Annex III:
European UNION FUNDING opportunities for local sustainable development in Central and Eastern Europe
The purpose of this annex is to provide an introduction into current financial instruments of the European Union (EU), which can be used to support local sustainable development in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE).
This annex contains three main sections:
- Details of the three main instruments and the other programmes;
- National details of contact points for these programmes in ten accession countries; and
- A list of Internet resources on EU funding opportunities for local sustainable development in CEE and a list of Internet Resources of Organisations/Networks which provide further assistance to local sustainable development in CEE.
The information focuses on the ten EU candidate countries from CEE: Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovak Republic and Slovenia.
The annex is based on the brochure prepared within the project “Preparing Central and Eastern European Local Governments for the European Union Accession Process”, official publications of the European Commission and information found on the Internet.
Preparation of a project and submission of a proposal requires the study of the original sources of information. The REC cannot be held responsible for any out-to-date/ false/ misleading or inaccurate information, which has been unknowingly included into this annex.
III.1General Overview
The EU plays a prominent part in helping the emerging democracies of CEE with reconstruction and reform. In its key document 'Agenda 2000', the European Commission has made a series of proposals for the reinforcement of the pre-accession strategy for all CEE applicant countries. The general objective of the strategy is to offer a coherent programme:
- To prepare these countries for accession to the EU;
- To bring together the different forms of support provided by the EU within a single framework, the so-called Accession Partnerships; and
- To familiarise the applicants with EU policies and procedures through the possibility of their participation in Community programmes.
During the period 2000 – 2006 financial assistance from the EU to the CEE countries is channelled through three main instruments:
- PHARE programme;
- ISPA; and
- SAPARD.
The assistance is given in the general legal framework of the Association Agreements with these countries, taking account of the contents of the Accession Partnerships.
In addition to three main instruments, there are a number of other programmes from the EU that could be of interest to local authorities in CEE. These smaller programmes often require partners from the EU Member States and they are:
- TACIS;
- Life III;
- 5th Framework Research Programme;
- Save II;
- Altener II;
- Carnot;
- Synergy;
- Leonardo da Vinci II; and
- Socrates II.
III.2EU Funding Opportunities For Local Sustainable Development in CEE
Programme / outline / OBJECTIVES AND ACTIONS / FINANCING / Countries Covered& ELIGIBILITY / Duration,
deadlines
Directorate General ENLARGEMENT of the European Commission ()
PHARE II
Contact:
Mr. Günter VERHEUGEN
Rue de la Loi/ Wetstraat 200
B-1049 Brussels
Tel: +32 2 296 74 95
Fax: +32 2 295 75 02 / The PHARE Programme is currently the main channel for the EU's financial and technical co-operation with Candidate countries to help them prepare for EU membership in line with the Accession Partnership[1]. PHARE covers national, cross border and multi-country programmes. / PHARE support will focus on two main priorities:
1)Institutional Building to develop the structures, strategies, human resources and management skills needed to strengthen economic, social, regulatory and administrative capacity for implementation of acquis communautaire[2] and fulfilling the requirements of the first Copenhagen criteria[3]. The main instrument will be twinning and technical assistance through TAIEX[4].
2)Investment to strengthen the regulatory infrastructure needed to ensure compliance with aquis and direct, acquis-related investment (environment, transport, industrial plan, quality standards in products, working conditions, etc.). / PHARE will provide in total 1 560 million EURO per year for all countries. Institutional Building will receive approximately 30 % and Investment 70 % of PHARE resources. PHARE funding may also be used to finance the measures, which are not covered by ISPA and SAPARD. / EU accession candidate countries[5]
Who is eligible?
Ministries, organisations with public mandate related to the acquis at national, regional and local level and professional and representative organisations, companies and also non-governmental bodies.
The PHARE programme will be implemented under the decentralised implementation system with the Commission's supervision. / Duration:
2000 – 2006
Call for proposal and deadlines:
In line with plans prepared by each candidate country based on NPAA[6] and overall timetable for implementation of pre-accession instruments.
Directorate General EXTERNAL RELATIONS of the European Commission ()
TACIS CROSS-BORDER CO-OPERATION SMALL PROJECT FACILITY
Contact:
PHARE/TACIS CBC Project Facility
???Vestsjaellans amt, Alleen, 15
4180 Soro, Denmark
Tel: +455787 23 15
Fax: +455787 23 25
/ The main purpose is to foster co-operation between local and regional authorities and to support priority areas by enabling NIS, CEE and EU partners to work together on cross-border projects. / The programme's objective is to support projects whichprojects, which seek to address a common problem or to develop the partners' competencies in the areas of administrative reforms, local economic development, social affairs, environment and energy efficiency. The project should be within a specific range of spheres of co-operation, relevant to the competencies of local and regional authorities. The TACIS CBC Small Project Facility supports projects with duration of up to 18 months. The TACIS CBC Micro Project Facility supports projects with duration of up to 6 months. The maximum project implementation period is 18 months.The Phare Baltic Project Facility is being phased out. The facility is replaced by a new decentralized programme, the Phare Special Action in Favour of the Baltic Sea Region - Phare Small Project Fund. The programme is divided into four programmes managed by each Phare country around the Baltic Sea. It is the respective national authorities that are responsible for the management of the programmes and they decide on call for proposals and the design of application forms and the criteria for selection. / The co-financing by EC cannot exceed a max. of 80 % of the total project costs. The maximum amount of grant is 200 000 EURO and mimimum is 100 000 EURO per project from the TACIS CBC Small Project Facility, , and 5the minimum is 50 000 EURO per project from the TACIS CBC Micro Project Facility. / The eligible border areas for NIS/EU projects include eligible CBC areas of the NIS bordering the EU, including maritime borders and not limited to the common land border between Russia and Finland.
The eligible border areas for NIS/CEEC projects include Russian, Belorussian, Ukrainian and Moldovan CBC regions bordering to Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary or Romania. Eligible partnerships depend on the countries and border regions involved in the project.
Who is eligible?
Local and regional authorities, including associations of local and regional authorities or entities closely linked to and/or owned by a local or regional authority, within the eligible areas of the NIS, CEEC and EU, can apply in partnerships. The projects can be implemented in co-operation with NGOs or other non-profit making regional actors such as public utilities and regionally based education centres, from the eligible areas. Projects must consist of a minimum of two partners on NIS/EU borders between Russia and the EU Baltic Sea States, on NIS/CEEC borders between Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova and CEEC border region. Additional partners can be included from the EU. / Duration:
Yyearly allocation of money.
Call for proposal and deadlines:
For Tacis CBC Small Project Facility18 Dec 2001. For TACIS CBC Micro Project Facility there is no fixed deadlines as the facility is always openfor applications.15. March 2000
TACIS CITY TWINNING PROGRAMME
Contact:
Mr. Rose TAMSIN
TACIS City Twinning Programme Secretariat
108, rue d’Arlon
B-1040 Brussels
Tel: +32 2 280 08 66
Fax: +32 2 280 08 74
/ The programme aims at improving the organisation and procedures of administrative or technical services. The aim is realised by means of practical and continuous training of managerial staff in NIS local and regional authorities. It is also expected that the programme will contribute to reinforcing the partnerships on a long-term basis and the decentralised co-operation between EU and NIS authorities. / The project theme must be an area of competence of the local and regional partner authorities and must address issues related to ongoing reforms undertaken by NIS partners. Fields of co-operation could be:
- Public administration;
- Management of urban services, area planning and land development;
- Environment, waste, energy efficiency, water, transport;
- Social policy, employment, health;
- Economic development, SME assistance, public/private partnership,
- Other areas of local and regional competence..
and NIS (Kazakhstan, Kyrgysztan, Moldova, Russia, Ukraine).
There is also a renewed call for proposals for co-operation with Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Mongolia and Georgia.
Who is eligible?
Local and regional authorities in partnership from EU and NIS. Each project should involve one NIS and one or several EU authorities. One EU authority should act as “project leader” and submit the proposal. / Duration:
A new regulation for the Tacis Programme is now expected to be adopted some time early 2000 and will cover the period 2000 – 2006
Call for proposal and deadlines:
Not announced.
Directorate General AGRICULTURE of the European Commission ()(
SAPARD
Contact:
Mr. Alan WILKINSON
European Commission; Agriculture DG; Directorate F - Horizontal aspects of rural Development; SAPARD kaj Mortensen
Rue de la Loi 200/Wetstraat 200
1049 Brussels 200 rue de la Loi, L 130 6/163
B-1040 Brussels, Belgium
Tel: +32- 2- 299 11 11296 47 86
/ Support for pre-accession measures for agriculture, rural development and forestry. The main aim is to meet the requirements of the relevant acquis communautaire, focusing on EU' s common agricultural policy (CAP). / Support for agriculture and rural development shall relate to one or more of the following measures:
- Investment in agricultural holdings
- Water resources management
- Setting up farm relief and farm management services, producer groups
- Establishing and updating land registers
- Improving the processing and marketing of agricultural and fishery products, the structures for quality, veterinary and plant health controls
- Developing and promoting rural infrastructure
- Promoting agricultural production methods that aim to protect the environment
- Financing technical assistance, including studies
- Improving vocational training.
Technical assistance can be financed up to 100 % of the total cost. This is limited to 2% of the total annual budget. / EU accession candidate countries between the year 2000 and the time they join the Union.
Who is eligible?
The proposal shall be drafted in close collaboration between the Commission, the applicant country, the competent authorities and bodies and other partners at the appropriate level. Applications are to be transmitted by the appropriate national authorities. Community support will be implemented in the form of multi-annual programmes. / Duration:
2000 – 2006
Call for proposal and deadlines:
In line with plan prepared by each country and overall timetable for implementation of pre-accession instruments.
Directorate General ENVIRONMENT of the European Commission(
LIFE III
Contact:
Mr Bruno JULIEN
LIFE Unit
Beaulieu 9, 2 floor-01
1049 Brussels
Tel: +32 2 295 61 33
Fax: +32 2 296 95 56
/ Life is a financial instrument for three major areas of action: environment, nature protection and technical assistance for some third countries. While all three areas aim to improve the environment, each has its specific priorities. The LIFE III regulation has been adopted by the Council (29/6/2000) and by the European Parliament (5/7/2000). / LIFE Environment: Innovative and demonstration actions for industry; demonstration, promotion and technical assistance actions for local authorities; and preparatory actions to support community legislation and policies. / Maximum rate of support is 50 % of the eligible cost (exception: 30% for income generating actions when beneficiary’s contribution should be at least as much as Community’s contribution. / Member States, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Romania and Slovenia have fulfilled the necessary financial requirements, which enable them to participate in the current exercise (2000-2001). Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Poland, the Slovak Republic may decide to participate in the future.
Who is eligible?
LIFE is open to all natural or legal persons. Applications are to be transmitted by the appropriate national authorities through Delegations of the EU. / Duration:
2000 – 2004
Call for proposal and deadlines:
Life Environment: November 30 2001
Life Third ountries: November 30 2001
Life Nature: October 31 2001
LIFE Nature: Actions aiming at the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora of EU interest. In practice, LIFE Nature projects must contribute to the implementation of the “Birds” and “Habitats” Community Directives and, in particular, to the establishment of the European network of protected areas .
(Natura 2000) / Community financial support is maximum rate of 50% of the eligible cost.
On an exceptional case, this rate can be increased to a maximum of 75% for those projects clearly aiming at priority natural habitats or priority species. / As per LIFE Environment
LIFE Third Countries: Technical assistance in the establishment of environment administrative structures, nature conservation actions and demonstration actions promoting sustainable development. / The Commission favors projects whose total costs are above 300 000 EURO and under The proportion of Community financial support is limited to 70% of the eligible costs. / Albania, Algeria, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Malta, Morocco, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, the West bank and Gaza and the Baltic shoreline of Russia (Kaliningrad and St. Petersburg regions).
AD HOC PROJECTS
Contact:
ENV.2 Environmental cooperation with European third countries
Environment Directorate-General
European Commission
Rue de la Loi 200
B-1049 Brussels
Tel: +322 299 5182
/ Projects, which may be eligible for co-financing, will have to be in line with one or more of the objectives defined in the Community environmental legislation or help to promote those objectives among specific target groups. / Funding rates vary from 20 – 80% of eligible costs. / EU, EU accession candidate countries
Who is eligible?
Non-profit organisations. / Duration:
Yearly allocation of money.
Call for proposal and deadlines:
Not announced
Directorate General RESEARCH of the European Commission (
THE 5TH FRAMEWORK PROGRAMME
(Thematic Programme: Environment and sustainable development)
Contact:
Mr. David MILES
Unit "City of Tomorrow and Cultural Heritage"
European Commission, DG Research, D.1.4.
Square de Meeûs 8 (office 4/76),
1050 Brussels
Tel: +32 2 296 2019
Fax: +32 2 295 0656
/ The 5th Framework Programme defines EU's strategic priorities for Research, Technological Development and Demonstration activities and has been conceived to help solve problems and to respond to major socio-economic challenges. It comprises four thematic programmes and three horizontal programmes. / Thematic Programme “Environment and sustainable development” (4A) aims to help reduce the impact of human activity on environment and is the most relevant for local sustainable development issues. To achieve the objectives, 4 key actions have been identified:
1)Sustainable management and quality water
(management of water in the city, socio-economic aspects of sustainable use of water, strategic planning and integrated management methodologies and tools etc)
2)Global change, climate and biodiversity
(reconciling the conservation of biodiversity with economic development, fighting land degradation and desertification etc)
3)Sustainable marine ecosystems
(transport pathways and impacts of pollutants in the marine environment, coastal processes monitoring etc)
4)The city of tomorrow and cultural heritage
(Revitalisation of city centres and neighbourhoods, development of innovative conservation strategies etc)
5) Cleaner energy systems, including renewables
(large-scale electricity generation, integration of new energy sources, power production and conversion technologies for renewables)
6) Economic and efficient energy for a competitive Europe
(rational and efficient end-use, fossil fuel production, transmission and distribution, improved efficiency, macro- and micro-scale storage, supply and demand scenarios)
7)Nuclear Fission
(operational safety, reactor safety and protection and fuel cycle safety)
8)Controlled Thermonuclear Fusion
(building, operating and upgrading magnetic fusion devices, tritium-breeding blankets and reference structural materials, etc).
The following types of actions are supported: research and technological development projects, demonstration projects, combined projects, concerted actions, training fellowships, research training networks and accompanying measures. / 2 143 million EURO are allocated for the “Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development’ sub-programme.
Max. 100 % of the eligible costs will be covered for training fellowships, research training networks, concerted actions and accompanying measures.
35 – 50 % of total eligible costs will be covered for shared cost activities as R&D projects, demonstration projects, combined projects, and SME co-operative research projects. / EU, EU accession candidate countries
Who is eligible?
Any legal entity, which is involved in research, the dissemination of research results, or the exploitation of these results. The proposal must involve at least two organisations from two Member States or one Member State and one Associated State. / Duration:
1998 – 2002
Call for proposal and deadlines: Deadlines vary according to the particular programme and key action
(Please check on the Internet).
PROGRAM FOR RESEARCH, TECHNOLOGICAL
DEVELOPMENT AND DEMONSTRATION ACTIVITIES
Contact:
Mr. Philippe BUSQUIN
Research Directorate-General European Commission, SDME 2/85