Grants awarded by the Council of Europe
In accordance with the Council of Europe rules on grant procedures, the Organisation ensures ex-post publication of all grants it has awarded in a given year. This duty of transparency is further reinforced by the contractual frameworks with certain donors, in particular the European Union.
What is a grant?
A grant is a financial assistance by the Council of Europe to a grantee for the financing of a project or a specified action (“project related grant”) or for the financing of an operational expenditure[1] (“operational grant”). This definition applies irrespective of the grantee’s status (public or private individuals, legal or natural persons).
[1] Operational grants should not normally give rise to grant agreements of more than twelve consecutive months’ duration.
What is the purpose of a grant?
A grant must have the purpose of both:
- assisting the grantee in the attainment of its goals or objectives, and
- fulfilling a more general objective of advancement of the Organisation’s values or policies.
These two preconditions are cumulative.
Grant award procedures
Grant award procedures in the Council of Europe are based on the principles of transparency, non-retroactivity, non-cumulative awards, not-for-profit, co-financing and non-discrimination.
When can a grant be used?
Grants are foreseen by Article 43 bis of the Financial Regulations of the Council of Europe, which is implemented by Rule 1374.
Rule 1374 applies to all grant procedures irrespective of the source of funding. This includes the Ordinary Budget, Voluntary Contributions and Grant Agreements with external donors.
List of grants awarded by the Council of Europe within the scope of EU/COE joint programmes and voluntary contributions
Kosovo*1 - “All references to Kosovo, whether the territory, institutions or population, in this text shall be understood in full compliance with United Nations' Security Council Resolution 1244 and without prejudice to the status of Kosovo.”
Palestine*2 - “This designation shall not be construed as recognition of a State of Palestine and is without prejudice to the individual positions of Council of Europe member States on this issue.”