TERMS OF REFERENCE Tasks of the National Europass Centres - Year 2008

Transcription

1 Annex to the note TERMS OF REFERENCE Tasks of the National Europass Centres - Year st January 2008 to 31 st December 2008 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION THE OBJECTIVES OF THE DECISION, THE 2008 POLICY PRIORITIES AND THE NATIONAL EUROPASS CENTRES Supporting mobility throughout Europe Making transparency instruments more effective A direct service to citizens, companies and institutions TASKS OF THE NATIONAL EUROPASS CENTRE (NEC) FOR Core Task 1: Coordination of document management Tasks related to the Europass CV and Europass Language Passport Tasks related to the Europass Mobility Tasks related to the Europass Diploma Supplement Tasks related to the Europass Certificate Supplement Core Task 2: Promotion of Europass Support Task 1: National Internet site and information system Support Task 2: Cooperation with information and guidance networks Support Task 3: Networking at European level FINANCIAL FRAMEWORK Nature of the support to the National Europass Centre Eligible costs Procedures/Accountability NEC Annual Work Programme and Budget Plan Reporting Payments Amounts available...17 Commission européenne, B-1049 Bruxelles / Europese Commissie, B-1049 Brussel - Belgium. Telephone: (32-2) Office: B--7 5/28. Telephone: direct line (32-2) Fax: (32-2) Carlo.Scatoli@ec.europa.eu K:\eacea-p3-eac-b5\EUROPASS\Europass 2008\1 - Grants 2008\Grant package 2008\1 NEC TOR 2008 EN.doc

2 INTRODUCTION With reference to Decision 2004/2241/EC of the European Parliament and the Council of 15 December 2004 on a single framework for the transparency of qualifications and competences (Europass) 1 (hereafter the Europass Decision ) and to Decision 1720/2006/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 November 2006 establishing an action programme in the field of lifelong learning 2, this document defines the objectives and tasks of the National Europass Centres (NEC) for the period 1 st January 2008 to 31 st December Following the outline of the present Terms of Reference, the NEC shall draw up a proposal for a work programme to be submitted to the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). 1 THE OBJECTIVES OF THE DECISION, THE 2008 POLICY PRIORITIES AND THE NATIONAL EUROPASS CENTRES 1.1 Supporting mobility throughout Europe The Decision aims at improving the transparency of qualifications and competences, in order to facilitate mobility throughout Europe for lifelong learning purposes as well as occupational mobility between countries or across sectors. These are the general, long-term objectives of the Europass Decision, referring to Articles 149 and 150 of the Treaty. The specific tasks of the NEC are therefore not defined with direct reference with these objectives. Mobility of learners and workers puts in practice one of the founding principles recognised by the Treaty: the right of citizens to freedom of movement throughout Europe. European mobility within education and training is actively supported through the integrated lifelong learning programme, which will also provide the financial framework for Europass in the period The geographical and occupational mobility of workers, which is a key instrument to implement the Lisbon strategy, has received special attention in 2006, the European Year of workers' mobility. Cooperation and synergy between Europass and employment services should continue and be intensified in 2008 and beyond, at both European and national level. 1 2 OJ L 390 of , p. 6. JO L 327 of , p

3 1.2 Making transparency instruments more effective The long-term objectives should be achieved by pursuing more tangible, specific objectives. The NEC play a direct role in relation to the two main specific objectives: Through appropriate coordination and management, the NEC will contribute to make the transparency instruments easier to access (first specific objective) and more effective (second specific objective). Through adequate promotion and information, the NEC will contribute to make the transparency instruments better known (first specific objective) and to increase their communication impact therefore their effectiveness (second specific objective). The NEC will play an indirect role in relation to the other specific objectives: A successful implementation of the Europass framework by the NEC is likely to stimulate the development of further transparency instruments (third specific objective); The close association of guidance services with the coordinated operation of the Europass transparency framework should improve information on issues related to transparency and mobility (fourth specific objective). Guidance services, employment services, social partners networks are all active partners towards these objectives. All of them have a role to play in making transparency documents easier to access, better known and more effective, and are key promoters of and partners in future developments. Cooperation with them should be regular at both European and national level. 1.3 A direct service to citizens, companies and institutions The National Europass Centres play a crucial role in pursuing the operational objectives that translate into practice the specific objectives of the Europass decision: The Europass and its documents are made available and promoted at national level by the NECs (first operational objective); The NECs ensure that the Europass and its elements are used in an appropriate manner by learning providers and mobility promoters (second operational objective); The NECs promote the use of Europass documents by citizens applying for a job or a learning opportunity (third operational objective) and make employers and admission staff aware of the Europass (fourth operational objective). NECs provide a service that helps citizens moving from education to the labour market, from one company to another, from one country to another. 3

4 2 TASKS OF THE NATIONAL EUROPASS CENTRE (NEC) FOR 2008 The National Europass Centres (NECs) are responsible for the coordination in their country of all activities referred to in the Decision [cf. Article 11.1 of the Decision]. The NEC is meant to be, and be perceived as, the Europass body in its country. Citizens, promoters, learning providers, guidance operators, employers anybody who needs information and guidance on the Europass and any of its documents should expect to find an appropriate answer when addressing the NEC. Of course, the answer will often consist in readdressing or forwarding to a body more directly competent. The focus is on coordination and promotion. With reference to the objectives of the Decision, the specific tasks of the NECs are organised as follows: coordination of document management and promotion of Europass: these are the core tasks, that pursue the operational objectives and directly contribute to the first and second specific objectives; running the information system, cooperation with relevant bodies and participation in the European network: these are support tasks, which create the conditions to better carry out the core tasks and contribute in a generic way to the specific objectives. A table in 2.6 summarises the tasks detailed in below. 2.1 Core Task 1: Coordination of document management Task description: Core Task 1: Coordination of document management NECs should monitor and, as appropriate, ensure that the Europass documents are made available and issued in conformity with the Decision and with the relevant national provisions, and report to the Commission as requested. The five Europass documents are now run by a number of structures in each country, according to procedures which may be more or less adapted to the national context, and the responsibility of NECs varies in relation to each of them. Some activities cannot, by their very nature, be the responsibility of the NEC; in other cases, it will largely be a national choice whether the NEC should directly care for document management rather than coordinate other bodies. As citizens are most likely to use the Europass documents when applying for a job, cooperation with employment services should clearly be pursued. Promotion among social partners is equally important. At European level, to technically support this purpose, the Europass portal offers the Europass CV and language passport in a flexible XML format that among other advantages allows for transfer into existing databases. In particular, specific arrangements with the European Job Mobility portal namely the EURES CV tool offer citizens a more integrated service: the EURES CV tool allows users 4

5 downloading their CV in the form of a Europass CV, while the Europass CV tool allows users to upload their Europass CV in the EURES database. At national level, similar forms of cooperation should be sought for with the national and regional employment services. Specific technical adjustments might be necessary; this should be addressed in cooperation with the Commission and Cedefop. While the CV offers the most obvious opportunity for synergy, the other Europass documents could also be concerned for instance, as electronic annexes to the CV. (Cf. Support task 2, Cooperation with information and guidance networks.) DOC1: In relation to each document, each NEC should: Report (in principle twice per year) on the use of the documents at national level, using the forms prepared by the Commission. This reporting activity is separate from the preparation of the final report to be submitted to EACEC in the framework of the operating agreement, but Commission and EACEA will ensure that the information categories are consistent, so that reporting to the Commission will facilitate preparing the final report. The tasks of the NECs are defined below with reference to each of the Europass documents. Nature: This is a core task, as making available and issuing the Europass documents is the concrete basis of the whole initiative. Reference to the text of the Europass Decision: The NEC shall coordinate, in cooperation with the relevant national bodies, the activities related to making available or issuing the Europass documents, or where appropriate carry out these activities [Article 11.2(a)]. Reference to the operational objectives of the Europass Decision: Carrying out this task means making Europass available (first operational objective) and ensuring its appropriate use (second operational objective). Reference to the specific objectives of the Europass Decision: This task directly contributes in particular to the Decision s specific objectives of making the existing transparency instruments easier to access (first specific objective) and more effective (second specific objective) Tasks related to the Europass CV and Europass Language Passport The Europass CV and the Europass Language Passport are meant to be completed by citizens, are available on the Internet and do not need being issued by any specific body. Efforts should therefore be directed at improving their access, acceptance and dissemination, including in particular through cooperation with relevant organisations. Besides, NECs should contribute to improving the service provided through the European portal. The user-friendly data entry tool is a major feature of the CV service, but the CV service also includes guidelines, examples and is going to be further developed. This will require the cooperation with other 5

6 Commission services and the NECs will be involved in this development through requests for opinions, advice and information. As concerns the Europass CV, the natural counterparts are the employment services at national and regional level either publicly or privately run. Many of them have established databases of jobseekers CV. It is important to verify with them how the Europass CV can fit into their service. The library of ECV examples is a highly visited feature of the portal and enriching it with a variety of examples will prove helpful to citizens. To this purpose, it is important that NECs prepare further examples in their language, in cooperation as appropriate with guidance and employment services. In relation to the Europass CV, each NEC should: CV1: Seek cooperation with employment services (possibly including private recruitment agencies). In particular, cooperation should aim at arrangements for uploading the Europass CV into employment databases; CV2: In coordination with Euroguidance, seek cooperation with guidance services to promote the correct use of the Europass CV; CV3: In coordination with Eurodesk, seek cooperation with youth centres to promote the correct use of the Europass CV; Ensure that the national Europass Internet site or page (cf. 2.2 below): CV4: Provides a clear link to the section of the Europass portal that allows citizens to complete their ECV; CV5: Provides citizens, as appropriate, with country specific information, guidelines and examples on how to complete and to use the Europass CV, prepared in cooperation with social partners as well as guidance, employment and youth services as appropriate; CV6: Provides links to the EURES service at European level and the EURES contacts at national level and, according to arrangements at national level, national or regional employments services; CV7: Prepare examples of completed ECV to be published on its site and on the European portal, in cooperation with social partners, guidance, employment and youth services as appropriate. Cooperation with employment services, guidance networks and social partner is therefore crucial, not only for promotional purposes, but also in relation to document management. (Cf. point 4 below.) In relation to the Europass Language Passport, each NEC should: LP1: Contact the national contact point for the European Portfolio of Languages, to exchange information and collect data on the use of the Europass Language Passport (and cooperate in its promotion); Ensure that the national Europass Internet site or page (cf. 2.2 below): 6

7 LP2: Provides a clear link to the section of the Europass portal that allows citizens to complete their ELP; LP3: Provides clear links to the national contact point for the European Portfolio of Languages and to the relevant Council of Europe page ( LP4: Provides a clear link to the European Commission portal on languages and Europe ( LP5: Prepare examples of completed EPL to be published on its site and on the European portal, in cooperation with guidance, employment and youth services as appropriate Tasks related to the Europass Mobility Managing the EM is a direct responsibility of NECs which may chose to delegate part or all of the related tasks to one or more bodies. Each NEC should: EM1: Ensure that Europass Mobility documents are issued to the largest possible number of citizens achieving a mobility experience that satisfies the requirements of the Decision: Existence of a partnership between a home and a host organisation; agreement on purpose, content and duration of the experience; appointment of a tutor. To this purpose, each NEC should: EM2: Provide all partners in mobility experiences that respect the criteria with access to the online tool, when it becomes available, or the electronic template and guidelines, as appropriate, as well as with paper Europass folders. EM3: Provide issuing bodies with a short (one page) information sheet on Europass, including the addresses of the European portal and the national site, to be delivered along with the printed version of EM; EM4: collect information and report to the Commission as requested on the use of EM in its country. Most statistical information is likely to be collected through the EM online tool when it becomes operational. In 2008, the online tool for the Europass Mobility should be operational. NEC should consequently arrange their E-M management framework. In principle, mobility projects within the integrated programme for lifelong learning or in the youth programme satisfy these requirements. Erasmus and Leonardo da Vinci account for most such projects, but Comenius, Grundtvig and also support a large number of mobility projects for learning purposes. NEC should agree on appropriate arrangements with the relevant implementing agencies, so that any citizen participating in such 7

8 projects receives a Europass Mobility. Cooperation will also be pursued at European level. The Youth in Action programme also includes mobility actions whose projects satisfy the requirements for Europass Mobility. However, a specific document the Youthpass has been developed to record participation in any project within the programme, with or without a mobility dimension. Therefore, NECs should not target Youth in Action projects as Europass Mobility users. NECs should rather cooperate with Youth in Action national agencies for promotional purposes. For mobility projects organised outside Community programmes, each NEC should check the respect of the criteria by examining the projects submitted by sending organisations. NECs are not supposed to check the content related quality of the learning initiative. In principle, all Europass Mobility documents should be completed electronically. Completing paper versions should only occur exceptionally. Europass Mobility documents are completed in principle by sending and host organisations and it is unlikely that such organisations don t have any access to the electronic facilities required. When Europass Mobility documents are completed by mobile persons themselves (to be then validated by the organisations), partner organisations should be able provide them with access to such facilities, if needed Tasks related to the Europass Diploma Supplement The involvement of NECs in the management of the EDS is quite limited, as completing and issuing it remains a responsibility of higher education institutions. The main role of NECs in relation to the EDS concerns information and promotion. Each NEC should provide higher education institutions authorised to deliver EDS according to national provisions with: DS1: The template of the EDS in electronic form, either directly or through access to the restricted access section of the Europass portal; DS2: A short (one page) information sheet on Europass, including the addresses of the European portal and the national site, to be delivered along with the printed version of EDS; DS3: paper Europass folders, to be delivered to citizens along with the printed version of their EDS; Each NEC should: DS4: Collect information and report to the Commission as requested on the use of EDS in its country. NECs should check with the competent national authorities which higher education institutions are concerned. 8

9 The main efforts of NECs in relation to the EDS concern promotion, information collection and reporting rather than document management. NECs may cooperate with higher education institutions or authorities to set up national databases of EDS. This is not required by the Decision, therefore it is not among the core tasks of NECs Tasks related to the Europass Certificate Supplement The ECS is not a personal document and does not need to be completed for each holder. Therefore it is not managed in the same sense as other Europass documents are. Each NEC should: CS1: Cooperate with the national authorities that are responsible to make ECS available in an appropriate form, including in particular in electronic form, in conformity with the procedures defined at national level; CS2: Provide issuing bodies with a short (one page) information sheet on Europass, including the addresses of the European portal and the national site, to be delivered along with the printed version of ECS; CS3: Provide issuing bodies with paper Europass folders, to be delivered to citizens along with the printed version of their ECS (as soon as they become available). CS4: Collect information and report to the Commission as requested on the use of ECS in its country. 2.2 Core Task 2: Promotion of Europass Task description: Core Task 2: Promotion of Europass NECs should ensure that adequate information and promotion activities are carried out at national level. Each NEC should: PR1: Contact education and training bodies, employment services, social partners and any other relevant networks and organisations to consider cooperation for promotional purposes. Contacts with relevant bodies should be pursued for each document. Relevant bodies may include: For the ECV: employment services, recruitment agencies, social partners or other bodies, including business; For the ECL: the Council of Europe contact points for the European Portfolio of Languages, educational authorities, language schools; 9

10 For the EM: mobility action agencies (both EC-related and not), education and training authorities; For the EDS: higher education authorities and institutions; For the ECS: vocational training authorities and bodies, qualifications authorities. Contacts should also be taken with the Youth in Action national agencies. PR2: Organise promotional events, which may include general conferences, targeted seminars, workshops, etc., as appropriate; PR3: NECs should participate in relevant events. In particular, this should include participation in the Job Days that will be organised around the end of September. PR4: Design, produce and disseminate suitable promotional material in either paper or electronic form, as well as gadgets and other material, as appropriate. In particular, this should include the information sheets to be delivered along with issued Europass documents. PR5: NECs should seek to improve the visibility of Europass in the national and local media, through contributions and or advertising as appropriate. Nature: This is a core task, because the Europass portfolio and its documents are communication tools, and they can only be effective if they are well known. Coordinated promotional efforts at all levels are therefore vital. Reference to the text of the Europass Decision: The NEC shall promote the use of Europass, including through Internet based services [Article 11.2(c)]. Reference to the operational objectives of the Europass Decision: Carrying out this task means making Europass known, particularly among employers and admission staff (fourth operational objective), and promoting its use by citizens (third operational objective). Reference to the specific objectives of the Europass Decision: This task directly contributes to the Decision s first and second specific objectives of a better awareness of and access to the existing transparency instruments among citizens and a stronger communication impact for these instruments. Note: This task overlaps with Core Task 1 (coordination) when it comes to promoting Europass among issuing bodies in particular, among the higher education community, owner of the Diploma Supplement, and the training authorities owners of the Certificate Supplement. 2.3 Support Task 1: National Internet site and information system Task description: Each NEC should: INFO1: Run a national Internet site for Europass, closely interrelated with the European one. Access to the interactive tool should be offered at both national and European level. 10

11 While the European information pages will already provide information in all languages, national sites may include pages to provide in particular countryspecific information and links to relevant national resources; INFO2: Run in cooperation with the programme agencies concerned as well as with the Commission and Cedefop a national information system, to collect data as appropriate on the use of each document. This will allow better monitoring the implementation, providing a quantitative basis for the regular evaluation and contributing useful information on related policy fields. In particular, this will allow NECs to prepare regular reporting on each document. Data collection by NECs in relation to the different documents will vary according to the degree of responsibility in their management (cf. Core Task 1 above). It is clearly vital that national information systems are set up in a coordinate way, so that national data can be aggregated into European data (cf. Support Task 3 below). Nature: This is a support task, improving the way the Europass is managed (support to Core Task 1) and contributing to its promotion (support to Core Task 2). It also generically contributes to increasing information on learning related mobility (fourth specific objective). Reference to the text of the Europass Decision: The NEC shall set up and manage the national information system, in accordance with Article 8 [Article 11.2(b)]. Reference to the operational objectives of the Europass Decision: Carrying out this task means contributing to making Europass available and to its promotion (first operational objective). Reference to the specific objectives of the Europass Decision: This task is mainly instrumental to the two core tasks. However, it also directly contributes to the Decision s specific objectives of a better access to the existing transparency instruments (first objective) and a better information on issues related to transparency and mobility (fourth objective). Note: NECs may set up national databases for one or more Europass documents. This is not required by the Europass Decision, therefore it is not among the core tasks of NECs. 2.4 Support Task 2: Cooperation with information and guidance networks Task description: Each NEC should: NET1: Ensure, in particular through cooperation with the Euroguidance, ENIC/NARIC and Eurodesk networks, that information and guidance centres and operators are adequately informed on the Europass, so that they can provide citizens with 11

12 relevant information, advice and support to access the different documents and the Europass portfolio and put them to good use. While NECs should expect to be contacted directly by a certain number of citizens or organisations that look for further information, in general it is not meant to be a task of a NEC to provide direct guidance to citizens. NECs should rather ensure that local guidance centres are provided with adequate information on the Europass, so that they may satisfy the citizens requests. The Euroguidance centres (formerly National Resource Centres for Vocational Training) which also in general don t provide guidance to citizens themselves represent an effective and experienced channel to disseminate information among guidance centres. It is therefore important that they are kept well informed on the Europass also at national level. NET2: Seek cooperation with and advice from the Euroguidance, Eurodesk and EURES networks in relation to such developments as template improvements, guidelines and examples, with particular reference to the Europass CV and in coordination with developments at European level (cf. Core Task 1). Nature: This is a support task. Information and guidance are vital, but providing them is the responsibility of other networks than the NECs. NECs should cooperate with such bodies and networks. Reference to the text of the Europass Decision: The NEC shall ensure, in cooperation with the relevant bodies, that adequate information and guidance on the Europass and its documents is made available to individual citizens [Article 11.2(d)]. The NEC shall facilitate the provision of information and guidance on learning opportunities throughout Europe, on the structure of education and training systems, and other issues related to mobility for learning purposes, in particular through close coordination with relevant Community and national services, and where appropriate make available to them an introductory guide to mobility [Article 11.2(e)]. Reference to the specific objectives of the Europass Decision: This task contributes to the Decision s fourth specific objective better information on issues related to transparency and mobility. 2.5 Support Task 3: Networking at European level Task description: Each NEC should: EUR1: Ensure attendance to European meetings and contribute to sustained exchange of information with each other and with the Commission, including through the regular reporting framework (cf. Core Task 1, DOC1). It is likely that in 2008 the Commission organises two meetings of NECs. Communication technologies namely the specific communication platform set up for the Europass correspondents will also be used intensively. 12

13 EUR2: Consider the opportunity to participate in working groups, if such groups are established. NECs should take this into account when preparing their budget plan (this can be estimated in two to four missions). EUR3: Consider the opportunity to visit other NECs or to establish clusters based on either geographic proximity or other shared features; NECs should take this into account when preparing their budget plan (this can be estimated in two to four missions). Nature: This is a support task. The Europass is intrinsically transnational as a concept and as a practical tool, and coordination will be as vital at European as at national level. Reference to the text of the Europass Decision: The NEC shall participate in the European network [Article 11.2(g)]. Reference to the operational objectives of the Europass Decision: Networking is an intrinsic feature of the implementation mechanism (first operational objective). 3 FINANCIAL FRAMEWORK 3.1 Nature of the support to the National Europass Centre In the period financial support to Europass is provided through the action programme in the field of lifelong learning (cf. note 2). The support to the transnational network of National Europass Centres takes the form of annual operating grants, covering the period from 1 st January to 31 st December, allocated to the organisations designated by the national competent authorities as the contractual counterpart of the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). For the sake of effectiveness and according to national choice, in some countries the relevant action may be carried out by more than one body, reflecting national operational environments and needs; such bodies may be subcontractors, or hold with the contracting organisation any other relationship under the national law, provided that this does not produce any situation of incompatibility or conflict with the agreement between the contracting organisation and EACEA. The concerned bodies will set up the suitable co-ordination arrangements, so that these terms of reference are satisfied on a national basis. The grant is allocated with respect of the principle of co-financing, after the approval of a work programme (WP). The Community funding may cover up to 50% of the eligible costs (cf. 2 below), within the maximum amount available for each country (cf. 4 below). In those cases in which the NEC is located within the same organisation as other bodies receiving grants or other Community contribution through the Directorate General for Education and Culture (e.g. the National Agency for the integrate lifelong learning programme or the Euroguidance Centres), the grant request must 13

14 distinguish clearly between the functions of the NEC covered by the grant and other functions. This clear separation of tasks will also need to be reflected in the final report. NECs are reminded of the need to keep clear track of costs, also in connection with internal staff (e.g. through time management sheets), even if no such documentation is usually requested within the final report. 3.2 Eligible costs The Community funding may cover the costs listed below only if related to the tasks mentioned in 2 above and consistent with the work programme. Costs can be grouped under four categories, which correspond to the four items in the budget form. The first three refer to costs directly incurred to pay for staff (I.A), travel by NEC staff (I.B), information and communication (I.C), while the fourth includes all general costs (II). I.A Staff costs. This should include wages for internal, permanent staff (employees) and payments to external staff contributing to the NEC operation (e.g. an ICT technician with a 12 or 9 months contract to manage the information system), which to this purpose can be assimilated to internal staff. This should not include ad hoc external contributions, which can be assimilated to purchase of services. These costs should be included in the appropriate item: e.g. a one-off contract to a designer for improving the website should rather contribute to Information and communication costs; a fee for external account auditors is part of Operating costs. I.B Travel and subsistence costs. This should include all travel and subsistence costs incurred by NEC staff to participate in conferences, visits, training, working groups, etc, organised by the NEC itself or by third parties. Such costs should not exceed the ceilings established for use in connection with the integrated lifelong learning programme; a table will be distributed to NECs. If the NEC reimburses travel and subsistence costs incurred by third parties, these should rather be included in the appropriate item. E.g. travel costs for participants in a conference organised by the NEC are part of the conference costs, under Information and communication. If NEC staff participates in events organised by third parties, travel and subsistence costs should be included here, while participation fees should be included in Information and communication costs. I.C Information and communication costs. This should include: Costs in connection with conferences, seminars and other promotional activities, including travel costs of third parties if they are covered by the NEC; Design, translation, production and dissemination of publications, also in electronic form (website, DVD, etc.); 14

15 Advertising on the media; Public relations. This should include among others fees paid by NEC staff to attend events (while the travel and subsistence costs are included in I.B); Documentation, including the purchase of publications or subscriptions to information services. While this category includes cost for websites as communication tools, costs in connection with data processing for administration and management purposes should be considered part of the operating costs. II. Operating costs. This includes all costs that cannot be adequately identified under the first three categories: Costs in connection with information systems and data processing, including hardware, software and maintenance of both hardware and software. This doesn t include costs related with the website, which is rather under Information and communication ; Costs related with human resource management (including staff training); Costs generated if any by the agreement itself: separate bank account, fee for external auditors (not all centres are concerned); Costs in connection with rental of office space, cleaning, security; Overhead costs such as office equipment, telephone, office supplies, general mailing (while dissemination of publications should rather go under Information and communication ). Please note that the purchase of durable goods (hardware, office equipment etc.) is subject to the depreciation rule: you should not indicate the whole cost of, say, a computer, but the amount of its depreciation for one year. 3.3 Procedures/Accountability Below are indicated the general procedures only. The specific procedures will be defined in each agreement. Only the procedures defined in agreements have legal value. The NEC shall present a grant request accompanied by a detailed annual work plan and a budget, using the forms provided by EACEA. 3.4 NEC Annual Work Programme and Budget Plan Each NEC prepares its grant application using the forms provided by the EACEA. Each grant application includes in particular a work programme and a budget plan, as well as annexes, as indicated in the application form. The work programme shall reflect the framework of objectives, tasks and stakeholders indicated in the terms of reference, while at the same time taking account of national needs, policies and strategies, and outlining the arrangements for implementation. 15

16 Each NEC prepares one work programme, giving the relevant information when the activities are carried out by more than one body. The approved work programme is the basis for the allocation of the grant and the evaluation of the action implemented. NECs are advised to send a draft work programme and a draft budget plan in electronic form to the European Commission (carlo.scatoli@ec.europa.eu) and the EACEA (vyte.ezerskiene@ec.europa.eu) by the 16 of November, for preliminary examination. The final official version of the grant application shall be sent in paper format to EACEA by 31 December 2007, per courier or as registered mail, to the following address: Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency P3 Lifelong Learning: Leonardo da Vinci and Studies, indicators and Dissemination Avenue du Bourget 1 (BOUR 1/28) BE 1140 Brussels Applications sent after 31 December 2007 will only be accepted in exceptional circumstances. If the reasons are duly justified the late submission of a grant request may be accepted upon decision of the Executive Agency. In such case, the period of eligibility of costs will be shortened accordingly and the Community grant will be proportionally reduced. Nevertheless, in compliance with Financial regulations Art , no contract will be signed later than 30 June Reporting The contractor will send EACEA the final report and the financial statement by the deadline indicated in the agreement and using a form provided by EACEA. The final report should be elaborated according to specific guidelines that will be provided by EACEA. 3.6 Payments Payments will in principle be organised as follows: - An initial payment of 80% will be made after both parties sign the agreement. - The balance will be paid following the approval of the final report. 3 On 1 May 2007 the revision of the Financial Regulation and its Implementing Rules entered into application: Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1995/2006 of 13 December 2006 amending Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002 on the Financial Regulation applicable to the general budget of the European Communities (OJ L 390 of , p. 1) and Commission Regulation no. 478/2007 of 23 April 2007, amending Commission Regulation no. 2342/2002 (OJ L 111 of , p.1). 16

17 3.7 Indicative amounts available The final figures will be made known to NECs as soon as they are adopted. NECs can prepare their draft applications based on the indicative values in the table below. Indicative amounts available for each country for 2008 Belgique/Belgie BE ,00 Bulgaria BG ,00 Ceska Republika CZ ,00 Danmark DK ,00 Deutschland DE ,00 Eesti EE ,00 Ellas EL ,00 Espana ES ,00 France FR ,00 Ireland IE ,00 Italia IT ,00 Kypros CY ,00 Latvija LV ,00 Lithuania LT ,00 Luxembourg LU ,00 Magyarorszag HU ,00 Malta MT ,00 Nederland NL ,00 Oesterreich AT ,00 Polska PL ,00 Portugal PT ,00 Romania RO ,00 Slovenija SI ,00 Slovensko SK ,00 Suomi FI ,00 Sverige SE ,00 United Kingdom UK ,00 Island IS ,00 Liechtenstein LI 0,00 Norge NO ,00 17