Grants
Since 2005, the European Parliament has managed an annual grants programme, cofinancing projects in the Member States which aim to enhance understanding of the role and functioning of the European Parliament, encourage a wider public interest in the decisional process, and which provide a platform for those citizens to raise issues which are important to them. A wide variety of projects have been co-financed, particularly audiovisual and web based projects.
In the run up to the 2014 European elections, the European Parliament is looking to sign framework agreements with potential grant beneficiaries covering the three year period 2012 to 2014, with a view to awarding grants on the basis of an annual call for proposals open to all the framework partners.
A call for proposals for establishing the framework partnerships has been published on the European Parliament Website. This provides full details of the types of projects which may be considered for the award of grants and inviting interested organisations in the Member States to submit an outline proposal for a three year programme of actions to be implemented between November 2012 and June 2014 and, at the same time, a detailed proposal for the 2012 project for which it wishes to apply for co-financing.
General information about grants
The Financial Regulation applicable to the general budget of the European Union sets out the principles for implementation of the budget, including the principle of transparency, which is affirmed throughout the Financial Regulation and its implementing procedures. Provision is made for appropriate ex ante and/or ex post publication of implementation of the budget.
Rules for publication of grants are set out in Article 110 of the Financial Regulation, which makes provision for ex ante publication of the annual programme and calls for proposals and ex post publication of grants awarded in the course of a financial year. A contract is said to have been awarded when a legal undertaking is first given, i.e. when the first agreement has been signed.
