OBJECTIVES

• To encourage cooperation between local and regional authorities in the EU and Central and East European countries (CEECs) through the undertaking of joint projects based on the exchange of experiences or the transfer of know-how;
• To encourage decentralisation and devolution through building capacity at the regional and local level;
• To improve the capabilities and working methods of local/regional authorities in the CEECs and in disadvantaged regions of the EU in the field of social and economic development;
• To create clear examples of regional or local development which, by their exemplary nature, serve as models for the region or neighbouring regions in the promotion of best practice;
• To prepare for EU expansion, reinforcing the strategies of pre-accession among the local authorities of the CEECs by learning about community policies, in particular structural funds.

SPHERES OF COOPERATION

• Local and regional administration - improving the working methods and/or tools of local and regional authorities;
• Local and economic development - the improvement of support services for the modernisation and development of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and creation of long term employment;
• Local and regional planning and management of urban and rural services.

Environmental Protection

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

• Partnerships may contain partners from the EU Member States, including:
  Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, UK)
  and the Phare countries:
  Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, The Chech Republic, Estonia, FYROM, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia.

• Each partner must be a local or regional authority of the EU or of the CEECs, under control of a local or regional authority, or an organisation acting in the public interest. The lead partner will normally be the appropriate local or regional authority.

• The minimum number of partners is two. At least one partner should come from the EU, at least one partner from one of the Phare countries.

• All partners must submit a signed letter of commitment.

• Application forms must be official, including both the Summary and Main application forms and must be complete.

BUDGET AND PROJECT DURATION

Phare co-finance is limited to 80 percent of the overall eligible expenditure. The remaining part of the budget i.e. a minimum of 20 percent of the eligible expenses will have to be provided by both CEEC and EU partners in cash and/or as "in kind" contributions, e.g. staff time. Each project should be carried out within 12 months.

PRIORITIES AND SPECIFIC SELECTION CRITERIA

• The lead partner is based in the CEEC;
• More than one CEEC partner is included in the consortium;
• The focus is upon a theme clearly relevant to the CEEC partners;
• A demonstration effect in the targeted CEEC regions should be included by proposing methods and actions to transfer the know-how, information and generated results beyond the CEEC region or municipality the project is focusing on e.g.. by inviting representatives of adjacent CEEC regions or municipalities to take part as observers at relevant events.
• Partners are included who have not yet participated in Phare funded ECOS-Ouverture projects
• The project must ensure the true transfer of know-how to the CEEC partner(s), through cooperation on a specific issue, on a local/regional authority’s roles, organisation and management as practised in the EU
• CEEC partners are the principal beneficiaries of the Micro Projects. Activities should therefore be directed towards the needs of these partners.
• Eligible activities may for instance include the following:
  • Exchanges and study visits;
  • Expert advice;
  • Provision of expert staff;
  • Project related assistance;
  • Training;
  • Feasibility studies;
  • Economic development and trade initiatives;
  • Fairs
  • Exhibitions;
  • Information exchange;
  • Preparation of materials and the acquisition of equipment for demonstration purposes.

The Micro Project facility will not support general twinning activities or general study and exploratory visits.

Micro Projects are considered an initiation of larger scale projects, notably under the ECOS-Ouverture Mainstream Project facility. Micro projects may, however, also support the exchange of experience or networking projects which can be funded under the Phare CBC Programme or Phare national programmes.

The ECOS-Ouverture Micro Project facility supports projects which are not eligible for assistance under other programmes, but which are complimentary to the activities of other programmes (Phare BPF, Partnership, Democracy, Lien, COOPME and JOP). Projects will not be selected if they overlap with other projects financed under the Phare Programme.

DEADLINE FOR CURRENT CALL

APPLICATION FORMS ARE AVAILABLE AT:

Click on the Programme type and then on Cross Border.