Article 1 Objective of the Programme
1. This Decision establishes a Community programme for the period 2005 to 2008 to make digital content in Europe more accessible, usable and exploitable, facilitating the creation and diffusion of information, in areas of public interest, at Community level. The programme shall be known as the‘ e Content plus ’ programme (hereinafter the Programme). 2. In order to attain the overall aim of the Programme, the following lines of action shall be addressed: (a) facilitating at Community level access to digital content, its use and exploitation ; (b) facilitating improvement of quality and enhancing best practice related to digital content between content providers and users, and across sectors; (c) reinforcing cooperation between digital content stakeholders and awareness. The activities to be carried out under those lines of action target areas of public sector information, spatial data and educational, cultural and scientific content as set out in Annex I. The Programme shall be implemented in accordance with Annex II.
Article 2 Participation
1. Participation in the Programme shall be open to legal entities established in the Member States. It shall also be open to participation of legal entities established in the candidate countries in accordance with bilateral agreements in existence or to be concluded with those countries. 2. Participation in the Programme may be opened to legal entities established in EFTA States which are contracting parties to the EEA Agreement, in accordance with the provisions of that Agreement. 3. Participation in the Programme may be opened, without financial support by the Community, to legal entities established in third countries and to international organisations, where such participation contributes effectively to the implementation of the Programme. The decision to allow such participation shall be adopted in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 4(2).
Article 3 Competences of the Commission
1. The Commission shall be responsible for the implementation of the Programme. 2. The Commission shall draw up a work programme on the basis of this Decision. 3. In the implementation of the Programme, the Commission shall, in close cooperation with the Member States, ensure general consistency and complementarity with other relevant Community policies, programmes and actions that impinge upon the development and use of European digital content and the promotion of linguistic diversity in the information society, in particular the Community research and technological development programmes, IDA, e TEN, e Inclusion, e Learning, Modinis and Safer Internet. 4. The Commission shall act in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 4(2) for the purposes of the following: (a) adoption and modifications of the work programme; (b) determination of the criteria and content of calls for proposals, in line with the objectives set out in Article 1; (c) assessment of the projects proposed under calls for proposals for Community funding of an estimated amount of Community contribution equal to, or more than, EUR 1 million; (d) any departure from the rules set out in Annex II. 5. The Commission shall inform the committee referred to in Article 4 of progress with the implementation of the Programme.
Article 4 Committee
1. The Commission shall be assisted by a committee. 2. Where reference is made to this paragraph, Articles 4 and 7 of Decision 1999/468/EC shall apply, having regard to the provisions of Article 8 thereof. The period laid down in Article 4(3) of Decision 1999/468/EC shall be set at three months. 3. The Committee shall adopt its rules of procedure.
Article 5 Monitoring and evaluation
1. In order to ensure that Community aid is used efficiently, the Commission shall ensure that actions under this Decision are subject to prior appraisal, follow-up and subsequent evaluation. 2. The Commission shall monitor the implementation of projects under the Programme. The Commission shall evaluate the manner in which the projects have been carried out and the impact of their implementation in order to assess whether the original objectives have been achieved. 3. The Commission shall report on the implementation of the lines of action referred to in Article 1(2) to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions by mid-2006 at the latest. In this context, the Commission shall report on the consistency of the amount for 2007 to 2008 with the financial perspective. If applicable, the Commission shall take the necessary steps within the budgetary procedures for 2007 to 2008 to ensure the consistency of the annual appropriations with the financial perspective. The Commission shall submit a final evaluation report at the end of the Programme. 4. The Commission shall forward the results of its quantitative and qualitative evaluations to the European Parliament and the Council together with any appropriate proposals for the amendment of this Decision. The results shall be forwarded before presentation of the draft general budget of the European Union for the years 2007 and 2009 respectively.
Article 6 Financial framework
1. The financial framework for the implementation of the Community actions under this Decision for the period from 1 January 2005 to 31 December 2008 is hereby set at EUR 149 million, of which EUR 55,6 million is for the period until 31 December 2006. 2. For the period following 31 December 2006, the amount shall be deemed to be confirmed if it is consistent for this phase with the financial perspective in force for the period commencing in 2007. 3. The annual appropriations for the period from 2005 to 2008 shall be authorised by the budgetary authority within the limits of the financial perspective. An indicative breakdown of expenditure is given in Annex III.