Funding and transparency – promises or just high hopes?

For those of use who tender for EU projects, taking more time over complying with all the red tape than on the actual project proposal, this may be good news :

“More funding opportunities, greater transparency and less red tape – financial rules worth waiting for.

€975bn of EU money will be channelled into new programmes of all kinds over the next seven years. Under new rulestaking effect on 1 May 2007 it will be easier than ever to connect beneficiaries with funding.

“It is vital to have financial rules which measure up to real life situations” said finance commissioner Dalia Grybauskaitė. The new rules have been streamlined, making it easier to get grants from the EU. This is particularly good news for small businesses and NGOs as grants up to €25k now require less paperwork. Researchers can now also apply for individual EU research grants.

Greater transparency will ensure public money is properly spent. For the first time, all beneficiaries will be made public – from 2008 for development and regional aid and from 2009 for farm subsidies. An information network linking all parties will help prevent fraud and corruption.”

I cut and pasted this from the EU Commission’s homepage where there is more detail about the issue.

It must be the lovely spring weather which is helping me to be optimistic over this promise!