Article 15 Consistency and complementarity

The Commission shall, in cooperation with the Member States, ensure overall consistency with other Union and Community policies, instruments and actions, in particular by establishing appropriate mechanisms to coordinate the activities of the Programme with relevant activities relating to research, justice and home affairs, culture, education, training and youth policy, and in the fields of enlargement and the Community's external relations, and with regional policy and general economic policy. Special attention shall be devoted to the possible synergies between this Programme and those in the field of education and training.

The Commission and the Member States shall ensure consistency and complementarity and the absence of duplication between activities under the Programme and other relevant Union and Community actions, in particular under the Structural Funds, especially the European Social Fund.

The Commission shall ensure that expenditure covered by and charged to the Programme is not charged to any other Community financial instrument.

The Commission shall keep the Committee referred to in Article 13 regularly informed of other Community action that contributes to achieving the Lisbon strategy goals in the field of the Social Agenda.

Member States shall make all possible efforts to ensure consistency and complementarity between activities under the Programme and those carried out at national, regional and local levels.