research to market with a new focus on innovation- related activities, such as piloting, demonstration, test-beds, and support for public procurement and market uptake.

The specific programme named “Non-nuclear direct actions of the Joint Research Centre (JRC)” is an in-house science service of the European Commission. Its mission is to provide scientific and technical support to EU policy making, thus operating at the interface between research and EU policy and to complement other Horizon 2020 funded research. It provides input throughout the whole policy cycle from conception to implementation and evaluation. SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

The primary aim of Horizon 2020 is to strengthen the EU's position as a world leader in science, in order to help make Europe a more attractive location for investing in research and innovation and to bring excellent research results to market, with direct benefits for citizens, such as affordable health-care and transition to a resourceefficient, low-carbon economy. Excellent Science specific objectives:

 Boosting frontier research, through the activities of the European Research Council (ERC);  Strengthening research in Future and Emerging Technologies (FET);  Enhancing skills, training and career development, Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions (“Marie Curie actions”);

through

the

 Supporting European research infrastructures, including e-infrastructures. 20

Industrial leadership specific objectives:  Increasing job creation;

 Supporting innovation, increase market uptake;  Stimulating private investment in R&I;

 Strengthening participation of innovative SMEs.

Societal challenges specific objectives:

 Improving lifelong health and wellbeing;

 Securing sufficient supply of safe, healthy and high quality food and other bio based products;  Making the transition to a reliable, affordable and sustainable energy system;

 Achieving a European transport system that is resource-efficient, climate- and environmentally-friendly, safe and seamless;  Achieving a resource - and water-efficient and climate change resilient economy  and society, the protection and sustainable management of natural resources and  ecosystems, and a sustainable supply and use of raw materials;  Fostering a greater understanding of Europe, providing solutions and supporting  inclusive and innovative European societies.   SUPPORTED ACTIONS   Excellent Science supported actions:  European Research Council (ERC) provides substantial grants to top-level individual researchers working in Europe;  Future and emerging technologies (FET) opens up new fields of research and innovation;  Marie Curie Actions develops research and innovation skills through the training, mobility and career development of researchers;

 Funding is also available for supporting access to, and networking of priority research infrastructures across Europe.

Industrial leadership supported actions:

 Development of industrial capabilities in Key Enabling Technologies (KETs) (including ICT - Nanotechnologies - Advanced materials - Biotechnology Advanced manufacturing and processing – Space);  Access to risk finance (Debt facility, Equity facility and Specific implementation aspects);  Innovation in SMEs (Mainstreaming SME support and Specific support). Societal challenges supported actions deal with:  Health, demographic change and wellbeing;

 Food security, sustainable agriculture, marine and maritime research, and the bio-  economy;

 Secure, clean and efficient energy;

 Smart, green and integrated transport;

 Inclusive, innovative and secure societies;

 Climate action, resource efficiency and raw materials.   ELIGIBLE COUNTRIES:  The 28 EU Member States;

 Acceding countries, candidate countries and potential candidates, in accordance with the general principles and general terms and conditions for the participation of those countries in Union Programmes established in the respective framework agreements and decisions of association councils or similar agreements;  Third countries that fulfil these criteria:

1. have a good capacity in science, technology and innovation;

2. have a good track record of participation in the EU research and innovation programmes; 3. have close economic and geographical links to the EU ELIGIBLE PARTNERS: The Minimum number of participants in an action is at least three independent legal entities established in different Member States or Associated Countries. Exceptions where only one legal entity established in a Member State or Associated Country is required: ERC, SME instrument, Programme co-fund actions, Justified actions provided for in the Work Programmes or work plan, Support actions, Training and mobility actions. The Eligible partners are:

 Independent researchers;  Public bodies/entities;

 Private bodies/entities.

BUDGET: Overall: € 79.401, 83 million (current prices); € 70.200.0 million (2011 prices); Excellence Science: € 24.441 million (current prices);

Industrial Leadership: € 17.015 million (current prices); Societal Challenges: € 29.670 million (current prices);   Fig. 3 Horizon 2020 Budget Breakdown

Source: Horizon 2020 Projects 22

EU FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTION For research and development projects the share of the EU contribution can be up to 100% of the total eligible costs;

For innovation projects up to 70% of the costs, with the exception of non-profit legal entities which can also receive up to 100% in these actions; In all cases indirect costs will be covered by a flat rate of 25% of the direct costs.

Horizon 2020 will in line with the former Framework Programmes FP6 and FP7, employ four different forms of funding: Grants, prizes, procurement and financial instruments. For each of these forms of funding a number of types of actions are funded in Horizon 2020: GRANTS

Types of actions:  Research and innovation actions: An action primarily consisting of activities aiming at research and technological development with possible innovation activities.

 Innovation actions: An action primarily consisting of close to market activities such as producing plans, arrangements for design for new, altered or improved products, processes or services. May include testing, prototyping, demonstrating, piloting, large-scale validation and market replication.

 Fast track to innovation (pilot): The pilot will be launched in 2015, and will be aimed at close-to- innovation actions with a maximum of five partners and 3 million Euro per project and fast time to grant.  Coordination and support actions: An action that supports accompanying measures such as standardisation, dissemination, awareness raising, and communication, networking, coordination and support services, policy dialogues and mutual learning exercises and studies.  Support to Pre-Commercial Procurement: Procurement of research and development services involving risk-benefit sharing under market conditions, and competitive development in phases, where there is a clear separation of the research and development services procured from the deployment of commercial volumes of end-products.

 Public Procurement of Innovative solutions: Procurement where contracting authorities act as a launch customer for innovative products or services which are not yet available on a large-scale commercial basis.  SME Instrument: See section “How will SME’s be able to participate in Horizon 2020?”

 ERA-NET (programme COFUND action): Support to member states to make common strategic  research aims and common calls for research projects. National financed with top-up financing from the  EU. Member state participation is voluntary  European Joint Programme (programme COFUND action): Joint Programme Initiatives (JPI’s) is  established on special areas with large potential for collaboration between member states. A voluntary  partnership aimed at integrating and coordinating national research programmes.

 Marie Sklodowska Curie (MSCA) (includes COFUND action): An action that supports the mobility of  researchers in the EU and associated countries.  ERC Grants: Support for fundamental research. Grants are direct financial contributions.

3.5 Horizon 2020 - Energy Efficiency Secure, clean and efficient energy is one of the Work Programmes of Horizon 2020. This Work Programme contains Energy Efficiency call which builds on the experiences of the Intelligent Energy Europe Programme and includes a range of market uptake activities. From 2014 onwards the type of activities previously funded by the Intelligent Energy Europe Programme are supported under Research and Innovation Programme.

The defined actions are the Coordination and Support Actions (CSA), the Research and Innovation Actions (RIA), the Innovation Actions (IA), the Project Development Assistance (PDA), and the Public-Private Partnerships (PPP). The eligible promoters are legal entities established in the Member States of the European Union, including their overseas departments. Legal entities shall be independent of one another. The minimum number of promoters/countries is 3.

Sub calls EE4 "Construction Skills”, EE19 "Improving finance ability and attractiveness of sustainable energy investment, and EE20: For the whole of the topic “Project Development Assistance” are exceptions regarding the minimum number of promoters/countries. In these cases, the proposals may be submitted by one legal entity. The duration of the actions varies from 12 to 48 months, depending on the type of action. Researches and the demonstration of more energy-efficient technologies and solutions gained primary focus in the programme. Consequently, the activities aim at facilitating the market uptake of energy technologies and services, fostering social innovation, and removing non-technological barriers. The Energy Efficiency call covers the following areas: Buildings and consumers, heating and cooling, Industry and products, and Finance for sustainable energy. It is important to highlight that the sub-calls are implemented under different actions. Accordingly, the type of the action affects the duration, the available grant amount, and the rate of EU contribution of the projects.

The Coordination and Support Actions (CSA) consist primarily of complementary measures such as standardisation, dissemination, awareness-raising and communication, networking, coordination or support services, policy dialogues and mutual learning exercises and studies. For the Energy-efficiency Call, Coordination and support actions are the type of projects previously supported under the European Union's Intelligent Energy-Europe Programme.

The Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) are actions containing Research and Development activities. The core intention of the projects is to establish new scientific and technical knowledge and to explore the feasibility of a new or improved technology, product, process, service, or solution. This may include basic and applied research, technology development and integration, testing and validation on a smallscale prototype in a laboratory or simulated environment. Projects may contain closely connected but limited demonstration or pilot activities aiming to show technical feasibility in the operational environment. The Innovation Actions (IA) are actions primarily consisting of activities directly aiming at elaborating plans and arrangements or designs for new, altered or improved products, processes or services. For this purpose they may include prototyping, testing, demonstrating, piloting, large-scale product validation and market replication. Projects may include limited research and development activities. Project Development Assistance (PDA) aims to bridge the gap between sustainable energy plans and real investment. This action supports all activities necessary to prepare and mobilise investment into sustainable energy projects. PDA activities can include feasibility studies, stakeholder and community mobilisation, financial engineering, business plans, technical specifications, and procurement procedures.

Public-Private Partnership (PPP) actions will strive to solve problems together with industry while focusing on the removal of existing barriers through market uptake measures. The activities comprise of capacity-building, support for sustainable energy policy implementation, mobilisation of financing for sustainable energy investments.

Maximum EU contribution for Coordination and Support Actions and Research and Innovation Actions is 100%, and it is 70% for Innovation Actions (except for nonprofit legal entities, where it is 100%). In general, the award criteria regarding the different types of actions are quite similar. All of the actions have to meet requirements related to Excellence, Impact, and Implementation. The actions can be separated into two groups based on the award criteria. The first group comprises of CSA and PDA. The second group contain RIA, IA and PPP. For the second group more requirements have been set regarding the Implementation. The exact specific criteria can be found in the in chapter H of the General Annexes of Horizon 2020. Information on the one-stage evaluation will be provided within maximum 5 months from the final date for submission. The grant agreements are to be signed within maximum 3 months from the date of informing the successful applicants.

3.6 EUROPEAID INTRODUCTION: Development and Cooperation – Europe Aid is a new Directorate–General (DG) responsible for designing EU development policies and delivering aid through programmes and projects across the world. It incorporates the former Development and Europe Aid DGs. Having one DG will simplify communication in the development field by acting as a "one stop shop" – providing a single contact point for stakeholders inside and outside the EU to deal with.

MISSION:

By supporting concrete assistance actions in Europe's eastern and southern Neighbourhood, Europe Aid aims furthermore to support reform and democratic consolidation, to strengthen the prosperity, stability and security of, to project EU values and policies in this region, and to contribute to developing the special relationship of the EU with its Neighbouring countries. Europe Aid is responsible (either on its own or together with the European External Action Service) for the multiannual programming of the external aid instruments.

Europe Aid is also responsible for implementing the European Union’s external aid instruments1 which are financed by the European Budget and the European Development Fund. In this context, it ensures a high quality and impact of aid, the swift implementation of projects and programmes and the visibility of European aid.

ROLE:

Within the European Commission, EuropeAid promotes coherence between the European Union’s development policy and its other internal and external policies.

EuropeAid coordinates dialogue on development with non-EU bilateral donors, emerging economies and with international organisations in order to present, on the one hand, a united European position and on the other hand ensure that the Commission contributes to negotiations in international development fora. Moreover, it enters into dialogue on development issues with non-state actors with whom it defines and implements cooperation measures. EuropeAid implements cooperation policy in a devolved way through EU Delegations. For this purpose, it

defines, establishes and runs the management, supervision, support and control systems required to ensure the highest levels of regularity, quality, impact and visibility for the programmes implemented.

EUROPEAID PARTNERS:  Civil Society

Civil society organisations (including NGOs) are vital partners for decision-makers, as they are best placed to know population's needs in terms of development. In Europe as well as in third countries, EuropeAid is using innovative approaches to improve its dialogue with these organisations. The role of civil society organisations / Non-State Actors is growing from being implementing partners to sharing more responsibility with the state on poverty reduction, as the developing countries claim ownership of their own development.  International Organizations - Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) - United Nations - World Bank - International Organization for Migration - Statistics on cooperation with International Organisations o The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe o Council of Europe o European Bank for Reconstruction and Development o Inter-American Development Bank o European Investment Bank o International Monetary Fund o The African Development Bank o The Asian Development Bank o African Union o International Committee of the Red Cross o International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies o Organization of American States  EU Institutions - The Council of the European Union - European Parliament (EP) - The European Court of Auditors

MAIN ACTIVITIES EuropeAid Development and Cooperation is responsible for designing European development policy and delivering aid throughout the world. EuropeAid delivers aid through a set of financial instruments with a focus on ensuring the quality of EU aid and its effectiveness. An active and proactive player in the development field, we promote good governance, human and economic development and tackle universal issues, such as fighting hunger and preserving natural resources.

Designing EU development policies:  Development Policies  The European Consensus on Development (reducing poverty, development based on Europe's democratic values, developing countries are mainly responsible for their own development)  Policy Coherence for Development  Intervention areas  Cross Cutting Issues Governance and Human Rights:  Governance  Human rights and democracy  Civil society and local authorities  Security and conflict  Migration and asylum Human Development:  Gender equality  Children and young people  Health  Education  Culture

Food and Natural Resources:  Fighting hunger  Environment  Agriculture and rural development Economy and Trade:  Employment and social protection

 Economic support  Infrastructure and transport

WORKING AREA

EuropeAid implements programmes and projects around the world, wherever assistance is needed. We tailor our support to fit the region or country being helped. Programmes with a global reach allow the EU to provide similar support to countries facing similar problems. Therefore EuropeAid works on the following areas/regions on the basis of Multi-country and regional development, country cooperation, interregional cooperation, cross-border cooperation and other worldwide priorities.      

Africa, Caribbean and Pacific Asia and Central Asia Latin America Gulf Region EU Neighbourhood and Russia Worldwide Programmes

3.7 Programme for Employment and Social Innovation ROLE OF THE PROGRAMME The Employment and Social Innovation (EaSI) programme is a European-level financing instrument managed directly by the European Commission to support employment, social policy and labour mobility across the EU. EaSI funding is used to test ideas for reform out on the ground, evaluate them and then upscale the best ones across Member States. The concept of social innovation, which has a special focus on youth, is at the heart of EaSI. The programme will provide €10-14 million a year for social innovation activities. BASIC DOCUMENTS REGULATION (EU) No 1296/2013 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 11 December 2013 on a European Union Programme for Employment and Social Innovation ("EaSI") and amending Decision No 283/2010/EU establishing a European Progress Microfinance Facility for employment and social inclusion. Priority axes

As of January 2014, these programmes form the 3 axes of EaSI, which support: 

Modernisation of employment and social policies with the PROGRESS axis (61% of the total budget);

The Progress axis, which shall support the development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the Union instruments and policies referred to in Article 1 and relevant Union law, and which shall promote evidence- based policy-making, social innovation and social progress, in partnership with the social partners, civil society organisations and public and private bodies; 

Job mobility with the EURES axis (18% of the total budget);

The EURES axis, which shall support activities carried out by EURES, namely, the specialist services designated by the EEA states and the Swiss Confederation, together with social partners, other employment service providers and other interested parties, to develop information exchanges and dissemination and other forms of cooperation, such as cross-border partnerships, to promote voluntary geographical mobility for workers on a fair basis and to contribute to a high level of quality and sustainable employment;



Access to micro-finance and social entrepreneurship with the Microfinance and Social Entrepreneurship axis (21% of the total budget);

The Microfinance and Social Entrepreneurship axis, which shall increase the access to, and the availability of, is financing for legal and physical persons, pursuant to Article 26 of the Regulation. OBJECTIVES:     

Strengthen ownership of EU objectives and coordination of action at EU and national level in the areas of employment, social affairs and inclusion; Support the development of adequate social protection systems and labour market policies; Modernise EU legislation and ensure its effective application; Promote geographical mobility and boost employment opportunities by developing an open labour market; Increase the availability and accessibility of microfinance for vulnerable groups and micro-enterprises, and increase access to finance for social enterprises;

In pursuing these objectives, EaSI will:       

Pay particular attention to vulnerable groups, such as young people, Promote equality between women and men, Combat discriminations, Promote a high level of quality and sustainable employment, Guarantee adequate and decent social protection, Combat long-term unemployment, Fight against poverty and social exclusion.

THEMATIC SECTIONS

Actions eligible under the Programme may be implemented jointly with other Union instruments, provided that such actions meet the objectives of both the Programme and the other instruments concerned. The Progress axis shall listed in points (a), (b) indicative breakdown of Regulation between the percentages:

support actions in one or more of the thematic sections and (c). Over the entire period of the Programme, the the allocation set out in point (a) of Article 5(2) of the different sections shall respect the following minimum

(a) Employment, in particular to fight youth unemployment: 20 %;

(b) Social protection, social inclusion and the reduction and prevention of poverty: 50 %; (c) Working conditions: 10 %.

The EURES axis shall support actions in one or more of the thematic sections listed in points (a), (b) and (c). Over the entire period of the Programme, the indicative breakdown of the allocation set out in point (b) of Article 5(2) of the Regulation between the different sections shall respect the following minimum percentages: (a) Transparency of job vacancies, applications and any related information for applicants and employers: 32 %; (b) Development of services for the recruitment and placing of workers in employment through the clearance of job vacancies and applications at Union level, in particular targeted mobility schemes: 30 %; (c) cross-border partnerships: 18 %.

The Microfinance and Social Entrepreneurship axis shall support actions in one or more of the thematic sections listed in points (a) and (b). Over the entire period of the Programme, the indicative breakdown of the allocation set out in point (c) of Article 5(2) of the Regulation between the different sections shall respect the following minimum percentages: (a) Microfinance for vulnerable groups and micro-enterprises: 45 %; (b) Social entrepreneurship: 45 %.

Participation in the Programme shall be open to: (a) The EU Member States;

(b) EEA countries, in accordance with the EEA Agreement, and EFTA member states;

(c) The candidate countries and potential candidates, in accordance with the general principles and the general terms and conditions laid down in the framework agreements concluded with them on their participation in Union programmes;

(d) EEA countries, in accordance with the EEA Agreement, and the Swiss Confederation, in accordance with the Agreement between the European Community and its Member States, of the one part, and the Swiss Confederation, of the other, on the free movement of persons; (e) Public and private bodies established at national, regional or local level in the countries referred to in Article 18(1) of the Regulation.

The Programme EaSI shall be open to all public and/or private bodies, actors and institutions, and in particular: (a) National, regional and local authorities; (b) Employment services;

(e) Non-governmental organisations;

(f) Higher education institutions and research institutes; (g) Experts in evaluation and in impact assessment; (h) National statistical offices; (i) The media;

(k) Social partner organisations and other interested parties;

(l) Providing microfinance for persons and micro-enterprises; (m) Providing financing for social enterprises. BUDGET AND ALLOCATIONS The financial envelope for the implementation of the Programme for the period from 1 January 2014 to 31 December 2020 shall amount to EUR 919 469 000, in current prices. The following indicative percentages shall be allocated to the axes set out: (a) 61 % to the Progress axis; (b) 18 % to the EURES axis;

Annual appropriations shall be authorised by the European Parliament and the Council within the limits of the multiannual financial framework.

The total EaSI operational expenditure for 2014-2020 is 886 262 137 â&#x201A;Ź Fig 4. EaSI operational expenditure for 2014-2020 in â&#x201A;Ź thousands 2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

115 257.9

118 819.9

122 003

125 876.6

129 515.6

133 644.1

141 145.1

UNION CO-FINANCING Where activities under the Progress axis are financed following a call for proposals, they may receive Union co-financing which shall not exceed, as a general rule, 80 % of the total eligible expenditure. Any financial support in excess of this ceiling shall only be granted in duly justified exceptional circumstances.

Where activities under the EURES axis are financed following a call for proposals, they may receive Union co-financing which shall not exceed, as a general rule, 95 % of the total eligible expenditure. Any financial support in excess of this ceiling shall only be granted in duly justified exceptional circumstances.

3.8 Creative Europe ROLE OF PROGRAMME The Creative Europe programme aims to support the European audio-visual, cultural and creative sector.

The different funding schemes encourage the audio-visual, cultural and creative players to operate across Europe, to reach new audiences and to develop the skills needed in the digital age. By helping European cultural and audio-visual works to reach audiences in other countries, the programme will also contribute to safeguarding cultural and linguistic diversity. BASIC DOCUMENTS REGULATION (EU) No 1295/2013 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 11 December 2013 establishing the Creative Europe Programme (2014 to 2020) and repealing Decisions No 718/2006/EC, No 1855/2006/EC and No 1041/2009/EC OBJECTIVES The general objectives of the Programme shall be:

 To safeguard, develop and promote European cultural and linguistic diversity and to promote Europe's cultural heritage;

 To strengthen the competitiveness of the European cultural and creative sectors, in particular of the audio-visual sector, with a view to promoting smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. The specific objectives of the Programme shall be:

 To support the capacity of the European cultural and creative sectors to operate transnationally and internationally;  To promote the transnational circulation of cultural and creative works and transnational mobility of cultural and creative players, in particular artists, as well as to reach new and enlarged audiences and improve access to cultural and creative works in the Union and beyond, with a particular focus on

children, young people, people with disabilities and under-represented groups;

 To strengthen the financial capacity of SMEs and micro, small and mediumsized organisations in the cultural and creative sectors in a sustainable way, while endeavouring to ensure a balanced geographical coverage and sector representation;

 To foster policy development, innovation, creativity, audience development and new business and management models through support for transnational policy cooperation. The Programme consists of (structure):  MEDIA Sub-programme;

 Culture Sub-programme;  Cross-sectorial Strand.

ACCESS TO THE PROGRAMME The Programme shall foster cultural diversity at international level in line with the 2005 UNESCO Convention. The Programme is open to the participation of the Member States.

Without prejudice to paragraph 4 of the Regulation, the Programme is open to the participation of the following countries provided that they pay additional appropriations and that, for the MEDIA Sub-programme, they meet the conditions set out in Directive 2010/13/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council:

(a) Acceding countries, candidate countries and potential candidate countries benefiting from a pre-accession strategy, in accordance with the general principles and general terms and conditions for the participation of those countries in Union programmes established in the respective framework agreements, Association Council decisions or similar agreements; (b) EFTA countries that are party to the EEA Agreement, in accordance with that Agreement;

(d) Countries covered by the European Neighbourhood Policy, in accordance with the procedures established with those countries following the framework agreements providing for their participation in Union programmes.

The countries referred to in points (a) and (d) shall be precluded from participating in the Guarantee Facility. The Programme shall be open for bilateral or multilateral cooperation actions targeted at selected countries or regions on the basis of additional appropriations paid by, and specific arrangements to be agreed upon with, those countries or regions. The Programme shall permit cooperation and joint actions with countries not participating in the Programme and with international organisations which are active in the cultural and creative sectors such as UNESCO, the Council of Europe, the OECD or the WIPO on the basis of joint contributions for the realisation of the Programme's objectives. ACTIONS Culture: 1. Cooperation projects Cooperation projects are intended to support the capacity of the European cultural and creative sectors to operate transnationally and internationally, and to promote the circulation of cultural and creative works and the mobility of cultural and creative players, in particular of artists, transnationally.

It also aims to improve access to European cultural and creative works and extend their reach to new and larger audiences. In addition, it contributes to innovation and creativity in the field of culture. Projects that aim to:     

develop skills, competences and know-how, including how to adapt to digital technologies test innovative approaches to audience development test new business and management models enable international cooperation and career development in the EU and beyond facilitate access to professional opportunities

  

organise international cultural activities, such as touring events, exhibitions, exchanges and festivals support the circulation of European literature stimulate interest in, and improve access to, European cultural and creative works.

Projects can cover one or more cultural and creative sectors and can be interdisciplinary.

2. Literary translation To increase the translation, promotion and readership of high quality European literature:  The translation and publication of a "package" of works of fiction from, and into, eligible languages. Either the source or the target language must be officially recognised in an EU Member States or an EFTA country. Translations from Latin and ancient Greek (source language) into officially recognised languages are also possible.  The promotion of the translated "package", including the appropriate use of digital technologies, in both the distribution and promotion of the works. The translation and promotion of books for which the authors have won the EU Prize for Literature are encouraged. 3. European platforms This measure offers action grants to organisations showcasing and promoting European creators and artists, especially emerging talent, through a genuine Europe-wide programming.

They shall join together within a platform with a view to bringing to the fore their common artistic vision and to helping its members to improve their audience development techniques. These projects supports the following actions:  the mobility of creators and artists  promotion and showcasing of emerging talent from other European countries  stimulating a genuine Europe-wide programming of cultural and artistic activities  contribution to audience development  providing visibility to Europe's values and different cultures

The funding available includes support for implementing a communication and branding strategy, including, where appropriate, the development of a European quality label. 4. European networks

European networks are designed to support the activities of networks aiming to reinforce the cultural and creative sectors' capacity to operate transnationally and internationally, and to adapt to change. Initiatives that strengthen the competitiveness of the sectors are supported as well. This scheme is intended to support a limited number of networks with a broad coverage across a balanced range of sectors. Activities of networks that aim to:     

foster the development of skills, competences and know-how, including adaptation to digital technologies; test innovative approaches to audience development; test new business and management models; enable international cooperation and career development in the EU and beyond; facilitate access to professional opportunities;

Media:          

Access to markets Access to markets / Single actions Audience development Co-production funds Development video games Distribution Film Festivals Networking of cinemas Training TV programming

WHAT DOES IT SUPPORT?

 Cross-border cooperation projects organisations within the EU and beyond.

between

cultural

and

creative

 Networks helping the cultural and creative sectors to operate transnationally and to strengthen their competitiveness.  Translation and promotion of literary Works across EU markets.  Platforms of cultural operators promoting emerging artists and stimulating a truly European programming of cultural and artistic works.  Capacity building and professional training for audio-visual professionals.  Development of fiction, animations, creative documentaries and video games for European cinema, television markets and other platforms.  Distribution and sales of audio-visual works in and outside Europe.  Film festivals that promote European films.  Funds for the international co-production of films.  Audience development to foster film literacy and to raise interest in Europe’s films through a wide range of events.

BUDGET AND ALLOCATIONS

The financial envelope for the implementation of the Programme for the period from 1 January 2014 to 31 December 2020 is set at EUR 1 462 724 000 in current prices.

The annual appropriations shall be authorised by the European Parliament and the Council within the limits of the multiannual financial framework. The financial envelope referred to in paragraph 1 shall be allocated as follows:  At least 56 % for the MEDIA Sub-programme;

The Creative Europe – Media Sub-programme has a total budget of EUR 819 125 440 million for the 2014-2020 period  At least 31 % for the Culture Sub-programme; The Creative Europe – Culture Sub-programme has a total budget of EUR 454,8 million for the 2014-2020 period. The total appropriations for 2014 will be around EUR 48.375.537.  A maximum of 13 % for the Cross-sectorial Strand, with at least 4 % being allocated for the transnational cooperation measures listed in Article 15 and for the Creative Europe Desks. Union co-financing

The financial contribution of the Union cannot exceed 40%, 50%, 60% or others limits of the total eligible costs, depending on actions and the territory of distribution (see calls for proposals, Guidelines). The financial contribution of the Union cannot exceed:

ď&#x201A;ˇ 60% of the total eligible costs of the action in case of action taking place in countries participating in the MEDIA sub-Programme; ď&#x201A;ˇ 80% of the total eligible costs of the action in case of action taking place in countries outside the MEDIA sub-Programme.

The financial contribution of the Union cannot exceed 50% or 60% of the total eligible costs, depending on the type of reinvestment (see Guidelines).

3.9 Europe for Citizens The programme ‘Europe for Citizens’ 2014-2020 is established by the Council Regulation nr. 390/2014 of 14 April 2014. This Regulation establishes the ‘Europe for Citizens’ programme for the period from 1 January 2014 to 31 December 2020, and the financial amount for the implementation of the Programme is set at 185 468 000 EUR. The strong point of this programme is the premises adopted by the Treaty on European Union, which establish that every citizen has the right to participate in the democratic life of the EU and the its institutions should give citizens and representative associations the opportunity to make known and publicly exchange their views in all areas of Union action, as well as maintain an open, transparent and regular dialogue with representative associations and civil society. On the other hand, the European Parliament resolution of April the 2nd 2009 on European conscience and totalitarianism and the Council Conclusions from 9-10 June 2011 on the memory of the crimes committed by totalitarian regimes in Europe underlined the importance of keeping the memories of the past alive as a means of moving beyond the past and building the future, and highlight the value of the Union's role in facilitating, sharing and promoting the collective memory of these crimes. In this context, the Programme highlight the relevance of historical, cultural and intercultural aspects as well as the existing links between remembrance and European identity. For this purpose, the Programme will cover a wide range of different actions, including, citizens' meetings, contacts and debates on citizenship issues, Union level events, initiatives to raise awareness of, and to promote reflection on, defining moments in European history, initiatives to make European citizens, particularly young people, aware of the history of the Union and the functioning of the Union institutions, and debates on European policy issues. The general objectives of the Programme are the following:

a) To contribute to citizens' understanding of the Union, its history and diversity; b) To foster European citizenship and to improve conditions for civic and democratic participation at Union level.

The specific objectives of the Programme are: 

To raise awareness of remembrance, the common history and values of the Union and the Union's aim, namely to promote peace, the values of the



Union and the well-being of its peoples, by stimulating debate, reflection and the development of networks; To encourage the democratic and civic participation of citizens at Union level, by developing citizens' understanding of the Union policy makingprocess and promoting opportunities for societal and intercultural engagement and volunteering at Union level.

GENERAL FEATURES OF THE EUROPE FOR CITIZENS PROGRAMME

Equal access Project promoters should pay attention to the necessity of promoting equal opportunities for all and non-discrimination, particularly to hard-to-reach groups, a balanced integration and participation of citizens and civil society from all Member States into transnational projects and activities taking into account the multilingual character of the Union and the need to include underrepresented groups. Trans-nationality and local dimension European Citizenship can best be experienced in a transnational environment, which can be expressed through the theme of the project, through the cooperation of partner organisations, coming from different participating countries, the participation of target groups from different countries or by a wide dissemination. Intercultural dialogue The projects should bring European citizens of different nationalities and different languages together and give them the opportunity to participate in common activities, in order to raise awareness on the richness of the cultural and linguistic environment in Europe, promote mutual understanding and tolerance, thereby contributing to the development of a respectful, dynamic and multifaceted European identity.

Volunteering Particular attention is paid within this Programme to the promotion of volunteering as an essential element in active citizenship and as mean to develop citizens’ commitment to their society and to its political life. STRUCTURE OF THE EUROPE FOR CITIZENS PROGRAMME AND TYPES OF GRANTS

The Programme is implemented through two Strands and a horizontal Action:  Strand 1: European remembrance: raise awareness of remembrance, common history and values and the Union's aim.

 Strand 2: Democratic engagement and civic participation: encourage democratic and civic participation of citizens at Union level.

Measures in this strand are:  Town Twinning  Networks of Towns  Civil Society Projects

The two strands are complemented by a horizontal action “Valorisation: Analysis, dissemination and use of project results”. The overall breakdown between the different actions for the whole Programme period 2014 - 2020 should be as follows:  Strand 1 -European remembrance: approximately 20%  Strand 2 - Democratic engagement and civic participation: approx. 60%  Horizontal Action - Valorisation: approximately 10% MANAGEMENT OF THE EUROPE FOR CITIZENS PROGRAMME The European Commission Directorate General for Communication (DG COMM) is responsible for the development of the Europe for Citizens Programme. It manages the budget and defines objectives, strategies and priority areas of action for the Programme, including, targets and criteria, and monitors the general implementation, follow-up and evaluation of the Programme at European level. The European Commission has delegated the responsibility for tasks related to the implementation of the Programme to the Education, Audio-visual and Culture Executive Agency. The Education, Audio-visual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) The EACEA is responsible for the implementation of the majority of activities of the Europe for Citizens Programme, as for example: management of the complete life cycle of projects, drawing up calls for proposals, selecting projects and signing Grant Decisions/Agreements, financial management, monitoring of projects, communication with beneficiaries and on the spot controls.

LEGAL BASIS The following rules, including any future updates or amendments to which they might be subject, are applicable to the administration and financing of the Programme:  Regulation (EU, EURATOM) No 966/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2012 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union and repealing Council Regulation No 1605/2002.  Commission Delegated Regulation No 1268/2012 of 29 October 2012 on the rules of application of Regulation 966/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union.  Council Regulation (EU) No 390/2014 of 14 April 2014 establishing the 'Europe for Citizens Programme' 2014-2020.

4. REFERENCES & USEFUL LINKS EU FUNDS AND BUDGET ALLOCATION http://europa.eu/pol/financ/ http://europa.eu/pol/pdf/qc3209190enc_002.pdf#page=182 http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/budget/index_en.htm http://ec.europa.eu/budget/explained/budg_system/structure/struct_en.cfm#general http://ec.europa.eu/budget/figures/fin_fwk0713/fwk0713_en.cfm http://ec.europa.eu/budget/index_en.cfm http://www.ies.be/files/WP-4-2010-FINAL_0.pdf http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2012/jan/26/eu-budget-europeanunion-spending http://euobserver.com/tickers/121782 http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/budget/bu0001_en.htm For additional information about the MFF 2014-2020 and EU Budget 2014: http://ec.europa.eu/budget/index_en.cfm http://bookshop.europa.eu/en/multiannual-financial-framework-2014-2020-and-eubudget-2014-pbKV0413055/?CatalogCategoryID=mpgKABstFogAAAEjbIUY4e5K For additional information about the allocated money country by country, please visit: http://ec.europa.eu/budget/mycountry/index_en.cfm LIFE+ http://ec.europa.eu/environment/life/about/index.htm http://ec.europa.eu/environment/life/about/documents/mawp_annex.pdf http://ec.europa.eu/environment/life/about/documents/life2014-2020.pdf http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legalcontent/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32014D0203&from=EN http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legalcontent/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32013R1293&from=EN ERASMUS+ http://ec.europa.eu/programmes/erasmus-plus/documents/erasmus-plusprogramme-guide_en.pdf

DG JUSTICE PROGRAMME http://ec.europa.eu/justice/ http://ec.europa.eu/commission_2010-2014/reding/index_en.htm (Website of Commissioner Viviane Reding: Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship)

EUROPEAID http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/who/index_en.htm http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/what/index_en.htm http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/who/about/documents/devcomission_statement_en.pdf http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/who/partners/civil-society/index_en.htm http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/where/index_en.htm EaSI PROGRAMME REGULATION (EU) No 1296/2013 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 11 December 2013 on a European Union Programme for Employment and Social Innovation ("EaSI") and amending Decision No 283/2010/EU establishing a European Progress Microfinance Facility for employment and social inclusion Work Programme Funding priorities for 2014, European Commission, November 2013; Work Programme List of activities for 2014, European Commission, 11/04/2014; EaSI â&#x20AC;&#x201C; New EU umbrella programme for employment and social policy, European Commission, November 2013; EaSI programme: the EU programme bringing together PROGRESS, EURES and Microfinance. Find out more at: http://ec.europa.eu/social/easi PROGRESS: the EU programme promoting policy reforms in employment and social affairs. Find out more at http://ec.europa.eu/progress EURES helps citizens and businesses with information on jobs and learning opportunities throughout Europe. Find out more at http://eures.europa.eu Microfinance and Social Entrepreneurship: financing social entrepreneurs and helping more vulnerable people do business. Find out more: http://ec.europa.eu/epmf SOCIAL NETWORKS @EU_Social https://www.facebook.com/socialeurope http://www.flickr.com/photos/socialeurope/ http://www.youtube.com/user/europesocial/ Subscribe to newsletter: http://ec.europa.eu/social/e-newsletter Receive news via RSS Feed: feed://ec.europa.eu/social/rss.jsp?langId=en Calls for proposals: http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=629&langId=en Calls for tenders: http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=624&langId=en CREATIVE EUROPE PROGRAMME REGULATION (EU) No 1295/2013 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 11 December 2013 establishing the Creative Europe Programme (2014

to 2020) and repealing Decisions No1718/2006/EC, No1855/2006/EC and No1041/2009/EC. Creative Europe â&#x20AC;&#x201C; The EU programme for the cultural and creative sectors 20142020, leaflet, 2013; Creative Europe, MEDIA Sub-programme, Guidelines, 2014; Creative Europe Desk: http://ec.europa.eu/culture/tools/creative-desks_en.htm. The Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency. http://eacea.ec.europa.eu, https://eacea.ec.europa.eu/creative-europe_en http://ec.europa.eu/programmes/creative-europe/index_en.htm, http://ec.europa.eu/creative-europe, https://www.facebook.com/CreativeEuropeEU?ref=ts&fref=ts, #CreativeEurope EUROPE FOR CITIZENS: http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/citizenship/index_en.php

5. CONTACTS & ADDRESSES OF EC FUNCTIONARY AND STAFF (WHO IS WHO)  DG Justice programme Contact: EUROPEAN COMMISSION Directorate General for Justice B-1049 Brussels DG Justice Contact Europe Direct, a free, Europe-wide information service: 00 800 6 7 8 9 10 11  Horizon 2020 – Contact: EUROPEAN COMMISSION Directorate General for Research and Innovation ORBN 2/65 B-1049 Brussels http://ec.europa.eu/research/index.cfm?pg=contacts&origin=tools-contact  Europe for Citizens Contact: EACEA - Unit P7 Citizenship Avenue du Bourget, 1 (BOUR 01/04A) B-1140 Brussels - Belgium Fax: +32 2 296 23 89; http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/citizenship/index_en.php Strand 1 -European remembrance: eacea-p7-remembrance@ec.europa.eu Strand 2 - Democratic engagement and civic participation: eacea-p7-civilsociety@ec.europa.eu (Civil society projects) eacea-p7@ec.europa.eu (Town twinning & Networks of Towns) Europe for Citizens Contact Points (ECPs) These national structures are responsible for ensuring targeted, effective grass-roots dissemination of practical information on the Programme implementation, its activities and funding opportunities. The applicants are encouraged to contact the ECPs in their respective countries. The contact details of ECPs are available at the following address: http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/citizenship/index_en.php