PURPOSE : to establish a basic instrument for awarding, operating grants to bodies active in promoting reciprocal understanding of relations between the EU and certain non-industrialised regions in the world, for a period of three years (2004-2006).

LEGISLATIVE ACT : Council Decision 2003/911/EC establishing a Community action programme for bodies promoting reciprocal understanding of relations between the European Union and certain regions in the world

CONTENT : this Decision establishes a Community action programme for the promotion of centres, institutes and networks specialising in the analysis of relations between the European Union and certain regions. The general objective of this programme is to increase understanding and dialogue between the EU and the regions covered by the ALA, MEDA, TACIS and CARDS Regulations and the candidate countries through support to the activities of certain bodies. These activities will consist of the annual work programme of a centre, institute or network and will be in keeping with those described in the Annex to the Decision.

Activities: The activities of bodies that may help to reinforce and increase the effectiveness of Community action will include the following: study and analysis of the policies of the European Union and of the region targeted by the call for proposal; production of discussion documents; round tables; thematic seminars; various publications.

Access to the programme: To qualify for a grant, an applicant body must meet certain requirements, inter alia, it must be an independent and non-profit making legal entity active chiefly in promoting understanding of relations between the EU and the regions concerned with an objective that serves the public good.

Participation: Participation in the programme will be open to bodies, institutes and networks established in: the Member States; countries whose accession to the European Union in 2004 was approved at the 2002 Copenhagen Summit; Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey; countries or regions covered by the ALA, MEDA, TACIS or CARDS Regulations.

Selection of beneficiaries: The grant beneficiaries must be selected by means of a call for proposals.

Award of the grant: The amount of an operating grant awarded may not exceed 70 % of the organisation's eligible expenditure for the calendar year for which the grant is awarded. Where such operating grants are renewed, they must be gradually decreased. If a grant is awarded to a body which received an operating grant the preceding year, the percentage of Community cofinancing represented by the new grant must be at least 10% lower than the preceding year.

Financial reference amount: The financial reference amount for the implementation of the programme, which starts on 1 January 2004 and ends on 31 December 2006, is EUR 4.1 million.

Monitoring and evaluation: By 31 December 2005 the Commission must report to the Council on the achievement of the objectives of the programme. The report will be based on the results obtained by the beneficiaries and must assess, in particular, their relevance, effectiveness and usefulness in achieving the objectives of the programme.

ENTRY INTO FORCE : 31/12/2003.

Decision 2003/911
OJ L 342 30.12.2003, p. 0053-0057

T5-0513/2003
OJ C 087 07.04.2004, p. 0408-0480 E

Debate in Parliament

T5-0513/2003

A5-0384/2003

A5-0384/2003

PE331.961/DEF

PE329.328

COM(2003)0280
EUR-Lex