EuropeAid Co-operation Office

Brussels

TACIS CBC SPFTACIS CBC SPFTACIS Cross-Border Co-operation Small Project Facility

BSR Partner Search Forum, Gdansk (Poland) 16-17/06/2003

Catherine BODSON

Tacis CBC SPF ProgrammeTacis CBC SPF Programme Cross-border co-operation is one of the

multi-country programmes of the Tacis Programme

Small Project Facility: The support is provided by means of grants (max. 200.000€)

Tacis CBC SPF has this year a budget of 6,7 m€ (budget year 2002)

Indicative budget next Call for Proposals (December 2003): 9,2 M€

Wider Europe Communication:(03/2003)

1.“…the EU should aim to develop a zone of prosperity and a friendly neighbourhood…with whom the EU enjoys close, peaceful and co-operative relations”

The Tacis CBC Small Project FacilityThe Tacis CBC Small Project Facility

Wider Europe CommunicationWider Europe Communication

2. “Promote regional and subregional co-operation and integration that are the preconditions for political stability, economic development and the reduction of poverty and social division in our shared environment.”

Overall Objectives Tacis CBC SPFOverall Objectives Tacis CBC SPF

Have an impact on living standards in the border regions of Russia, Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine

Have a cross-border impact: to foster co-operation between regions and local authorities in the NIS, EU and CEC

To support projects addressing a common CBC problem or developing the partners competencies on both sides of the borders

Focuses on:Focuses on:

The cross-border dimension of projects and the local/regional dimension

The common challenges The partnerships The sustainability of co-operation The co-ordination with other

funding sources

Budget and durationBudget and duration SPF projects: min. 100.000 €

max. 200.000 €

MPF (Micro Project Facility):

min. 10.000 €

max. 50.000 €

Partners’ co-financing: min 20%

Max. duration: 18 months SPF

6 months MPF

! Guidelines revised in September 2003

Spheres of Co-operationSpheres of Co-operation

Just one please! Local Economic development

Environment and Energy Efficiency

Administrative Reforms

Social Affairs

Spheres of co-operationSpheres of co-operation

Administrative

Reforms

Management of local and regional self-

government

Decision-making procedures in local

and regional authorities

Local & regionaldemocracy -

Participative approach

Finance and budgeting

Decision-making procedures in local

and regional authorities

Relations with the public (e.g.

information provision)

Local Economic

Development

SME support and development

Economic planning and industrial

conversion Economic

development with sectoral focus

Development and tourism strategies

Strategies for tackling

unemployment

Rural diversification

Social Affairs

Urban and social health policy

Integration of national

minorities and disabled people

Youth policy

Education

Fight and prevention of

trafficking in human beings

Environment & Energy Efficiency

Environmental protection and improvement of

standards

Waste management/ treatment strategies

Transport and traffic management

Efficient energy supply and monitoring of

energy use

Use of alternative sources of energy

Eligible Partners (1)Eligible Partners (1)

Core partners

Local or Regional Authorities in the eligible regions

Association of Local and Regional Authorities

Entity closely linked to the local or regional authority (Regional Development Agency) and mainly owned by the authority

Min 2 core partners NIS/EU or NIS/Phare

Partnership ? (2)Partnership ? (2)

Additional partners Role of the eventual EU partner Local or Regional Authorities in the

eligible regions NGOs Public Utilities Locally or Regionally based education

centres Subcontractors for a limited and specific

part of the project (may even be commercial enterprises)

Examples of Eligible ActivitiesExamples of Eligible Activities

Training of personnel Study visits Establishment of best practice and

procedures System analysis and transfer of

knowledge Establishment of advisory and

development functions Sectoral and regional studies Environmental management Human and institutional capacity

building measures

Types of non-eligible projectsTypes of non-eligible projects

Individual sponsorships Individual scholarships One-off conferences Projects exceeding 18 months Projects submitted by other than

local/regional authorities or associations of local/regional authorities

Singular cultural events

Project Selection CycleProject Selection Cycle

The PSC starts as from publication of the Call for Proposals

3 months to prepare a project and send it to the EC, where tha application is registered

Evaluation Committee on Administrative compliance and Eligibility

Evaluation by experts and inter-service consultation

Second Evaluation Committee for final decision

Approval of decision by hierarchy

Evaluation and Selection CriteriaEvaluation and Selection Criteria

Administrative Compliance

Eligibility of applicants, partners and project

Evaluation of the quality of the proposal

Financial Evaluation of project

Evaluation grid

Grounds for rejection of a proposalGrounds for rejection of a proposal

Application received after the closing date

Application is incomplete The applicant or partners are ineligible The project is ineligible The project is not relevant The relevance and quality of the

proposal is lower than that of the selected proposals

Financial quality is insufficient After consultation with other services,

project is rejected (overlap, bad experience, etc)

Other Sources of FundingOther Sources of Funding

INTERREG: Finnish / Russian border + BSR

Phare CBC on CEEC / NIS borders

Co-ordination with the other Co-ordination with the other ProgrammesProgrammes

Exchange of information with Delegation, INTERREG Secretariats and other services of the Commission

Developing common procedures with INTERREG and Phare in view of the future guidelines

Priority to support projects with a clear link to an INTERREG or a Phare project (projects, which could not be implemented without both fundings)

What happens after signature of What happens after signature of the contract?the contract?

Project partners:

- Transparency between partners

- Communication with project partners and with Project Manager

- Role of partners

- Activities of each partner Tacis financing covers:

- The activities for the benefit of the Tacis partner

- The input of the different experts of the project + travel expenses/per diems

- The equipment purchases of the Tacis partner

The internal organisation of your The internal organisation of your projectproject

The Project Team The key implementing instrument

- Project Co-ordinator

- Financial Co-ordinator

- Partners contact persons

The Project Team (1/3)The Project Team (1/3)

Duties of the Project Co-ordinator

Co-ordination of the projects (making things happen)

Liaison with Project Managers of the EC Liaison with Financial Co-ordinator Compilation the reports Publication and communication on

project results Identification of a substitute...

The Project Team (2/3)The Project Team (2/3)

Duties of the Financial Co-ordinator

Belongs to the lead authority Prepares the project ’s financial

reporting systems (incl. Bookkeeping) Close communication with the other

project partners Keeps track on budget and expenditure Liases with the auditor Compiles the financial reports to the

Project Manager AND the EC

The Project Team (3/3)The Project Team (3/3)

Partners

Each partner identifies a contact person who is:

Actively involved at all stages and communicates with other partners

Responsible for the participation of the partner in the project

Ensures adequate bookkeeping Prepares the partner’s contribution to

the reports

Co-financingCo-financing

20% of the total amount of the project

No in-kind contribution allowed

Types of financial contribution:

- Cash

- Fees of civil servants (daily rates on the market)

- All other expenses made by the partners for the project

Before designing a project Before designing a project proposal proposal

Identify the needs/problems of the beneficiary country

Identify if these needs/problems are met by potential partners in the border regions

Identify the solutions adopted by other countries / border regions / partners

Identify possible partnership with border regions and eventual EU countries

When designing a project When designing a project proposalproposal

Be clear ! Be consistent Transparency with the project

partners Communication with the partners Budget / Expenses for the benefit

of the Tacis partner• Staff• Equipment• Travel expenses and per diems

Sustainability of the project

Joint ProjectsJoint Projects Definition:

Joint projects are prepared by the project partners on both sides of the border and are implemented jointly on each side of the border

Financing:

The Tacis funding covers the activities for the benefit of the Tacis partner, while INTERREG/Phare cover the activities of the EU/Phare partners

Link between applications

In theory, a true joint project can only be successful if both sides of the border receive the funding...

Joint ProjectsJoint Projects

Information Sheets until 2004

Exchange of information with the Secretariats until 2004

Neighbourhood Instrument for the 2004-2006 period: single application, single evaluation, allocation per border (INTERREG model)

Post EnlargementPost Enlargement

No real changes except new INTERREG Programmes

Eligible areas: the same border

Priorities of Tacis CBC SPF remain unchanged

Assistance to ApplicantsAssistance to Applicants Russia

Kaliningrad and Southwestern Russia: Catherine BODSON (EU Commission)

Leningrad Oblast and Northwestern Russia: Mia-Fatima DUBOIS-BOUSSAID (EU Commission)

St Petersburg Liaison Office

Belarus Martin EISENBEIS (EU Commission) National Co-ordinating Unit (NCU) EC Delegation in Minsk (Tacis

Branch Office)

Assistance to ApplicantsAssistance to Applicants

Moldova Martin Eisenbeis (EU Commission) NCU EC Delegation in Chisinau (Tacis

Branch Office)

Ukraine Corinne DELEU (EU Commission) NCU Delegation of the EU in Minsk

The Tacis CBC SPF Team in BrusselsThe Tacis CBC SPF Team in Brussels

Bodil PERSSONProgramme Manager Catherine BODSONProgramme Co-ordinator, Project Manager,

Kaliningrad and SW Russia Mia-Fatima DUBOIS-BOUSSAIDProject Manager, NW Russia - Leningrad Oblast Martin EISENBEISProject manager, Belarus and Moldova Corinne DELEUProject Manager, Ukraine

Contact detailsContact details

Tacis CBC SPF Website:

http://europa.eu.int/comm/europeaid/projects/tacis_cbc_spf/

index_en.htm

The European Commission

1049 Brussels - Belgium

Tel: 00 32 2 296 79 51

Fax: 00 32 2 295 74 82

e-mail: firstname.lastname@cec.eu.int