Division 2.6 Cooperation with international organisations

Funding for actions with international organisations should be financed under budget line 17 03 06 — Community action in the field of health. F1The total indicative amount is estimated at EUR 2 600 000 (around 5,5 % of the operating budget).

In accordance with Article 12 of the Programme Decision, relations and cooperation with relevant international organisations shall be encouraged. This will be done with those international organisations which have the capacity needed to tackle health priorities for the European Union as identified in the annual Work Plan. It will be based on effective collaboration with the Commission.

The international organisations listed below have specific capacities linked to their remit. This makes them particularly qualified to carry out certain actions specified in this Work Plan. Therefore direct grants are considered as the most appropriate and effective mechanism for these. Moreover, direct grants will improve synergies with and responsiveness to relevant international organisations.

For the present Work Plan, an international organisation is defined as a form of intergovernmental cooperation established by states through the signature of an international agreement that is registered or submitted to be registered at the Secretariat of the United Nations, has a permanent organisational structure and is endowed with a legal status based on the relevant international agreement that enables the exercise of its functions and the fulfilment of its purpose.

According to Article 168(1)(f) of the IR, funding for actions with international organisations will be allocated through grant agreements without a call for proposals on topics specifically identified in this Work Plan. International organisations and their national or regional offices are not eligible for funding as main or associated beneficiaries under any calls for proposals.

The amount of the financial contribution can be up to 60 % per organisation of the eligible costs for the actions considered. EAHC will determine the Community contribution and the maximum percentage to be awarded in each case.

In accordance with recital 33 of the Programme Decision, activities involving third countries not participating in the second Health Programme shall not be considered eligible costs. This applies also with regard to grant agreements with international organisations. However, travel and subsistence expenses for experts invited from or travelling to such countries can be considered eligible costs in duly justified, exceptional cases, where this directly contributes to the objectives of the second Health Programme.

Funding can only be awarded to the following international organisations in 2010:

• Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD),

• World Health Organisation (WHO),

• European Observatory on Health Policies and Health Systems,

• The Council of Europe (CoE),

• International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).