Division 1 Before the start of the transnational exchange and placement programmes, the Commission will allocate a global grant established on the basis of calculation criteria defined within the procedures described in Article 7 of the Decision, taking into account:

• the population,

• the difference in the cost of living between the Member State of origin of the sending organisation and the host Member State,

• the geographical distance and the costs of transport,

• the weight of the target public concerned in relation to the overall population, depending on the availability of data for all Member States.

In any event, the application of these criteria cannot result in the exclusion of any Member State from funding of the transnational placement and exchange programmes described in Annex I.