Article 4

The reimbursement shall be made by the ERCEA upon submission of a request for reimbursement, duly completed and signed by the interviewee and by the ERCEA official responsible for certifying the interviewee’s presence.

By signing the request for reimbursement the interviewees declare on their honour that the travel expenses and/or allowances claimed will not be met by another European Union institution or another organisation or person for the same journey or the same period, and that their claim corresponds to the costs actually incurred. Irregularities and/or false claims will lead to the application of administrative sanctions applied by analogy with Article 265a(3) of the Implementing Rules to the Financial Regulation.

Travel expenses shall be reimbursed on presentation of original supporting documents no later than 30 calendar days after the final day of the interview: tickets and invoices or, in case of online bookings, the printout of the electronic reservation and boarding cards for the outward journey. The documents supplied must show the class of travel used, the time of travel and the amount paid.

Unless the interviewee can provide a proper justification that is accepted by reasoned decision by the responsible authorising officer, failure to comply with the provisions of this paragraph shall absolve the ERCEA from any obligation to reimburse travel expenses or pay any allowances.

The ERCEA shall reimburse the interviewees’ expenses within the period laid down in the rules implementing the Financial Regulation.

Travel expenses shall be reimbursed in Euro, where appropriate at the rate of exchange applying on the day of the interview.

The daily allowance and, where appropriate, the accommodation allowance, shall be paid in Euro at the flat rate applicable on the day of the interview. The daily allowance and accommodation allowance may be adjusted in line with changes in the cost of living in Brussels.

All reimbursements of travel expenses, daily allowances and/or accommodation allowances shall be made to one and the same bank account.

The authorising officer by delegation may, by reasoned decision and on presentation of supporting documents, authorise the reimbursement of expenses which interviewees have had to incur as a result of special instructions they have received in writing.