Overview of new financial rules and funding opportunities 2007-2013.
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In 2007, the European Union launches a new set of programmes, worth EUR 975 billion over a seven-year period. These new funds are to be easier to access, more transparent and better accounted for than in the past thanks to the reform of the EU financial management rules.
The new rules, unveiled by the European Commission on 28 March, are aimed at reducing red tape. This will make EU grants easier to access especially for beneficiaries with limited resources such as small NGOs and small companies (SMEs). For the first time ever EU research grants will be available for individual researchers.
The Commission see better accountability and increased transparency as being vital to ensure that EU funds, which are public taxpayers’ money, are used properly at all levels.
The new rules introduce an obligation to publish the names of beneficiaries who receive EU money through governments in Member States, third countries or through international organisations, and the exchange of information on proved fraud cases. Member States will also improve reporting on how they spend EU funds managed directly by them. Such measures will increase the effectiveness of EU policies and help protect taxpayers’ interests.
The success of the new funding period 2007-2013 is seen by the EU executive as a challenge for all those involved: this includes the beneficiaries themselves, who use the funds to carry out their projects; the European Parliament, who gave its support to the process of modernisation of the financial management rules; the EU’s Member States, which actually manage almost 80 per cent of the EU funds; and finally the European Commission, which holds the ultimate responsibility for how these funds are spent.
The new rules are expected to provide better, simpler and more practical solutions for all those working with EU funds, while ensuring effective control over public spending.
