# C_2007078EN.01002101.xml

| 11.4.2007 | EN | Official Journal of the European Union | C 78/21 |
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11.4.2007

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 78/21

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RESTRICTED CALL FOR PROPOSALS — DG EAC/08/07

RESTRICTED CALL FOR PROPOSALS

European Year of Intercultural Dialogue 2008

(2007/C 78/10)

1.   Introduction/Background

The Decision No 1983/2006/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2006 establishing the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue 2008 (EYID 2008) (1) foresees a number of measures to be implemented by the European Commission.

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The Culture Unit of the Directorate General for Education and Culture (DG EAC) of the Commission will be the service responsible for implementing the call for proposals.

2.   Objectives and Description

The overall budget allocated to the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue is EUR 10 million. A total amount of EUR 3 million is dedicated to the co-financing of actions on a national scale.

The Commission is launching this restricted call for proposals in order to co-finance events and initiatives at national level and regional level with a strong European dimension aimed at promoting the objectives of the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue, through directly involving or otherwise reaching as many people as possible, with particular attention being given to actions relating to civic education and learning to appreciate other people and their differences.

The Commission recognizes that national experiences of cultural diversity and the approach of intercultural dialogue are diverse. It should be therefore handled in a way which takes into account the particularities of each Member State. The bodies responsible for the coordination of the Year 2008 in the Member States will be responsible for submitting projects to the European Commission for financial support.

The objectives of the Year 2008 cannot be achieved without the active intervention of all stakeholders at national, regional and local level. In the context of the National Strategies for the European Year 2008, the community shall contribute to and facilitate the organisation of major projects with a strong European dimension likely to have the effect of mobilising civil society and all stakeholders within the EU Member States.

3.   Timetable

Applications (one final beneficiary per Member State) must be sent by each National Coordination Body to the Commission no later than 31 July 2007 for projects co-financed under 2007 budget and 14 September 2007 for projects co-financed under 2008 budget.

According to the budget breakdown specified above:

| — | Projects co-financed under 2007 budget must start in 2007. Under no circumstances can eligibility period start before 1 November 2007. The intention is to inform applicants of the outcome of the selection procedure no later than the month of October 2007. It is planned that beneficiaries will receive their agreements for signing in November 2007. |
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Projects co-financed under 2007 budget must start in 2007. Under no circumstances can eligibility period start before 1 November 2007. The intention is to inform applicants of the outcome of the selection procedure no later than the month of October 2007. It is planned that beneficiaries will receive their agreements for signing in November 2007.

| — | Projects co-financed under 2008 budget must start in 2008 no later than 1 September 2008 (the core of the project being in 2008). Under no circumstances can eligibility period start before 1 January 2008. The intention is to inform applicants of the outcome of the selection procedure no later than the month of December 2007. It is planned that beneficiaries will receive their agreements for signing in January/February 2008. |
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Projects co-financed under 2008 budget must start in 2008 no later than 1 September 2008 (the core of the project being in 2008). Under no circumstances can eligibility period start before 1 January 2008. The intention is to inform applicants of the outcome of the selection procedure no later than the month of December 2007. It is planned that beneficiaries will receive their agreements for signing in January/February 2008.

The period of eligibility of costs will start on the day the grant agreement is signed by the Commission. On exceptional cases, if a beneficiary can demonstrate the need to start the action before the agreement is signed, expenditure may be authorised before the agreement is signed.

The duration of the eligibility period of each EU-grant agreement will be maximum 12 months.

However, if after the signing of the agreement and the start of the project it becomes impossible for the beneficiary, for fully justified reasons beyond his control, to complete the project within the scheduled period, an extension to the eligibility period may be granted. A maximum extension of maximum 3 additional months will be granted, if requested before the deadline specified in the agreement. The maximum duration will then be 15 months.

4.   Budget available

The total budget earmarked, under this call, for the co-financing of projects on a national scale is EUR 3 000 000 (30 % of total budget). As an indication, each country's respective share will be calculated taking into account the basis of its voting rights in the Council.

Financial support will be granted to 27 projects (1 per Member State). It is foreseen to co-finance 4 to 7 national projects out of 27 in 2007, and 20 to 23 national projects in 2008.

Financial contribution from the Commission cannot exceed 50 % of total eligible cost of each project (2).

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The quality of the projects will be taken into account in the final allocation of funds.

The European Commission reserves the right not to distribute all the funds available.

5.   Eligibility criteria

5.1   Eligible establishments/bodies/types of beneficiary

Participation in this call is restricted to National Coordination Bodies designated by the Member States. The National Coordination Bodies shall present to the Commission the project(s) for which they ask a community financing and shall designate one final beneficiary. The National Coordination Body itself may be a final beneficiary if it fulfils the relevant criteria for beneficiaries.

The designated beneficiaries shall present the following characteristics:

| — | Be a public or private body (3) having experience in the field of intercultural dialogue and whose registered office is located in one of the EU Member States. |
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Be a public or private body (3) having experience in the field of intercultural dialogue and whose registered office is located in one of the EU Member States.

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| — | These bodies must also have the financial capacity and operational capacity to complete the action proposed, |
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These bodies must also have the financial capacity and operational capacity to complete the action proposed,

| — | No individuals will be eligible. |
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No individuals will be eligible.

5.2   Eligible countries

European Union Member States:

| | Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, the Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom). |
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Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, the Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom).

6.   Award criteria

The projects proposed for Community financial support should meet the following criteria:

| — | European dimension; |
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European dimension;

| — | Number of persons (including young people) directly and indirectly affected; |
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Number of persons (including young people) directly and indirectly affected;

| — | Education, sustainability, trans-sectoral approach and innovation. |
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Education, sustainability, trans-sectoral approach and innovation.

7.   Further information

The detailed Specifications of the call and its annexes are available on the following website:

http://ec.europa.eu/culture/eac/index_en.html

Applications must comply with the requirements set out in the Specifications and be submitted using the application form provided.

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(1)  OJ L 412, 30.12.2006, p. 44.

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(2)  Article 7 of Decision No 1983/2006/EC.

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(3)  In the context of the Guidelines pursuant to this call, a public body is considered as any body, any part of whose costs is financed from the State budget as of right, either by central, regional or local government. That is, these costs are financed from public sector funds raised through taxation or fines or fees regulated by law, without going through an application process which might result in their being unsuccessful in obtaining funds. Organisations that depend on State funding for their existence and receive grants year after year, but for which there exist at least the theoretical possibility that they may fail to receive money one year are considered by the Commission as private bodies.

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