CORDIS Archive

Second amended proposal for a Council Decision concerning the
5th Framework Programme of the
European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom)
for research and training activities (1998-2002)

ANNEX III

RULES FOR FINANCIAL PARTICIPATION BY EURATOM

The European Atomic Energy Community will contribute financially to the research activities, including demonstration activities, and training activities, hereinafter referred to as "indirect RDT actions", carried out under the programmes implementing the Framework Programme. In addition, it will carry out directly research activities, including demonstration activities, and training activities, hereinafter referred to as "direct RDT actions".

The key action, the research and technological development activities of a generic nature, support for research infrastructures and the activities carried out in the context of themes of a horizontal nature, as described in Annex II, will be implemented through indirect RDT actions and direct RDT actions.

1. Indirect RDT actions

The indirect RTDT actions will comprise five categories: shared-cost actions, training fellowships, support for networks, concerted actions and accompanying measures. Shared-cost actions will be the main mechanism for implementing the programmes.

The rate of financial participation by Euratom in these actions will be as follows:

(a) Shared-cost actions

- Research and technological development projects, demonstration projects, integrated projects:

Research and technological development projects are projects designed to obtain new knowledge likely to be useful either to develop or significantly improve existing products, processes and services or to meet the needs of society. They will be financed in principle at a level of 50% of the eligible costs..

Demonstration projects are projects which are designed to prove the technical viability of technologies and which cannot be commercialised directly. They will be financed in principle at a level of 35% of the eligible costs.

Integrated projects are projects with both a research and technological development component and a demonstration component. They will be financed at a level corresponding to the weighted average of the levels applicable to the two components.

In the special case of legal entities which do not keep analytical accounts, the additional eligible costs generated as a result of these projects will be financed at the rate of 100%

- Support for access to research infrastructures

Support will be granted to existing research infrastructures so that they can receive teams of Euratom researchers and enable them to optimise their research work.

Community funding granted towards the optimum utilisation of infrastructures is set at up to 100% of the additional eligible costs connected with receiving teams of Euratom researchers and making the facility available.

(b) Training fellowships

In the context of the training and mobility of researchers, the "Marie Curie" fellowships scheme will comprise several categories: fellowships for young researchers with proven experience, industrial host fellowships for young researchers and development host fellowships.

Under the fellowship scheme for young researchers with proven experience, fellows will receive an allowance designed solely to cover their subsistence expenses and proper social welfare expenses. They will also receive a contribution designed to take into account the costs involved in mobility.

In the context of cooperation with third countries, the fellowship scheme will enable young researchers from third countries to be given an opportunity to spend time in Community laboratories.

Community support will cover up to 100% of eligible costs of the fellowship and a contribution to the eligible costs of the host institution when it is located in the Community.

(c) Support for networks

The thematic networks will bring together manufacturers, users, universities and research centres, and organisations concerned with the diffusion or transfer of innovation around a given scientific and technological objective so as to facilitate the incorporation and transfer of knowledge and cooperation between research players and users, and ensure that market needs are taken into account more effectively, and stimulate scientific and technological excellence. Community funding will cover up to 100% of the additional eligible costs of coordinating and implementing the thematic networks.

Research training networks will be created in advanced or emerging fields of research on topics freely chosen by the researchers. Their main aim will be to train young researchers at pre-doctoral and post-doctoral level. Community funding will cover up to 100% of the additional eligible costs connected with setting up and maintaining the network.

(d) Concerted actions

Concerted actions will be designed to coordinate RDT projects already in receipt of funding, in order to exchange experience acquired, to expand the research efforts of the various players so as to reach a critical mass, to disseminate results and to inform users. Community funding will cover up to 100% of the additional eligible costs connected with concertation.

(e) Accompanying measures

Accompanying measures will contribute towards the implementation of the specific programmes or the preparation of future activities with a view to enabling them to achieve or define their strategic objectives. They will also seek to prepare or support the other indirect actions. Measures devoted to the commercialisation of products, processes or services, marketing activities, and the promotion of sales, are excluded. Community funding may be up to 100% of the eligible costs of the measures.

In the Decisions adopting the specific programmes implementing the 5th Framework Programme there can be no derogations from the financial participation rates set above, with the exception of duly justified special cases, for the activity concerned, including those referred to in paragraph 3. The Decisions may spell out in more detail the indirect RDT actions described above, supplement them or subject them to additional conditions or limitations.

The other rules for the financial participation of undertakings, research centres and universities in indirect RDT actions are specified in the Council Decision on participation rules adopted pursuant to Article 7 of the Treaty.

2. Direct RDT actions

The direct RDT actions to be implemented by the Joint Research Centre (JRC) will comprise research and scientific and technical support activities of an institutional character. The JRC may provide support where it has special or even unique expertise and facilities in the Community or where it is tasked with activities necessary for the framing and implementation of Euratom policies and tasks incumbent on the Commission pursuant to the Treaty which require the JRC's impartiality. The Community funding will be 100% of the costs of the direct RDT action.

3. Other actions

The rules for participation by the Community in the JET Joint Undertaking, ITER activities, Contracts of Association and in certain tasks which can only be performed by industry will be specified in the corresponding research and training programme.

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