European Court of Auditors prints Horizon 2020 opinion
An opinion on the Rules for Participation and Dissemination for Horizon 2020 has been published by the European Court of Auditors [ECA] on 25 July this year. The document recognizes the efforts made by the European Commission to simplify the rules for participation in the Horizon 2020 research funding programme, which will begin in 2014.
The ECA opinion’s recommendations for Horizon 2020 include:
- Identify coordination mechanisms with other EU policies, e.g. Cohesion policy;
- Consistently apply the proposed rules for participation;
- Clearly differentiate between actions eligible for 100 per cent reimbursement and those limited to a maximum of 70 per cent;
- Prizes financed by Horizon 2020 grants should result in stimulating (technological) innovation, attracting additional funds from other sources;
- If “non-recoverable VAT” is to become an eligible cost, clear guidance on what constitutes “recoverable VAT” is necessary.
The full opinion is available here.
