Education and training : grants to bodies active at European level, 2004-2006 action programme

PURPOSE : to give a legal base to the Community action programmes promoting bodies active at European level and support specific activities in the field of education and training. LEGISLATIVE ACT : Decision 791/2004/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a Community action programme to promote bodies active at European level and support specific activities in the field of education and training. CONTENT : this Decision aims to support the activities of bodies in the field of education and training. The following activities are covered by the programme: - the ongoing work programme of a body operating at European or world level which pursues an aim of general European interest in the field of education and training or an objective forming part of the European Union's policy in this area; - a specific action promoting the European Union's action in this area, providing information on European integration and the objectives pursued by the Union in its international relations or supporting Community action and relaying it at national level. In particular, these activities must contribute, or be capable of contributing, to the development and implementation of Community cooperation policy and actions in the field of education and training. The programme shall start on 1 January 2004 and shall end on 31 December 2006. The financial framework for the implementation of the programme is hereby set at EUR 77 million. To be eligible for a grant, a body must satisfy the requirements of the Annex and have the following characteristics: - it must be an independent and non-profit-making legal person primarily active in the field of education and training, with an objective aimed at the public good; - it must have been legally established for more than two years and have had its annual statement of accounts for the two preceding years certified by a registered auditor. Participation in actions under the programme may be opened to bodies established in acceding States which signed the Treaty of Accession on 16 April 2003; the EFTA/EEA countries, in accordance with the conditions laid down in the EEA Agreement; - Romania and Bulgaria, the conditions for participation to be laid down in accordance with the European Agreements, their additional protocols and the decisions of the respective Association Councils; Turkey, the conditions for participation to be laid down in accordance with the Framework Agreement between the European Community and the Republic of Turkey of 26 February 2002 on the general principles for the participation of the Republic of Turkey in Community programmes. The activities carried out by the bodies eligible for Community funding under the programme fall within one of the following areas: - Action 1: Support for specified institutions active in the fields of education and training. Grants may be awarded under this action of the programme to support certain operational and administrative costs of the following institutions pursuing an aim of general European interest such as the College of Europe (Bruges and Natolin campuses, the European University Institute, Florence, the European Institute of Public Administration, Maastricht, the Academy of European Law in Trier, the European Inter-University Centre for Human Rights and Democratisation, theAdvanced Internship Programme and other education, training and research activities in promotion of human rights and democratisation; the European Agency for Development in Special Needs Education, the International Centre for European Training. The resources to be committed under Action 1 will be not more than 65 % and not less than 58 % of the total budget available for this programme. - Action 2: Support for European associations active in the field of education or training. Grants may be awarded under this action of the programme to support certain operational and administrative costs of European associations active in the field of education and training. Grants will be awarded under this action following the selection of proposals submitted in response to one or more published calls for proposals. The Community grant will not cover more than 75 % of the eligible costs set out in an approved workplan for the association. Grants may be awarded on an annual basis or on a renewable basis within a framework partnership agreement with the Commission. The resources to be committed under Action 2 will not be more than 4 % of the total budget available for this programme. - Action 3a: Support for activities in the field of higher education concerning European integration, including Jean Monnet chairs. Grants will be awarded under this action following the selection of proposals submitted in response to one or more published calls for proposals. The Community grant will not cover more than 75 % of the eligible costs of activities selected for funding under this action. The resources to be committed under Action 3A will be not more than 24 % and not less than 20 % of the total budget available for this programme. - Action 3B: Support for activities contributing to the achievement of the future objectives of education and training systems in Europe. The Community grant will not normally cover more than 75 % of the eligible costs of selected proposals. The resources to be committed under Action 3B will be not more than 14 % and not less than 9 % of the total budget available for this programme. - Action 3C: Support for training of national judges in the field of European law. Grants may be awarded under this action to support actions undertaken by organisations for judicial cooperation and other actions designed to promote training in European law, notably for national judges. The Community grant will not normally cover more than 75 % of the eligible costs of the activity set out in an approved workplan. The resources to be committed under Action 3C will not be more than 4 % of the total budget available for this programme. Not later than 31 December 2007, the Commission shall submit a report to the European Parliament and the Council on the achievement of the programme's objectives. The Commission shall moreover report to the European Parliament and to the Council on an annual basis on the implementation of the programme. The European Parliament and the Council shall, in accordance with the Treaty, decide on the continuation of the programme as from 1 January 2007. ENTRY INTO FORCE : 1 May 2004.�