Relations EU/non-industrialised regions: grants to specialised bodies, action programme 2004-2006

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). CONTENT : the Community implements a policy of financial, economic and technical cooperation with various parts of the world. Several institutions have for a number of years been receiving operating grants under chapter A 30 of the general budget of the European Communities. The adoption of Council Regulation 1605/2002/EC on the Financial Regulation applicable to the general budget of the European Communities and the Commission decision to move to Activity Based Budgeting (ABB) both involve establishing basic instruments for a number of grants. Accordingly, the objective of this proposal is to establish a basic instrument for awarding grants to the above-mentioned organisations. The activities to be financed under this basic instrument are those that increase understanding and dialogue concerning relations between the European Union and the regions concerned, via inter alia: -study and analysis of the policies of the EU and the region concerned, -the production of discussion documents, -the organisation of round tables and/or thematic seminars, - various publications. The grant beneficiaries must be selected by means of a call for proposals. Until now the Budget Authority has asked for the recipients of such grants to be named in the titles of the budget headings. For recipients to be named in the basic instrument, the qualifications of the body must make it the only possible choice but, given the type of recipients awarded grants until now, the conditions are not being met. The amounts provided for are based on the amount granted under the 2003 budget of the European Communities for lines A-3031, A-3033, A-3034 and A-3039. It is proposed to maintain the same amount of EUR 1 353 000 per year. With regard to the legal base, the operations covered by this Decision are not cooperation measures falling directly under the policies of development cooperation or cooperation with other third countries and yet are necessary to achieve one of the Community's objectives. For the adoption of this Decision, therefore, the Treaty does not provide powers of action other than those laid down in Article 308 EC.�