TACIS Cross-Border Co-operation Small Project Facility
EuropeAid Co-operation
Office
Brussels
BSR Partner Search Forum, Gdansk (Poland) 16-17/06/2003
Catherine BODSON

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Cross-border co-operation is one of the multi-country programmes of the Tacis
Programme
Small Project Facility: The support is provided by means of grants (max.
200.000
€)
Tacis CBC SPF has this year a budget of
6,7 m € (budget year 2002)
Indicative budget next Call for Proposals
(December 2003): 9,2 M €

Wider Europe Communication:
(03/2003)
1.“…the EU should aim to develop a zone of prosperity and a friendly neighbourhood…with whom the
EU enjoys close, peaceful and cooperative relations”

2. “Promote regional and subregional co-operation and integration that are the preconditions for political stability, economic development and the reduction of poverty and social division in our shared environment.”

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Have an impact on living standards in the border regions of Russia,
Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine
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Have a cross-border impact: to foster co-operation between regions and local authorities in the NIS, EU and
CEC
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To support projects addressing a common CBC problem or developing the partners competencies on both sides of the borders

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The cross-border dimension of projects and the local/regional dimension
The common challenges
The partnerships
The sustainability of co-operation
The co-ordination with other funding sources

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SPF projects: min. 100.000 € max. 200.000 €
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MPF (Micro Project Facility): min. 10.000 € max. 50.000 €
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Partners’ co-financing: min 20%
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Max. duration: 18 months SPF
6 months MPF
! Guidelines revised in September 2003

Just one please!
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Local Economic development
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Environment and Energy
Efficiency
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Administrative Reforms
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Social Affairs

Spheres of co-operation
Administrative
Reforms
Management of local and regional selfgovernment
Decision-making procedures in local and regional authorities
Local & regional democracy -
Participative approach
Finance and budgeting
Decision-making procedures in local and regional authorities
Relations with the public (e.g. information provision)
Local Economic
Development
SME support and development
Economic planning and industrial conversion
Economic development with sectoral focus
Development and tourism strategies
Strategies for tackling unemployment
Rural diversification
Social Affairs
Urban and social health policy
Integration of national minorities and disabled people
Youth policy
Education
Fight and prevention of trafficking in human beings
Environment &
Energy Efficiency
Environmental protection and improvement of standards
Waste management/ treatment strategies
Transport and traffic management
Efficient energy supply and monitoring of energy use
Use of alternative sources of energy

Core partners
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Local or Regional Authorities in the eligible regions
Association of Local and Regional
Authorities
Entity closely linked to the local or regional authority (Regional
Development Agency) and mainly owned by the authority
Min 2 core partners NIS/EU or
NIS/Phare

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Additional partners
Role of the eventual EU partner
Local or Regional Authorities in the eligible regions
NGOs
Public Utilities
Locally or Regionally based education centres
Subcontractors for a limited and specific part of the project (may even be commercial enterprises)

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Training of personnel
Study visits
Establishment of best practice and procedures
System analysis and transfer of knowledge
Establishment of advisory and development functions
Sectoral and regional studies
Environmental management
Human and institutional capacity building measures

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Individual sponsorships
Individual scholarships
One-off conferences
Projects exceeding 18 months
Projects submitted by other than local/regional authorities or associations of local/regional authorities
Singular cultural events

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The PSC starts as from publication of the Call for Proposals
3 months to prepare a project and send it to the EC, where tha application is registered
Evaluation Committee on
Administrative compliance and
Eligibility
Evaluation by experts and interservice consultation
Second Evaluation Committee for final decision
Approval of decision by hierarchy

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Administrative Compliance
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Eligibility of applicants, partners and project
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Evaluation of the quality of the proposal
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Financial Evaluation of project
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Evaluation grid

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Application received after the closing date
Application is incomplete
The applicant or partners are ineligible
The project is ineligible
The project is not relevant
The relevance and quality of the proposal is lower than that of the selected proposals
Financial quality is insufficient
After consultation with other services, project is rejected (overlap, bad experience, etc)

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INTERREG: Finnish / Russian border + BSR
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Phare CBC on CEEC / NIS borders

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Exchange of information with
Delegation, INTERREG Secretariats and other services of the Commission
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Developing common procedures with
INTERREG and Phare in view of the future guidelines
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Priority to support projects with a clear link to an INTERREG or a Phare project
(projects, which could not be implemented without both fundings)

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Project partners:
Transparency between partners
- Communication with project partners and with Project Manager
- Role of partners
- Activities of each partner
Tacis financing covers:
The activities for the benefit of the
Tacis partner
- The input of the different experts of the project + travel expenses/per diems
- The equipment purchases of the Tacis partner

The Project Team
 The key implementing instrument
- Project Co-ordinator
- Financial Co-ordinator
- Partners contact persons

Duties of the Project Co-ordinator
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Co-ordination of the projects (making things happen)
Liaison with Project Managers of the EC
Liaison with Financial Co-ordinator
Compilation the reports
Publication and communication on project results
Identification of a substitute...

Duties of the Financial Co-ordinator
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Belongs to the lead authority
Prepares the project ’s financial reporting systems (incl. Bookkeeping)
Close communication with the other project partners
Keeps track on budget and expenditure
Liases with the auditor
Compiles the financial reports to the
Project Manager AND the EC

Partners
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Each partner identifies a contact person who is:
Actively involved at all stages and communicates with other partners
Responsible for the participation of the partner in the project
Ensures adequate bookkeeping
Prepares the partner’s contribution to the reports

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20% of the total amount of the project
No in-kind contribution allowed
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Types of financial contribution:
- Cash
- Fees of civil servants (daily rates on the market)
- All other expenses made by the partners for the project

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Identify the needs/problems of the beneficiary country
Identify if these needs/problems are met by potential partners in the border regions
Identify the solutions adopted by other countries / border regions / partners
Identify possible partnership with border regions and eventual EU countries

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Be clear !
Be consistent
Transparency with the project partners
Communication with the partners
Budget / Expenses for the benefit of the Tacis partner
• Staff
• Equipment
• Travel expenses and per diems
Sustainability of the project

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Definition:
Joint projects are prepared by the project partners on both sides of the border and are implemented jointly on each side of the border
Financing:
The Tacis funding covers the activities for the benefit of the Tacis partner, while
INTERREG/Phare cover the activities of the EU/Phare partners
Link between applications
In theory, a true joint project can only be successful if both sides of the border receive the funding ...

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Information Sheets until 2004
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Exchange of information with the
Secretariats until 2004
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Neighbourhood Instrument for the
2004-2006 period: single application, single evaluation, allocation per border
(INTERREG model)

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No real changes except new
INTERREG Programmes
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Eligible areas: the same border
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Priorities of Tacis CBC SPF remain unchanged

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Russia
 Kaliningrad and Southwestern
Russia: Catherine BODSON (EU
Commission)
 Leningrad Oblast and Northwestern
Russia: Mia-Fatima DUBOIS-
BOUSSAID (EU Commission)
 St Petersburg Liaison Office
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Belarus
 Martin EISENBEIS (EU Commission)
 National Co-ordinating Unit (NCU)
 EC Delegation in Minsk (Tacis
Branch Office)

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Moldova
 Martin Eisenbeis (EU Commission)
 NCU
 EC Delegation in Chisinau (Tacis
Branch Office)
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Ukraine
 Corinne DELEU (EU Commission)
 NCU
 Delegation of the EU in Minsk

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Bodil PERSSON
Programme Manager
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Catherine BODSON
Programme Co-ordinator, Project Manager,
Kaliningrad and SW Russia
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Mia-Fatima DUBOIS-BOUSSAID
Project Manager, NW Russia - Leningrad Oblast
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Martin EISENBEIS
Project manager, Belarus and Moldova
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Corinne DELEU
Project Manager, Ukraine

Tacis CBC SPF Website: http://europa.eu.int/comm/europeaid/projects/tacis_cbc_spf/ index_en.htm
The European Commission
1049 Brussels - Belgium
Tel: 00 32 2 296 79 51
Fax: 00 32 2 295 74 82 e-mail: firstname.lastname@cec.eu.int