Subsection 2

The Commission shall evaluate all the proposals submitted in response to a call for proposals on the basis of the principles for evaluation, and the selection and award criteria set out in the specific programme and the work programme. The following criteria shall apply for the ‘Cooperation’ and ‘Capacities’ Programmes: scientific and/or technological excellence, relevance to the objectives of these specific programmes, the potential impact through the development, dissemination and use of project results, the quality and efficiency of the implementation and management. The following criteria shall apply for the ‘People’ Programme: scientific and/or technological excellence, relevance to the objectives of this specific programme, quality and implementation capacity of the applicants (researchers/organisations) and their potential for further progress, quality of the proposed activity in scientific training and/or transfer of knowledge. For support for ‘frontier’ research actions under the ‘Ideas’ Programme the sole criterion of excellence shall apply. For coordination and support actions, project-related criteria may apply. Within this framework the work programmes shall specify the evaluation and selection criteria and may add additional requirements, weightings and thresholds, or set out further details on the application of the criteria. A proposal which contravenes fundamental ethical principles or which does not fulfil the conditions set out in the specific programme, the work programme or in the call for proposals shall not be selected. Such a proposal may be excluded from the evaluation, selection and award procedures at any time. Proposals shall be ranked according to the evaluation results. Funding decisions shall be made on the basis of this ranking. Where a call for proposals specifies a two-step evaluation procedure, only those proposals that pass the first step, based on the evaluation against a limited set of criteria, shall go forward for further evaluation. Where a call for proposals specifies a two-stage submission procedure, only those applicants whose proposals pass the evaluation for the first stage shall be requested to submit a complete proposal in the second stage. All applicants shall be swiftly informed of the results of the first-stage evaluation. The Commission shall adopt and publish rules governing the procedure for the submission of proposals, as well as the related evaluation, selection and award procedures and publish guides for applicants including guidelines for evaluators. In particular, it shall lay down detailed rules for the two-stage submission procedure (including as regards the scope and nature of the first-stage proposal as well as those of the complete second-stage proposal), and rules for the two-step evaluation procedure. The Commission shall provide information and set out redress procedures for applicants. The Commission shall adopt and publish rules to ensure consistent verification of the existence and legal status of participants in indirect actions as well as their financial capacity. The Commission shall refrain from renewing such verification unless the situation of the participant concerned has changed. The Commission shall appoint independent experts to assist with evaluations of proposals. For coordination and support actions, referred to in Article 14, independent experts shall be appointed only if the Commission deems it appropriate. Independent experts shall be chosen on the basis of skills and knowledge appropriate to the tasks assigned to them. In cases where independent experts will have to deal with classified information, the appropriate security clearance shall be required before appointment. Independent experts shall be identified and selected on the basis of calls for applications from individuals and calls addressed to relevant organisations such as national research agencies, research institutions or enterprises with a view to establishing lists of suitable candidates. The Commission may, if deemed appropriate, select any individual with the appropriate skills from outside the lists. Appropriate measures shall be taken to ensure reasonable gender balance when appointing groups of independent experts. For ‘frontier’ research projects, experts shall be appointed by the Commission on the basis of a proposal from the Scientific Council of the European Research Council. When appointing an independent expert, the Commission shall take all necessary steps to ensure that the expert is not faced with a conflict of interests in relation to the matter on which the expert is required to provide an opinion. The Commission shall adopt a model appointment letter, hereinafter ‘the appointment letter’, which shall include a declaration that the independent expert has no conflict of interest at the time of appointment and that he undertakes to inform the Commission if any conflict of interest should arise in the course of providing his opinion or carrying out his duties. The Commission shall conclude an appointment letter between the Community and each independent expert. The Commission shall publish once a year in any appropriate medium the list of the independent experts that have assisted it for the Seventh Framework Programme and each specific programme.

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Source: EUR-Lex (Cellar) · retrieved 2026-11-07 · Text as adopted (Official Journal); later amendments are not incorporated in this text.