Call for proposals with a view to obtaining grants in the field of transport

Publication date: 06 July 2009

Call for proposals DG TREN/SUB/01-2009

1. Policy framework

The European Commission intends to award grants to promote the objectives of the common transport policy. The policy priorities have been set in the work programme for 2009 adopted by the Commission (COM (2009) 4671 22.06.2009). Information on this call for proposals is available on the DG TREN website at the following addresses

http://ec.europa.eu/transport/grants/2009_09_15_en.htm

http://ec.europa.eu/transport/grants/index_en.htm

2. Sources of funding

The operations selected will be financed from the budget headings ‘Support activities to the European transport policy and passenger rights’ and ‘Transport security’.

3. Estimated total amount for this call for proposals

The estimated total amount for 2009 is €4 750 000.

• Road safety: €4 000 000

• Internal Market: €600 000

• Transport security €150 000

4. Percentage of Community co-financing

The grants are intended as incentives for carrying out an operation which could not be executed without Community financial support, and they reflect the principle of co-financing. The Commission therefore plans to grant only funds which are complementary and subsidiary to contributions made by the beneficiary, the national, regional or local authorities and other bodies. Accordingly, the amount granted will be between 10% and 50% of the total eligible costs of the operation, except for transport security, where it can be up to 80%. Contributions in kind are not regarded as eligible costs. Operations will compete for possible financial support.

5. Objectives of this call for proposals

Taking into account the legislative initiatives described in the work programme for 2009, the Commission wishes to support operations reinforcing and developing its policies in the field of transport, particularly in the context set in the White Paper ‘European Transport policy for 2010: time to decide’ and its mid-term review ‘Keep Europe moving’ adopted in June 2006. The scope and the results of these operations should enable the Commission to consolidate its initiatives and to renew them on the basis of current economic, social and technological trends within the European Union and beyond.

6. Categories and areas of operations covered by this call for proposals:

6.1. Categories of operations:

The operations to be supported will be classified as follows, although this does not imply the exclusion of operations having other characteristics and meeting the objectives set out in point 5:

– Research and dissemination of best practices: these operations aim to compare the procedures in force and the equipment used, measure the performance of transport systems and identify the scope for improvement in order to disseminate the best practices within the European Union.

– Coordination and harmonisation of standards and procedures: this concerns increasing the opportunities for convergence between different existing standards and procedures in order to reinforce the harmonisation process at the European level.

6.2. Areas covered:

The operations must be devoted to the following areas:

Road Safety:

• development and implementation of innovative road safety campaigns throughout the European Union; use of original teaching approaches and new information technologies to influence user behaviour in a sustainable manner,

• innovative concepts or the sharing of best practice to ensure road safety as regards two-wheeled motor vehicles: taking greater account of such vehicles in road safety planning and improving understanding and respect among different types of road user,

• innovative concepts or the sharing of best practice as regards vulnerable users (pedestrians and cyclists) in order to offer more attractive and safer solutions to the problems of congestion and pollution, particularly (but not exclusively) in urban areas,

• innovative concepts or the sharing of best practice as regards the elderly (drivers and pedestrians) in a society with a constantly increasing life expectancy: making use of new technologies and the results of medical and sociological research to ensure safe mobility for the elderly,

• the development of benchmarking tools to measure the effectiveness of road safety policies, based on work already carried out at European level, in order to ensure better understanding of the issues at stake and to identify recurring problems, including in countries with a generally better road safety record,

• Pilot projects, in particular using new technologies, to standardise procedures. A proposal may cover several areas of road safety.

For the purposes of sound management, the Commission is envisaging only co financing projects of a certain scale (a Community contribution of at least €500 000).