Conclusies Raad JBZ over verbeteren efficiëntie toekomstige financiële programma's justitiële samenwerking (en)

COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION

Council conclusions on improving the efficiency of future EU financial programmes supporting judicial cooperation

3111st JUSTICE and HOME AFFAIRS Council meeting Brussels, 22 and 23 September 2011

The Council adopted the following conclusions:

"a) Having regard to the "Stockholm Programme - an open and secure Europe serving and protecting citizens"¹;

• b) 

  Having regard to the Evaluation Report from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council "Interim evaluation report on the Criminal Justice Programme'"²

• c) 

  Having regard to the Report from the Commission "Interim evaluation report on the results obtained from and the qualitative and quantitative aspects of the implementation of the Civil Justice financing programme* ;

• d) 

  Taking into account the partial nature of mid-term evaluations of ongoing programmes; The Council
• 1. 

  stresses the noteworthy role played by the European Union financing programmes in the efficient implementation of the EU acquis, in capacity building and in helping shape policy debate;
• 2. 

  underlines their contribution to the establishment of a European area of justice based on the principle of mutual recognition of court rulings, cooperation between judicial authorities in civil and criminal matters, and the fostering of trust;
• 3. 

  notes their potential to facilitate the lives of European citizens, render easier access to justice and involve civil society in the debate on justice;
• 4. 

  reiterates the Stockholm programme plea for more transparent, flexible, coherent and streamlined access for stakeholders to the EU financing programmes;
• 5. 

  remains open towards considering the possibility of merging civil and criminal justice programmes into a single programme, provided that balanced funding is ensured between civil and criminal law area within the programme and provided that the merger results in real efficiency gains;
• 6. 

  takes note of the limited take-up of operating grants by civil society organisations;
• 7. 

  expects EU programmes to be focused on European added value, on pilot schemes for judicial cooperation and for access to justice and on improving efficiency and methodologies and promoting better understanding of operation of European instruments of law; programming should take into account the practical usefulness of projects and their impact on the single market, and provide incentives for innovative technologies;
• 8. 

  considers that funds from EU financing programmes should primarily be used for specific transnational projects; as far as funds are used for actions taken on the initiative of the Commission, the highest possible degree of transparency must be ensured;
• 9. 

  invites the Commission to further simplify administrative procedures for access to funding without weakening the requirements for effective financial control and without putting at risk the sound financial management;
• 10. 

  considers that the quality of projects is of utmost importance; thus even smaller budget initiatives fully respecting this criteria should be taken into account when fixing the thresholds for funding;
• 11. 

  calls on the Commission and Member States to widely disseminate information on existing funding possibilities, including through open days organised by Commission delegations, dedicated sections on European and national justice websites; the visibility efforts should include better information on eligible expenses and more creative online partner-matching tools;
• 12. 

  requests the Commission to respect programming and tendering schedules thus facilitating project planning and co-financing by stakeholders; urges the Commission to maintain the annual framework for calls for proposals, if possible with the announcement of annual plans and launch of the calls for proposal and publication of their results taking place during the same budgetary year;
• 13. 

  considers that there is a considerable margin of improvement as regards the transparency of the evaluation of tenders, publication of the results of such evaluation and publication of the results of projects;
• 14. 

  calls on the Commission, in full respect of the institutional rules, to give due consideration to observations made by Member States in the procedures for the adoption of the annual work programmes and when making the selection of individual projects;
• 15. 

  calls on the Commission and Member States to ensure that the sustainability of completed projects is improved."

1

OJ C 115 4.5.2010, page 1.

2

  11127/11 COPEN 146 DROIPEN 54 FIN 381.

3

  11821/11 JUSTCIV 171 EJUSTICE 56