# C_2016148EN.01000601.xml

| 27.4.2016 | EN | Official Journal of the European Union | C 148/6 |
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27.4.2016

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 148/6

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HERCULE III Programme

Call for proposals — 2016

Technical Assistance for the fight against EU fraud

(2016/C 148/04)

1.   Objectives and description

Objectives and description

This notice of Call for Proposals is based on Regulation (EU) No 250/2014 establishing the Hercule III Programme (1), in particular Article 8(a) (‘Eligible Actions’), as well as the Financing Decision 2016 adopting the annual work programme (2) for the implementation of the Hercule III Programme in 2016, in particular Section 6.1, actions: 1-4 (‘Specific actions for technical assistance’).

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The Financing Decision 2016 provides for the organisation of a Call for Proposals ‘Technical Assistance’.

2.   Eligible applicants

Eligible applicants

The bodies eligible for funding under the Programme are national or regional administrations (‘Applicants’) of a Member State which promote the strengthening of European Union action to protect the European Union’s financial interests.

3.   Eligible actions

Eligible actions

The actions eligible for funding under this Call for Proposals are:

| (1) | the purchase and maintenance of investigation tools and methods, including specialised training needed to operate the investigation tools; |
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(1)

the purchase and maintenance of investigation tools and methods, including specialised training needed to operate the investigation tools;

| (2) | the purchase and maintenance of devices (scanners) and animals to carry out inspections of containers, trucks, railway wagons and vehicles at the Union’s internal and external borders order to detect smuggled and counterfeited goods; |
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(2)

the purchase and maintenance of devices (scanners) and animals to carry out inspections of containers, trucks, railway wagons and vehicles at the Union’s internal and external borders order to detect smuggled and counterfeited goods;

| (3) | the purchase, maintenance and interconnection of systems for the recognition of vehicle number plates (Automated Number Plate Recognition Systems — ANPRS) or container codes; |
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(3)

the purchase, maintenance and interconnection of systems for the recognition of vehicle number plates (Automated Number Plate Recognition Systems — ANPRS) or container codes;

| (4) | the purchase of services to support Member States’ capacity to store and destroy seized cigarettes and tobacco. |
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(4)

the purchase of services to support Member States’ capacity to store and destroy seized cigarettes and tobacco.

4.   Budget

Budget

The indicative available budget for this Call is EUR 8 800 000. The financial contribution will take the form of a grant. The financial contribution awarded will not exceed 80 % of the eligible costs. In exceptional and duly justified cases, the financial contribution may be increased to cover a maximum of 90 % of the eligible costs. The Call lists the criteria that will be applied to determine these exceptional and duly justified cases. The minimum threshold for the budget of an action submitted in an application has been set at: EUR 100 000.

The Commission reserves the right not to allocate all the funds available.

5.   Deadline for submission of applications

Deadline for submission of applications

Applications must be submitted no later than: Thursday, 9 June 2016.

Thursday, 9 June 2016

6.   Further information

Further information

All documents related to this Call for Proposals can be downloaded from the following internet website:

http://ec.europa.eu/anti_fraud/policy/hercule/index_en.htm

Question and/or requests for additional information in relation to this Call have to be sent by email to:

OLAF-FMB-HERCULE-TA@ec.europa.eu

The questions and answers may be anonymously published in the Guidelines for filling in the Application Form on the Commission’s OLAF’s internet website if they are relevant to other applicants.

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(1)  Regulation (EU) No 250/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 February 2014 establishing a programme to promote activities in the field of the protection of the financial interests of the European Union (Hercule III programme) (OJ L 84, 20.3.2014, p. 6).

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(2)  Commission Decision concerning the adoption of the annual work programme and the financing of the Hercule III Programme in 2016 C(2016) 868 final of 17 February 2016.

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