European Commission
European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI) - Cross-border co-operation programmes
Background
The European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI) has been in place since 2007. The overall goal of the instrument is to promote enhanced co-operation and progressive economic integration between the European Union (EU) and its neighbouring partner countries. This is particularly an instrument for assistance to those countries which will not accede to the European Union in the near future. It also encourages partner countries’ efforts aimed at promoting good governance and equitable social and economic development. The overall ENPI budget for the period of 2007 to 2013 is €11,181 billion.
Amongst others, the ENPI finances “joint programmes,” bringing together regions in Members States and partner countries sharing a common border.
This is the cross-border co-operation component of the instrument to which €1.12 billion is allocated from the ENPI budget and from the European Regional Development Fund. The core policy objectives of Cross Border Cooperation are to support sustainable development along both sides of the EU’s external borders, to help ameliorate differences in living standards across these borders, and to address the challenges and opportunities following on EU enlargement or otherwise arising from the proximity between regions across our land and sea borders.
Grant Size
The exact amounts of each grant and tender are announced in the Guidelines for each call for proposal, which can be found on the following link: http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/work/funding/index_en.htm
To get an indication of a grant size before a call for proposal is published, please refer to the “Annual Work Programmes”: http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/work/ap/index_en.htm
Own Contribution
The percentage of own contribution or co-funding necessary, is specified in the Guidelines of each call. The status of your organisation will also effect how much of your own contribution you will be expected to provide.
Funding Priorities
The overall Cross Border Cooperation funding priorities are defined in the Cross-Border Co-operation Strategy Paper. Four key objectives are addressed under the ENPI Cross Border Cooperation programmes:
- Promoting economic and social development in regions on both sides of common borders
- Working together to address common challenges, in fields such as the environment, public health and the prevention of and the fight against organised crime
- Ensuring efficient and secure borders.
- Promoting local cross border “people-to-people” action: Actions in the social, educational, cultural and media fields, as well as enhanced cross-border contacts between civil society groups and NGOs
- However, priorities are adapted to local circumstances and further specified in the Cross Border Cooperation programmes
Under the ENPI- Cross Border Cooperation, fifteen programmes have been established for the period 2007-2013, following two broad categories:
- Programmes covering a common land border or short sea crossing
- Programmes covering a sea basin
Within the four overall priorities, detailed programming is the task of the programme partners, working together across the borders, at the local, regional and national level. They design a “Joint Programme” describing the objectives pursued, the fields of intervention, the expected results, the management procedures and the total amount of financing planned. They contain a description of the operations to be financed, an indication of the amounts allocated for each operation and an indicative implementation timetable.
Funds are allocated according to the indicative programme annexed to the Cross Border Cooperation Strategy Paper:
| (in million €) | 2007-10 | 2010-13 |
| Land-Border Programmes | ||
| Nord/Russia | 14,728 | 13,513 |
| Karelia/Russia | 12,101 | 11,102 |
| SE Finland/Russia | 18,871 | 17,314 |
| Estonia/Latvia/Russia | 24,915 | 22,859 |
| Latvia/Lithuania/Belarus | 21,766 | 19,970 |
| Lithuania/ Poland /Russia | 68,908 | 63,222 |
| Poland/Belarus/Ukraine | 97,107 | 89,094 |
| Hungary/Slovakia/Ukraine/Romania | 35,796 | 32.842 |
| Romania/Moldova/Ukraine | 66,086 | 60,632 |
| Sea-Crossing Programmes | ||
| Spain/Morocco | 81,738 | 74,993 |
| CBC Atlantic Programme | 16,773 | 15,389 |
| Italy/Tunisia | 13,138 | 12,054 |
| Sea-Basin Programmes | ||
| Black Sea | 9,025 | 8,281 |
| Mediterranean | 90,539 | 83,068 |
| Baltic Sea (ENPI contribution to the integrated Baltic Sea programme) | 11,791 | 10,818 |
| Total | 583.283 | 535.152 |
More information on the Cross Border Cooperation programmes, including websites with specific information per programme, can be found here:
Grantmaking Criteria
The regulation establishing the ENPI allows a broad range of actors to access the ENPI funds:
- With regard to Non-State Actors, they can be: non governmental organisations; organisations representing national and/or ethnic minorities; local citizens' groups and traders' associations; co-operatives, trade unions, organisations representing economic and social interests; local organisations (including networks) involved in decentralised regional co-operation and integration; consumer organisations, women and youth organisations, teaching, cultural, research and scientific organisations; universities; churches and religious associations and communities; the media; cross-border associations, non-governmental associations and independent foundations.
Guidelines
There are two main documents which regulate the practical implementation of the ENPI:
1. “Practical Guide to Contract Procedures for EC External Actions” (PRAG). The updated PRAG version, after the adoption of the Lisbon treaty, is available here. The purpose of the PRAG is to provide users with all the information necessary to undertake procurement or a grant procedure from the very first steps to the award of contracts. The annexes cover both the procurement phase and the execution of contracts.
2. Implementing rules for cross-border cooperation programmes: One major innovation of the ENPI Cross Border Cooperation can be seen in the fact that the programmes involving regions on both sides of the EU's border share one single budget, common management structures, and a common legal framework, which makes a separate set of joint rules for implementation necessary.
Project Duration
The duration of an action is defined in the guideline for the individual call.
Deadline
The deadline for submission will be defined in the guidelines for the specific call for proposal. For information related to calls for proposals under each programme, please check the relevant programme websites:
Application Forms
Application Forms are available online, see website below, and are published at the same time as the call for proposal and the guidelines.
Each time a call for proposal is published, guidelines for that particular call is also published. If the call for proposals is a “Restricted call”, applicants will be asked to submit a Concept Note. Thereafter, applicant whose Concept Notes have been pre-selected will be invited to submit a Full Application Form. However, if the call for proposal is an “Open Call”, all applicants are invited to send in their Concept Notes and Full Proposals at the same time.
Application and Procedures
The Cross Border Cooperation (CBC) programmes are managed by joint management authorities (JMA). A non-exhaustive list of calls is published on the EuropeAid website. Tenders and grants are awarded following strict rules. These rules apply to the management and nature of calls for proposals/tenders. All EC external assistance follows the same set of rules (EC management procedure).
In order to apply for a grant, your organisation must register in the “Potential Applicants Data Online Registration” PADOR. To register in PADOR follow this link: http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/work/onlineservices/pador/index_en.htm
Languages
The European Commission recommends that the JMA use one of the Community languages common to all the participants. The beneficiaries of projects may submit all documents in relation to the programme in their national language providing this language is mentioned specifically in the programme description and that the participating countries have foreseen, via the JMA, the necessary means of interpretation and of translation.
Tips
In order to succeed in accessing EC funds, a good understanding of the rules and procedures of the calls are crucial. Little administrative mistakes, such as submission after the deadline or missing documents lead to an immediate rejection. NGOs considering responding to a call should carefully read the guidelines. Project objectives should directly be linked to the objectives of the call. Applicants should also read the relevant policy papers and refer to them, when appropriate.
EC officials use an EC handbook explaining how to draft and manage a proposal. This document can also be useful for NGOs especially part 2 on the logical framework approach. It is called “Aid Delivery methods – Volume 1 – Project Cycle Management Guidelines”.
NGOs with little experience in applying for EC funding should consider participating in other NGOs’ projects funded by the EC. As a junior partner they can build their capacity and get acquainted to EC requirements without taking full responsibility of a project. Consult and liaise with both the JMA in the beneficiary country and the Brussels-based officials. Another information source is the Regional Capacity Building Initiative (RCBI), which has been established in order to assist the JMAs establishing the CBC programmes. More information is available at the European Commission’s website established for CBC.