EU funding

EU funding

On September 15, 2021, the European Parliament adopted the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA III) for the period 2021-2027, following the positive decision of the Council, which was adopted on September 7, 2021. This is the last step in the process of adopting a new seven-year instrument worth almost 14,2 billion EUR to support candidate countries and potential candidates for EU membership in key political, institutional, social, and economic reforms. IPA III is strategically focused on the rule of law and respect for basic values, strengthening of democratic institutions, public administration reform, and promotion of economic management and competitiveness, without special allocation of funds for each of the beneficiary countries. Funds from IPA III will also be available for projects aimed at sustainable economic recovery in the fields of energy, transport, environmental protection, climate change, and digital transformation. The term EU funds include all programs financed by the European Union, whether in member countries or outside the area. Funds are allocated through programs for the purpose of capacity building and institution building, cross-border cooperation, regional development, education, health, etc. The European Union has long accepted policies to reduce inequality between regions in all member states, and funds are distributed to less developed regions even within states with relatively high per capita income on average. The primary policy instrument is the EU structural funds, which consist of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the European Social Fund (ESF). The European Union has prepared a new cycle of programs for the period 2021 - 2027:

HORIZON EUROPE
The Horizon Europe program is the Union's main program for funding research and innovation.

The program is intended to combat climate change, contribute to the achievement of the UN's sustainable development goals and encourage competitiveness and growth in the EU. It facilitates cooperation and strengthens the impact of research and innovation in the development and supports and implements EU policies while addressing global issues. The program supports the creation and better dissemination of excellence in knowledge and technologies. Creating new jobs, making the most of the EU's talent pool, stimulating economic growth, promoting competitiveness in the industry, and optimizing the performance of investments within the European Research Area. Legal entities from the EU and associated countries can participate in the program. EU budget for the period 2021-2027. the year is 95.51 billion EUR.

For more information on the Horizon Europe program, please visit the following website: https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/programmes/horizon

COST Program
The COST program (European Cooperation in Science and Technology) is an intergovernmental framework for international cooperation in the field of science and technology in Europe, founded in 1971.
Bosnia and Herzegovina has been a full member of the COST program since 2009.
The COST program finances conferences, workshops, training, short-term scientific exchanges, and activities to present the results of the program in various fields. The program provides a unique opportunity to develop ideas and new initiatives in science and technology.
The COST program does not include research funding but provides support for the formation of research networks through COST Actions.
COST Action is an interdisciplinary research network that brings together researchers and innovators from the academic community, small and medium-sized enterprises, public institutions, and other relevant organizations or stakeholders.
Open to all areas of science and technology, the COST Action offers a pan-European environment for individuals to develop their professional research networks and advance their careers.
How to find COST Action?
The COST Action is presented on the COST program page https://www.cost.eu/browse-actions

You can find the rules for participation in COST Action at http://mcp.gov.ba/Content/Read/cost-dokumenti

EUREKA program
EUREKA is a European intergovernmental initiative in which Bosnia and Herzegovina actively participates as a full member from June 2021. In the previous period, from 2009, it had the status of a State Contact Point. Along with 43 full members (27 EU countries, North Macedonia, Iceland, Israel, Monaco, Montenegro, Norway, Russia, San Marino, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Albania, Bosnia, and Herzegovina), the EUREKA initiative also includes South Korea as a partner country and Argentina, Canada, South Africa and Chile as associate members. Each of these countries has its own national procedure and funding scheme according to which it finances national participation in international EUREKA research and development projects. Information about the EUREKA program and projects is available at: https://www.eurekanetwork.org/

The basic programming principle of the EUREKA initiative implies that project implementation organizations from all participating countries freely decide on the formulation, implementation, and financing of the EUREKA project.

Creative Europe program
The new agreement for the period from 2021 to 2027 represents the continuation of Bosnia and Herzegovina's participation in the EU Creative Europe program, after a significant level of success was achieved in the previous cycle of 2014-2020.
The agreement will contribute to strengthening relations between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the European Union while achieving a higher level of commonality with EU member states. At the same time, membership in this program will enable creative sectors in BiH to increase their contribution to employment and development.
The Creative Europe program with a total budget of 2.4 billion EUR for the period 2021 - 2027 provides support to artists, experts in the field of culture and audiovisual activities, and organizations of performing and fine arts, publishing, film, television, music, interdisciplinary arts, heritage, as well as the video game industry.
Building on the previous Creative Europe program, the program will continue to support the European cultural and creative sector in the period 2021-2027.

The program follows the structure of the previous program and includes three subprograms:
• The sub-program Culture includes the cultural and creative sectors, except for the audiovisual sector;
• The MEDIA subprogram includes the audiovisual sector;
• The intersectoral subprogram includes activities in all cultural and creative sectors.

For more information about the Creative Europe program, please visit the website:
https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/find-funding/eu-funding-programmes/creative-europe_hr

ERASMUS+ program
ERASMUS+ is a program of the European Union that aims to finance activities in the field of education, youth, and sports. Total funds allocated to the ERASMUS+ program for the period 2021-2027. amount to 26.2 billion EUR.
The program for this period is strongly focused on social inclusion, green and digital transition and the promotion of youth participation in democratic life. It supports the priorities and activities within the European Education Area, the Action Plan for Digital Education, and the Skills Agenda for Europe.

Who can participate in the ERASMUS+ program?
Member states of the European Union or third countries associated with the program can participate in all activities of the ERASMUS+ program. The third countries associated with the program include Serbia, the Republic of North Macedonia, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Turkey. Some activities, especially in the field of higher education, professional education, and youth training, are also open to participants from third countries that are not affiliated with the program. This category includes Bosnia and Herzegovina (Western Balkans, Region 1).


Objectives of the ERASMUS+ program
In order to achieve its goals, the ERASMUS+ program envisages the implementation of the following activities for the period 2021-2027:

Key Activity 1 - Learning Mobility for Individuals
This key activity supports student and staff mobility, youth participation activities, DiscoverEU activities, language learning opportunities, and virtual exchanges in the field of higher education and youth.

Key activity 2 – Cooperation of organizations and institutions
This key activity supports collaborative partnerships, partnerships for excellence, partnerships for innovation, capacity-building projects, and non-profit sports events.

Key Activity 3 – Support for policy development and cooperation
This key activity supports the Youth of Europe Together initiative, intended for local youth organizations that want to enter into cross-border partnerships, i.e. add a European dimension to their activities. The purpose is to encourage new organizations that are not yet established at the European level to apply.
More about the ERASMUS+ program: https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/

Single Market Program
The Single Market program aims to improve the internal market, improve the competitiveness of companies with special emphasis on small and medium-sized enterprises, ensure the efficient functioning of the internal market through standardization procedures, encourage consumer interests and ensure a high level of consumer protection and product safety, contribute to a high level of human health, animals and plants throughout the food chain and in related areas.
The Single Market program is modern, simple, and flexible, bringing together a wide range of activities that were previously funded separately. It summarizes the activities financed within five previous programs in the areas of competitiveness of companies, protection of consumers, consumers and end users of financial services, adoption of policies in the area of financial services, and in terms of the food chain (COSME, Consumer, EaSI, etc.).
The goal of the program is to improve the functioning and better coordination of actions in the single market and achieve better value for money and ensure greater visibility of the single market.
The total budget of this program for the program period 2021-2027 is four billion EUR.
For more information on the Single Market program, please visit the following website: https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/find-funding/eu-funding-programmes/single-market-programme_hr

EU 4 Health Program 2021 - 2027
The EU Health Program is the EU's ambitious response to COVID-19. The pandemic has had a major impact on patients, medical and healthcare staff, and healthcare systems in Europe. The new EU health program will go a step beyond crisis response to improve the resilience of health systems.
Within the framework of the EU program for health, health organizations and non-governmental organizations in the member states and third countries that have joined the program will be financed.
Areas of activity
Within the EU program for health, the European Union will invest 5.3 billion EUR, while 10 goals are more precisely defined within the 4 general goals of that program:
• improving health;
• preventing disease and improving health;
• international health initiatives and cooperation;
• suppression of cross-border threats to health;
• prevention, preparedness, and response to cross-border threats to health;
• replenishment of national stocks of essential products needed during the crisis;
• establishment of reserve medical, health, and support staff;
• improvement of medicines, medical products, and products needed during the crisis;
• ensuring the availability and affordability of medicines, medical products, and products needed during the crisis;
• strengthening health systems, their resilience, and efficient use of resources;
• improvement of health data, digital tools, and services, digital transformation of health care;
• improving the availability of health care;
• development and implementation of EU legislation in the field of health and evidence-based decision-making;
• integrated work of national health systems.

For more information please visit the website: https://health.ec.europa.eu/funding/eu4health-programme-2021-2027-vision-healthier-european-union_hr