European Commission Health Programme 2008 - 2013

Overview

Those actions intend to have a special European dimension, meaning that a minimum of various partners of different European Countries have to be involved in the project plan. For more specific information please see the respective Programme actions.

For receiving a European grant projects generally have to contribute at least to one of the 3 main objectives of the Health Programme (2008-2013):

• to improve citizens’ health security
• to promote health, including the reduction of health inequalities
• to generate and disseminate health information and knowledge

Please notice: Financial support is not available for individuals. Only legally established organisations are able to apply (such as non-governmental organisations, public sector bodies, public administrations, universities, higher education establishments etc.). More specific information is enclosed in the different Programme actions.

To ensure the participation in the Programme of the organisations that promote health agenda in line with the EU policy objectives, the Programme offers a wide variety of financing mechanisms:

Grants

• Grants for projects
• Operating grants
• Grants for conferences
• Joint actions

How much co-funding?

Normally up to 60 percent of the eligible costs of the project can be covered by the EU contribution. Given the complementary and motivational nature of EU grants, at least 40 percent of project costs must be funded from partners' sources such as staff costs pertaining to national officials and other external resources. In cases of exceptional utility, projects can receive up to 80 percent co-financing of eligible costs.

Project Grants

Themes

• Response coordination in the face of chemical events
• The impact on air transport of health threats due to biological, chemical and radiological agents
• Support to the European Innovation Partnership on active and healthy ageing
• Local community including school based initiatives to prevent overweight and obesity among children and adolescents
• Good practice and working methods to support healthy choices and enhance life skills to prevent alcohol-related harm integrated into regular youth activities or through peer support
• Benchmark comprehensive cancer care that provides interdisciplinary treatment for patients, and yield examples of best practice in comprehensive cancer care
• Preventing chronic diseases
• Support for European rare diseases information networks

Operating Grants

Under the Health Programme, the European Union can offer support to finance some of the core operating costs for organisations that promote a health agenda in line with the EU Health Programme (2008-13).

The purpose of an operating grant is to provide financial support towards the functioning of an organisation in its core activities - over a period that is equivalent to its accounting year - in order to carry out a set of activities.

Grants for Conferences

Financial contributions may be awarded by the European Union for the organisation of conferences which:
pursue as their primary goal one or more priorities of this annual work plan,
have European Union-wide dimension, i.e. engage representatives of ten or more countries participating in the EU Health Programme,
are organised by a public body or a non-profit-making body established in a country participating in the EU Health Programme, and which has relevant experience in cooperation at EU level.

The Call is open to single organisations (not consortia) active in the field of public health and risk assessment.

The annual work plan foresees two categories of conference that can receive funding in the framework of the EU Health Programme (2008-13): conferences organised by the country holding the Presidency of the European Union (one for each Presidency) and other conferences. The call for proposals for other conferences is not open to conferences organised by the Presidencies.

The selected conferences will be eligible for co-financing by the EU of up to EUR 100,000 with a maximum 50 percent of the total budget of the conference.

Joint Actions

Joint actions are activities carried out by the European Union and one or more Member States or by the EU and the competent authorities of other countries participating in the Health Programme together.

Member States/other countries participating in the Health Programme which wish to participate in joint actions must declare this intention to the Commission. With the exception of NGOs operating at EU level, only organisations established in Member States/other countries participating in the Health Programme which have made this declaration can apply for participation in joint actions.

The priority areas eligible for financing as joint actions in 2012 are specified in the 2012 Work Plan.