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CALL FOR PROPOSALS (No VIII-2004/01)

Budget line 3710 ‘Contributions to European political parties’

(2004/C 161/02)

1.   OBJECTIVES

1.1   Background

Article 191 of the Treaty establishing the European Community says the political parties at European level are important factor for integration within the Union. They contribute to forming a European awareness and expressing the political will of the citizens of the Union. In this context, Regulation (EC) No 2004/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 4 November 2003 (1) lays down the regulations governing political parties at European level and the rules regarding their funding. The Regulation provides, in particular, for an annual grant from the European Parliament, in the form of an operating subsidy, to political parties which apply and which satisfy the conditions laid down in the Regulation.

1.2   Objective of the call for proposals

Under Article 2 of the European Parliament Bureau Rules of 29 March 2004 laying down the procedures for implementing Regulation (EC) No 2004/2003 (2), ‘The European Parliament shall publish each year, before the end of the first half of the year, a call for proposals with a view to the awarding of grants to fund political parties at European level.’ This call for proposals relates to grant applications for the financial year 2004 and covering the period of activity from 20 July 2004 to 31 December 2004.

2.   CRITERIA AND SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS

2.1.   Admissibility

Proposals will not be admissible unless they are submitted in writing on the grant application form in Annex 1 of the above EP Bureau Rules of 29 March 2004, sent to the President of the European Parliament by the closing date and meet the conditions for the submission of applications set out below.

2.2.   Eligibility

In order to be eligible for a grant, a political party at European level must satisfy the conditions laid down in Article 3 of Regulation (EC) No 2004/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 4 November 2003 on the regulations governing political parties at European level and the rules regarding their funding, i.e.:

Applicants must also certify that they do not find themselves in any of the circumstances described in Article 93 of the Financial Regulation applicable to the general budget of the European Communities (3).

2.3.   Selection criteria

Applicants must provide evidence that they possess the legal and financial viability required to carry out the programme of activities set out in the application for funding and that they have the technical capability and management skills needed to carry out successfully the programme activities for which they are applying for a grant.

2.4   Award criteria

In accordance with Article 10 of Regulation (EC) No 2004/2003, the available appropriations for the financial year 2004 will be distributed as follows among the political parties at European level which have obtained a positive decision on their application for funding on the basis of the admissibility, eligibility and selection criteria:

2.5   Supporting documents

For the purpose of assessing the above criteria, applicants must provide the following supporting documents:

3.   COMMUNITY FUNDING

The budget for the financial year 2004 is a total of EUR 6.5 million.

The maximum amount paid to the beneficiary by Parliament may not exceed 75 % of the eligible operating costs of political parties at European level. The burden of proof shall lie with the political party concerned.

Community funding shall take the form of an operating grant as provided for by the Financial Regulation applicable to the general budget of the European Communities (Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002 (6) and the detailed rules for its implementation laid down by Commission Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 2342/2002 of 23 December 2002 (7). The arrangements for paying the grant and the obligations governing its use will be set out in a grant award agreement, a specimen of which appears in Annex 2 to the European Parliament Bureau Rules of 29 March 2004.

4.   PROCEDURE

4.1   Closing date and submission of applications

The closing date for receipt of applications is 23 July 2004. Applications received after that date will not be considered.

Proposals must:

4.2   Timetable for implementing the programme of activities

The eligible period for cofinancing of operating expenditure of European political parties runs from the date of submission of grant applications (20 July 2004 at the earliest to 23 July 2004 at the latest) until 31 December 2004.

4.3   Award procedure and timetable

The following procedure and timetable will apply to the receipt of applications by the European Parliament and the award of grants to European political parties:

4.4   Further information

The following texts are available on the EP Internet site at the following address: http://www.europarl.eu.int/tenders/default.htm:

Any questions relating to this call for proposals with a view to the awarding of grants should be sent by e-mail, quoting the publication reference, to the following address: Dklethi@europarl.eu.int.

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(1)OJ L 297, 15.11.2003, p. 1.

(2)OJ C 155, 12.06.2004.

(3)OJ L 248, 16.9.2002.

(4)  Including the list of those elected pursuant to Article 3(b), first paragraph and Article 10, paragraph 1(b).

(5)  Unless the political party at European level has been set up during the current year.

(6)OJ L 248, 16.9.2002, p. 1.

(7)OJ L 357, 31.12.2002, p. 1.

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