Article 1 Subject matter
The year 2015 shall be designated the ‘European Year for Development’ (‘the European Year’). The motto of the European Year shall be ‘Our world, our dignity, our future’.
Article 2 Objectives
The objectives of the European Year shall be: (a) to inform Union citizens about the Union's and the Member States' development cooperation, highlighting the results that the Union, acting together with the Member States, has achieved as a global actor and that it will continue to do so in line with the latest discussions on the overarching post-2015 framework; (b) to foster direct involvement, critical thinking and active interest of Union citizens and stakeholders in development cooperation including in policy formulation and implementation; and (c) to raise awareness of the benefits of the Union's development cooperation not only for beneficiaries of the Union's development assistance but also for Union citizens and to achieve a broader understanding of policy coherence for development, as well as to foster among citizens in Europe and developing countries a sense of joint responsibility, solidarity and opportunity in a changing and increasingly interdependent world.
Article 3 Measures
1. The measures taken to achieve the objectives of the European Year shall include the following measures, which may be organised at Union, national, regional or local levels, as set out in the Annex, and in partner countries, in accordance with Article 6(5): (a) communication campaigns to disseminate key messages targeted at the general public and more specific audiences, in particular young people and other key target groups, including through social media; (b) the organisation of conferences, events and initiatives with all relevant stakeholders, to promote active participation and debate, and to raise awareness at all levels; (c) concrete measures in the Member States aimed at promoting the objectives of the European Year, in particular through development education, the exchange of information and sharing of experience and good practices among national, regional or local administrations and other organisations; and (d) undertaking studies and surveys and disseminating their results. 2. The Commission may identify other measures as contributing to the objectives of the European Year and may allow references to the European Year and to the motto to be used in promoting those measures, insofar as they contribute to achieving those objectives.
Article 4 Coordination with Member States
1. The Commission shall invite the Member States to appoint each a national coordinator to be responsible for organising the involvement of that Member State in the European Year. The Member States shall inform the Commission of any such appointment. 2. The national coordinators shall, in close coordination with the Commission, consult and cooperate with a wide range of relevant stakeholders, including civil society and the private sector, national parliaments, social partners and, where appropriate, the national agencies, the federal State or sub-national government level, including regional and local authorities and, where applicable, associated Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) or contact points for the relevant Union programmes. 3. The Commission shall invite the Member States to transmit to it, by 1 September 2014, their work programme, which shall set out details of the national activities planned for the European Year, in accordance with the objectives of the European Year and the details of the measures set out in the Annex. 4. Before approving the work programmes, the Commission shall verify that those activities comply, in accordance with Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012 and Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 1268/2012 ( 7 ) , with the objectives of the European Year.
Article 5 Participation
Participation in the activities of the European Year to be financed by the Union shall be open to the Member States and candidate countries benefiting from a pre-accession strategy, in accordance with the general principles and general terms and conditions for the participation of those countries in Union programmes established in the respective framework agreements and in Association Council decisions.
Article 6 Coordination at Union level and implementation
1. The Commission shall implement this Decision at Union level, in particular by adopting the necessary financing decisions in accordance with the Regulations establishing the instruments for financing external action relevant to the actions concerned, namely the Development Cooperation Instrument, the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights, as established by Regulation (EU) No 235/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council ( 8 ) , the European Neighbourhood Instrument, the Instrument contributing to Stability and Peace, as established by Regulation (EU) No 230/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council ( 9 ) , the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance, as established by Regulation (EU) No 231/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council ( 10 ) , and the Partnership Instrument for cooperation with third countries, as established by Regulation (EU) No 234/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council ( 11 ) (‘the instruments for financing external action’). 2. The Commission, together with the European External Action Service (EEAS), shall cooperate closely with the European Parliament, the Council and the Member States, the European Economic and Social Committee, the Committee of the Regions and the bodies and associations active in development issues at Union level. 3. The Commission shall convene meetings of the national coordinators to coordinate the implementation of the European Year and to exchange information on implementation at Union and national levels. The Commission may invite representatives of civil society and regional and local authorities and members of the European Parliament to attend those meetings as observers. 4. The Commission shall convene meetings of all relevant stakeholders involved in Union development cooperation to assist it in implementing the European Year at Union level. The national coordinators shall be invited to those meetings. 5. The Commission shall make the European Year a priority in the communication activities of its Representations in the Member States and of EU Delegations in partner countries. With a view to their participation in activities related to the European Year, whether those activities take place in the Union or in third countries, development partners in third countries shall be supported through EU Delegations while OCTs shall be supported through appropriate institutional channels. 6. The EEAS and EU Delegations shall make the European Year an integral part of their ongoing information and communication activities.
Article 7 Consistency and complementarity
In accordance with the Regulations establishing the instruments for financing external action relevant to the actions concerned, the Commission shall ensure that the measures provided for in this Decision are consistent with any other Union, national and regional measures that help attain the objectives of the European Year, and fully complement the existing Union, national and regional measures.
Article 8 Specific provisions on financial and non-financial support
1. Measures which are Union-wide in nature and referred to in Part A of the Annex shall lead to a procurement procedure or the award of grants financed by the Union in accordance with Titles V and VI of Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012. 2. Measures which are Union-wide in nature and referred to in Part B of the Annex may be co-financed by the Union. 3. The Commission may award co-financing to each national coordinator in accordance with the procedure set out in Part C of the Annex. 4. Where appropriate, and without prejudice to their objectives and budget, existing programmes which contribute to the promotion of development may support the European Year. Furthermore, exceptional efforts by Member States in managing international development-related events or international development work streams may also be taken into consideration in national work programmes. 5. The Commission may grant non-financial support for activities that are undertaken by public and private organisations and that comply with Article 3(2). 6. In order for measures to be considered eligible for financing under this Decision they shall be required to make effective use of public spending, to bring added value and to be results-orientated.
Article 9 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 inspections and, if irregularities are detected, by the recovery of the amounts unduly paid and, where appropriate, by effective, proportionate and dissuasive administrative and financial penalties. 2. The Commission or its representatives and the Court of Auditors shall have the power of audit, on the basis of documents and on-the-spot checks and inspections, over all grant beneficiaries, contractors and subcontractors who have received Union funds under this Decision. 3. 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 ( 12 ) and Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 883/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council ( 13 ) 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 under this Decision.
Article 10 Reporting and assessment
By 31 December 2016, the Commission shall submit a report to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on the implementation, results and overall assessment of the measures provided for in this Decision in order to consider appropriate follow-up.
Article 11 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 .