The following topics are mentioned within the Memorandum of Understanding: the general framework for funding allocations, financeable domains, allocated budgets, definitions for the Program Operator, Program Partners from Donor States and International Partner Organizations. The reference document contains general information regarding the relationships between the Donor State and the Beneficiary State as well as particularities regarding the programme areas.
Thus, for the 2014-2021 period, the Ministry of Internal Affairs holds the Program Operator role for the Home Affairs Programme – Nonrefundable External Funds Directorate as point of contact for the PO, and will manage a total budget of 28.235.294 EUR (representing an allocation grater then 4.5 times that the ministry had at its disposal within the 2009-2014 period). The absorption of non-refundable funds represents one of Romania’s fundamental priorities, and the substantial allocations from the Donor State within the 2014-2021 period need to be optimally exploited, as this represents a key resource for development on short, medium and long term for the Romanian economy and society, as well as a central pylon of the national budget.
The Home Affairs Programme is structured on 3 areas: Area 18 – Asylum and migration (5.882.353 EUR budget and includes one predefined project and open calls), Area 20 – Police Cooperation (11.764.706 EUR and includes two predefined projects), Area 23 – Disaster Prevention and Preparedness (10.000.000 EUR and includes 2 predefined projects and open calls).
Legal framework
In order to define the allocation criteria, Norway, through its institutions (the Norway External Affairs Ministry (MAEN) and Financial Mechanism Office (FMO) headquartered in Brussels), has established the coordinates and necessary procedures, as well as the steps needed. The FMO has created the supporting document for the programming the funds, titled „Blue Book”, which describes the sectors and areas as well as the requirements for each financeable domain for each area.
PO has organized consultations with stakeholders and project promoters within the Ministry of Internal Affairs, identifying the project ideas and the main activities that need to be done. Negotiations have been done with the National Focal Point, donor programme partners and the FMO, establishing the Concept Note (a document representing the core for the elaboration of the Program Agreement, which includes, on each programme area, the outcomes, the outputs, the budget allocations of each project etc. The document approved by the financer, has been the base of the Programme Agreement (the equivalent of the financing contract), which has been negotiated between Norway’s Ministry of External Affairs and Romania’s Ministry of European Funds and signed on the 19th of June 2018. Concurrent with the Programme Agreement, the Program Operator (Ministry of Internal Affairs) and the Ministry of European Funds have signed the Program Implementation Agreement, also on the 19th of June 2018.
Within the Home Affairs Programme, the predefined projects will be financed through a full pre-financing mechanism and national co-financing is 15%.
Programme partners
Donor Programme partners are public entities responsible for public policies in different domains and with vast international experience in preparing and implementing programmes in their respective domains and play a strategic role in planning and implementing projects, as well as in facilitating partnerships at project level. Programme level partnerships are mutually profitable for participating entities through knowledge transfer, technology, experience and best practice exchanges. According to MoU, the implementation for the Home Affairs Programme will be assured in partnership with entities from the donor state (MEAN, POD, DSB, UDI), as well as the Council of Europe as an international partner organization.