Article 1 Participation in the AAL Programme
1. The Union shall participate in the Active and Assisted Living Research and Development Programme ("AAL Programme") jointly undertaken by Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, France, Hungary, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom (the "Participating States"), in accordance with the conditions laid down in this Decision. 2. Any Member State other than those listed in paragraph 1 and any other country associated to Horizon 2020 may apply to join the AAL Programme at any time, provided it fulfils the condition set out in point (c) of Article 3(1) of this Decision. If it fulfils the condition laid down in point (c) of Article 3(1), it shall be regarded as a Participating State for the purposes of this Decision.
Article 2 Union's financial contribution
1. The Union financial contribution to the AAL Programme covering administrative costs and operational costs shall be up to EUR 175 000 000. The Union's financial contribution shall be paid from appropriations in the general budget of the Union allocated to the relevant parts of the Specific Programme implementing Horizon 2020, established by Council Decision 2013/743/EU ( 9 ) in accordance with point (c)(vi) of Article 58(1) and Articles 60 and 61 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012. 2. The annual financial commitment of the Union to the AAL Programme shall not exceed the annual financial commitment to the AAL Programme by Participating States. 3. An amount not exceeding 6 % of the Union financial contribution referred to in paragraph 1 shall be used to contribute to the administrative costs of the AAL Programme.
Article 3 Conditions for the Union's financial contribution
1. The Union's financial contribution shall be conditional upon the following: (a) the demonstration by the Participating States that the AAL Programme is set up in accordance with Annexes I and II; (b) the designation by the Participating States or by organisations designated by the Participating States, of the AALA, as the structure responsible for the implementation of the AAL Programme and for allocating and monitoring the Union's financial contribution; (c) a commitment by each Participating State to contribute to the financing of the AAL Programme; (d) demonstration by the AALA of its capacity to implement the AAL Programme, including allocating and monitoring the Union contribution in the framework of indirect management of the Union budget in accordance with Articles 58, 60 and 61 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012; and (e) the establishment of a governance model for the AAL Programme in accordance with Annex III. 2. During the implementation of the AAL Programme, the Union's financial contribution shall also be conditional upon the following: (a) the implementation by the AALA of the AAL Programme objectives as set out in Annex I and activities set out in Annex II to this Decision in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 1290/2013, subject to Article 5 of this Decision; (b) the maintenance of an appropriate and efficient governance model in accordance with Annex III; (c) compliance by the AALA with the reporting requirements set out in Article 60 (5) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012; and (d) fulfilment of the commitments by each Participating State referred to in point (c) of paragraph 1 and fulfilment of the annual commitments to contribute to the financing of the AAL Programme.
Article 4 Contributions from Participating States
Contributions from the Participating States shall consist of the following: (a) financial contributions to the indirect actions supported under the AAL Programme in accordance with Annex II; (b) in-kind contributions corresponding to the administrative costs incurred by the national administrations for the effective implementation of the AAL Programme in accordance with Annex II.
Article 5 Rules for participation and dissemination
1. For the purposes of Regulation (EU) No 1290/2013, the AALA shall be considered to be a funding body and shall provide financial support to indirect actions in accordance with Annex II to this Decision. 2. By way of derogation from Article 15(9) of Regulation (EU) No 1290/2013, the financial capacity of applicants shall be verified by the designated national programme management organisation in accordance with the rules of participation in the designated national programmes. 3. By way of derogation from Article 18(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1290/2013, the grant agreements with participants shall be signed by the designated national programme management agency. 4. By way of derogation from Article 23(1), (5) to (7)] and Articles 25 to 35 of Regulation (EU) No 1290/2013, the funding rules of the designated national programmes shall apply to the grants administered by the designated national programme management agencies. 5. By way of derogation from Articles 41 to 49 of Regulation (EU) No 1290/2013, the rules of the designated national programmes governing results, access rights to background and results shall apply, without prejudice to the principle of open access to scientific publications set out in Article 18 of Regulation (EU) No 1291/2013.
Article 6 Implementation of the AAL Programme
The AAL Programme shall be implemented on the basis of a strategy implemented through annual work plans in accordance with Annex II.
Article 7 Agreements between the Union and the AALA
1. Subject to a positive ex-ante assessment of the AALA in accordance with Article 61(1) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012, the Commission, on behalf of the Union, shall conclude a delegation agreement and annual transfer of funds agreements with the AALA. 2. The delegation agreement referred to in paragraph 1 shall be concluded in accordance with Article 58(3) and Articles 60 and 61 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012 and with Article 40 of Delegated Regulation (EU) No 1268/2012. It shall also set out the following: (a) the requirements concerning the AALA's contribution regarding relevant indicators from among the performance indicators set out in Annex II to Decision 2013/743/EU; (b) the requirements concerning the AALA's contribution to the monitoring referred to in Decision 2013/743/EU; (c) the specific performance indicators necessary for monitoring the functioning of the AALA in accordance with Article 3(2); (d) the arrangements regarding the provision of data and information necessary to ensure that the Commission is able to meet its dissemination and reporting obligations. (e) provision for the publication of calls for proposals by the AALA in particular on the single portal for participants, as well as through other Horizon 2020 electronic means of dissemination managed by the Commission.
Article 8 Termination, reduction or suspension of the Union's financial contribution
1. Where the AAL Programme is not implemented in accordance with the conditions set out in Article 3, the Commission may terminate, proportionally reduce, or suspend the Union's financial contribution in line with the actual implementation of the AAL Programme. 2. Where the Participating States do not contribute, contribute partially, or late to the financing of the AAL Programme, the Commission may terminate, proportionately reduce, or suspend the Union's financial contribution, taking into account the amount of funding allocated by the Participating States to implement the AAL Programme.
Article 9 Ex-post audits
1. Ex-post audits of expenditure on indirect actions shall be carried out by the designated national programme management agencies in accordance with Article 29 of Regulation (EU) No 1291/2013. 2. The Commission may decide to carry out itself the audits referred to in paragraph 1. In such cases, it shall do so in accordance with the applicable rules, in particular the provisions of Regulations (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012, (EU) No 1290/2013 and (EU) No 1291/2013.
Article 10 Protection of the financial interests of the Union
1. The Commission shall take appropriate measures ensuring that, when actions financed under this Decision are implemented, the financial interests of the Union are protected by the application of preventive measures against fraud, corruption and any other illegal activities, by effective checks and, if irregularities are detected, by the recovery of the amounts wrongly paid and, where appropriate, by effective, proportionate and dissuasive administrative and financial penalties. 2. The European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) may carry out investigations, including on-the-spot checks and inspections, in accordance with the provisions and procedures laid down in Council Regulation (Euratom, EC) No 2185/96 ( 10 ) and Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 883/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council ( 11 ) , with a view to establishing whether there has been fraud, corruption or any other illegal activity affecting the financial interests of the Union in connection with a grant agreement or grant decision or a contract funded in accordance with this Decision. 3. Contracts, grant agreements and grant decisions resulting from the implementation of this Decision shall contain provisions expressly empowering the Commission, AALA, the Court of Auditors and OLAF to conduct audits and investigations, in accordance with their respective competences. 4. The AALA shall grant the Commission staff and other persons authorised by the Commission, as well as by the Court of Auditors, access to its sites and premises and to all the information, including information in electronic format, needed in order to conduct the audits referred to in paragraph 3. 5. In implementing the AAL Programme, the Participating States shall take the legislative, regulatory, administrative or other measures necessary for protecting the Union's financial interests, in particular, to ensure the full recovery of any amounts due to the Union in accordance with Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012 and Delegated Regulation (EU) No 1268/2012.
Article 11 Communication of information
1. At the request of the Commission, the AALA shall submit to the Commission any information necessary for the preparation of the reports referred to in Article 12. 2. The Participating States shall submit, through the AALA, any relevant information requested by the European Parliament or the Council concerning the financial management of the AAL Programme. 3. The Commission shall communicate the information referred to in paragraph 2 of this Article in the reports set out in Article 12.
Article 12 Evaluation
1. By 30 June 2017 the Commission shall carry out, with the assistance of independent experts, an interim evaluation of the AAL Programme. The Commission shall prepare a report on that evaluation which includes the conclusions of the evaluation and observations by the Commission. The Commission shall send that report to the European Parliament and to the Council by 31 December 2017. The result of the interim evaluation of AAL Programme shall be taken into account in the interim evaluation of Horizon 2020. 2. At the end of Union participation in the AAL Programme but no later than 31 December 2022, the Commission shall conduct a final evaluation of the AAL Programme. The Commission shall prepare a report on that evaluation which is to include results of the evaluation. The Commission shall send that report to the European Parliament and to the Council.
Article 13 Entry into force
This Decision shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union .
Article 14 Addressees
This Decision is addressed to the Member States.