Culture: grants to bodies active at European level, 2004-2006 action programme

PURPOSE : to establish a Community action programme to promote bodies active at European level in the field of culture. LEGISLATIVE ACT : Decision 792/2004/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a Community action programme to promote bodies active at European level in the field of culture. CONTENT : based on Article 151 of the EC Treaty, this Decision is intended, following the implementation of the new Financial Regulation applicable to the budget of the European Communities, to establish a basic act for awarding grants to promote organisations active at European level and support specific activities in the area of culture. This programme will cover certain former budget lines in Part A, Chapter 30 of the budget, particularly those aimed at supporting the European Bureau for Lesser Used Languages and Mercator, protecting the sites of Nazi concentration camps as historical monuments, and awarding grants to organisations of European cultural interest. This Decision establishes a Community action programme to promote bodies active at European level in the field of culture. The general objective of the programme is to support the activities of these bodies. The programme covers the following activities: - the ongoing work programme of a body which pursues an aim of general European interest in the field of culture or an objective forming part of the European Union's policy in this area; - a specific action in this area. These activities must contribute, or be capable of contributing, to the development and implementation of Community cooperation policy and actions in the field of culture. The programme shall start on 1 January 2004 and shall end on 31 December 2006. To be eligible for a grant, a body must satisfy the requirements of Annex I and have the following characteristics: - it must be an independent and non-profit-making legal person primarily active in the field of culture, 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; - its activities must be in accordance with the principles underlying Community action in the field of culture and take account of the priorities set out in Annex I. Operating grants for the ongoing work programme of a body pursuing an aim of general European interest in the field of culture or an objective forming part of the European Union's policy in this area shall be awarded in accordance with the overall criteria laid down in Annex I. Grants for actions specified in the programme shall be awarded in accordance with the overall criteria laid down in Annex I. Actions shall be selected by means of a call for proposals. Grants under the different actions of the programme shall be awarded in compliance with the provisions set out in the relevant part of Annex I. The financial framework for the implementation of the programme is hereby set at EUR 19 million. The annual appropriations shall be authorised by the budgetary authority within the limits of the financial perspective. The measures necessary for the implementation of this Decision relating to the matters referred to below shall be adopted in accordance with the management procedure referred to in Article 7(2): - the annual plan of work, including objectives, priorities, the selection criteria and procedures; - the financial support to be supplied by the Community (amounts, duration and recipients) in the areas covered by actions under part 2 and 3 of Annex I, and the general guidelines for implementing the programme; - the annual budget and the breakdown of funds among the different actions of the programme; - the arrangements for monitoring and evaluating the programme and for the dissemination and transfer of results; The measures necessary for the implementation of this Decision relating to all other matters shall be adopted in accordance with the advisory procedure referred to in Article 7(3). The Commission shall be assisted by the Committee provided for in Decision No 508/2000/EC. The Commission shall present to the European Parliament and the Council: - not later than 31 December 2005, a report on the implementation of the programme, on the achievement of its objectives and on a possible future programme to replace the present programme. The Commission shall moreover report to the European Parliament and Council on an annual basis on the implementation of the programme. - not later than 31 December 2007 a report on the achievement of the programme's objectives. This report shall be based, inter alia, on the outcome of the external evaluation and shall assess the results obtained by the beneficiaries of the programme, in particular as regards the effectiveness, efficiency and content of their actions, considered overall and individually, in achieving the objectives set out in Article 1 and in Annex I. ENTRY INTO FORCE : 1 May 2004.�