Launch of the 2 nd call for proposals CENTRAL EUROPE PROGRAMME Barbara Di Piazza JTS CENTRAL EUROPE PROGRAMME National Info Day Bologna, Italy 27 January 2009

2 nd Call for Proposals Launched: 7 January 2009 Closure: 18 March 2009 ERDF amount to be allocated: ca 70 Mio EUR Open to all Programme Priorities Application Package available on the Programme website

Eligible Partners National, regional and local public authorities Public Equivalent Bodies International Organisations Private institutions including private companies

Minimum Partnership Requirements At least: three financing partners; from at least three countries; being at least two of the partners located in EU CENTRAL EUROPE area.

Location of partners (1/3) Partners can: be located outside the EU CENTRAL EUROPE area if they are considered as Assimilated Partners, i.e.: a national public authority or a public equivalent body competent for its scope of actions for certain parts of the eligible area but located outside it (e.g.: ministries); Exception valid for Germany and Italy only.

Location of partners (2/3) Partners can: Also be located in EU but outside the EU CENTRAL EUROPE area; Overall all EU partners outside the CENTRAL EUROPE area cannot get more than 20% of the ERDF project budget (application of the 20% flexibility rule in the CENTRAL EUROPE Programme); EU partners located outside the EU CENTRAL EUROPE area cannot be Lead Partner; Their activities are for the benefit of the regions of the EU CENTRAL EUROPE area; Their involvement is considered as exceptional and must be clearly justified.

Location of partners (3/3) Partners can: Also be located in any Third Countries; Do not benefit of ERDF contribution; Partners located in ENPI or IPA Countries could benefit of funds made available by the ENPI or IPA national programmes.

Partnership Recommended maximum number of partners: from 8 to 12 according to the chosen type of action; Partners involved in a balanced way; Note: Associated institutions acting as observers and without financial contribution can be involved in the project.

Partners involved in the project should be relevant bodies actually competent for the development, implementation and dissemination of outputs and results. All partners should be involved in the project in a balanced way and be able to credibly outline benefits derived from the partnership and transnational cooperation. As a general rule, the bigger the number of partners, the more complex it is to manage the project. Therefore, only partners necessary to achieve the project objectives should be brought on board. Partnership: Characteristics

Lead Partner's Requirements Located in the EU CENTRAL EUROPE area*: National, regional and local public authorities Public Equivalent Bodies International Organisations acting under national law Private institutions (only for projects submitted under Priority 1) * for IT and DE assimilated partners can also act as Lead Partners

Programme Priorities Priority 1: Facilitating Innovation across Central Europe Priority 2: Improving Accessibility of and within Central Europe Priority 3: Using our Environment Responsibly Priority 4: Enhancing Competitiveness and Attractiveness of Cities and Regions

Expected Project Characteristics (1/2) Transnational thematic focus and partnership Coherent approach Effective management (including communication strategy, knowledge creation and transfer) Strive for concrete and visible outputs and results and actual implementation Clear added value

CENTRAL EUROPE will not support: Projects not addressing an issues of transnational relevance or that can be funded under one single cross- border programmes Pure research and technology development without clear links to other actors Mere continuation of past co-operation project without clear added value Mere networking and exchange of experience Project fundable under or other Structural Funds programmes Expected Project Characteristics (2/2)

IMPLEMENTATION & METHODOLOGY: TYPE OF ACTION Type of ActionStandard Core Output Indicators Joint transnational strategy and action plan  No. of strategies/policy documents developed/ improved  No. of strategies/policy documents implemented/adopted Transnational tool development  No. of new tools developed  No. of new tools implemented  No. of trainings for new tools prepared or implemented Joint management establishment  No. of permanent cooperations established  No. of permanent management structures established Investment preparation  Volume of investment prepared  No. of jobs to be created through these investments  Volume of private/public funds leveraged Pilot Actions including investments  No. of Pilot Actions implemented (including No. of investments realized)  Volume of investment realised through Pilot Actions  No. of jobs created through Pilot Actions

Location of Activities (1/2) General principles: A)Activities must be implemented within the EU CENTRAL EUROPE area. Expenditure is ERDF co-financed. Exception: management/coordination activities performed by Assimilated Partners. B) Activities can be implemented in EU but outside the EU CENTRAL EUROPE area (up to 20% of the total ERDF project contribution). Expenditure is ERDF co-financed. Activities are for the benefit of regions of the EU CENTRAL EUROPE area.

C)Activities can be implemented in Third Countries but for the benefit of the regions of the EU CENTRAL EUROPE area. Expenditure is ERDF co-financed on condition that is spent under the responsibility of a EU CENTRAL EUROPE partner or assimilated to it. Expenditure is up to 10% of the total ERDF project contribution. Location of Activities (2/2)

Project size, Duration and Funding Indicative Project size From 1-5 million EUR total eligible budget; In exceptional cases also smaller or larger projects can be funded. Indicative Project duration Between months (max 48 months).

Co-financing Rates Up to 75%:Austria, Germany, Italy Up to 85%: Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland Slovakia, Slovenia Up to 75%: EU partners located outside the EU CENTRAL EUROPE area

Budgeting Principles SOUND FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT -Principle of ECONOMY: resources […] shall be made available in due time, in appropriate quantity and quality and at the best price. -Principle of EFFICIENCY: best relationship between resources employed and results achieved. -Principle of EFFECTIVENESS: attaining the specific objectives set and achieving the intended results. The first two principles should be already incorporated when preparing the budget of your application.

Respect of EU policies Project proposals have to respect: Equal opportunities Protection and improvement of the environment Public procurement rules State Aid

State Aid discipline in a nutshell (1/4) Art of the Treaty of the European Union says: „(…) any aid granted by a Member State or through State resources in any form whatsoever which distorts or threatens to distort competition by favouring certain undertakings or the production of certain goods shall, in so far as it affects trade between Member States, be incompatible with the common market“.

State Aid discipline in a nutshell (2/4) All the following three conditions have to be met in order to consider the aid subject to the State Aid discipline: 1.The aid is provided by a public body; 2.The final beneficiary is an undertaking, that is “any entity engaged in an economic activity, regardless of its legal status and the way in which it is financed”; 3.The aid distorts or can potentially distort competition and affects trade among the Member States.

State Aid discipline in a nutshell (3/4) It is not, therefore, the legal status of the partner but the nature of the activities that it intends to implement that determines whether the State Aid discipline is applicable or not.

State Aid discipline in a nutshell (4/4) In case the activities of a partner are considered as State Aid relevant, de minimis applies. Max amount of aid is limited to EUR (EUR in the road transport sector) over a timescale of three fiscal years. Percentages of co-financing established by the ERDF Regulation and applicable according to the location of the partner apply (75%-85%).

Step 0 the project proposal reaches the JTS Step 1 Administrative compliance check Step 2 Financial capacity check (only for private Lead Applicant - Priority 1 Step 3a State Aid compliance check Step 3b Quality assessment Step 4 Assessment consolidation Monitoring Committee decision If the project proposal does not pass this step, the further steps do not take place and the project is rejected Results validated by the MC The evaluation process (1/2)

Step 0 the project proposal reaches the JTS Step 1 Administrative compliance check Step 2 Financial capacity check (only for private Lead Applicant - Priority 1 Step 3a State Aid compliance check Step 3b Quality assessment Step 4 Assessment consolidation Monitoring Committee decision Notification of results to all Lead Applicants Communication to Lead Applicants Notification of results to all Lead Applicants Notification of receipt The evaluation process (2/2)

>Internet Platform ( >Publications >Lead Applicant Briefings - Venice, Italy: 9-10 February Budapest, Hungary: February Stuttgart, Germany: February 2009 >Seminars for Lead and Project Partners in - Project management - Finance management - Communication/Media-relations >Thematic events in co-operation with Contact Points >Individual Consultations on demand >Participation in project events on demand JTS SUPPORT to projects

 wwww.central2013.eu  Thematically structured in line with the four programme priorities  Daily updated news  Permanently updated calendar of events  Document Centre  „How to implement“- Section  Tools and FAQs  Planned: Regional profiles, discussion forum, etc. JTS SUPPORT: Programme Website Updates: Please register on our website and we will keep you posted!

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