On 15 June 2016, the Polish Platform for Homeland Security and the Polish National Contact Point for Research Programs of the European Union organized an information meeting for representatives of uniformed services that are interested in direct participation in research and development projects financed in the framework of the Horizon 2020 Program. The meeting was held at the Institute of Fundamental Technological of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw.
The main objective of the meeting was to present information about the procedure of registration in the European Commission’s Participant Portal and obtaining the Participant Identification Code (PIC). Also, the procedure of appointment of the Legal Entity Appointed Representative (LEAR) and its importance at the stage of performance of European projects were discussed.
Of note is the fact that for several years the European Commission has made a significant emphasis on inclusion of representatives of uniformed services in consortia. Thus, it is very important to highlight the presence and activity of Polish agencies responsible for security in the European forum.
During the meeting, the benefits for the uniformed services resulting from involvement in European projects were emphasized. These include:
- real influence on the shaping of technologies and legal-organizational solutions developed on the projects by active participation in the international consortia that perform them;
- networking and sharing of experiences by being able to work with representatives of law enforcement agencies from other countries (mostly the EU);
- obtaining external financing from the European Commission to cover the cost of research and development in the area of security (in the case of uniformed services the financing can cover up to 100% of the costs).
A very important item on the meeting’s agenda was a discussion and sharing of experiences.
The attendees pointed at the procedure of transfer of funds from the European Commission to uniformed services (government entities). According to the current practice, the funds are transferred to specific agencies through the Ministry of Finances and a special-purpose reserve. During the discussion, the participants pointed at the need to clarify the guidelines and rules for using the special-purpose reserve. The position of the Ministry of Finance on this issue will facilitate planning and using the budget by the agencies that participate or are planning to participate in projects financed by the European Union.
Moreover, during the discussion it turned out that individual local structures of specific agencies (in particular provincial headquarters of the Police) do have their PIC numbers due to their involvement in the past in projects financed by the European Commission. These experiences can be used as good practices for other agencies that intend to register in the Participant Portal.
The meeting was attended by representatives of the Police (National Headquarters, Provincial Headquarters), the Central Bureau of Investigations of the Police, the Border Guard (National Headquarters and Branches), the National Headquarters of the Fire Brigade, the Internal Security Agency, the Police School in Piła, the Main School of Fire Service, and the Research and Development Center of Fire Protection.
Presentations given during the meeting:
- Prezentacja na temat Krajowego Punktu Kontaktowego – Sebastian Serwiak, Zastępca Dyrektora Krajowego Punktu Kontaktowego – pobierz tutaj,
- Aspekty finansowe w Programie Horyzont 2020 – Barbara Trammer, Bartosz Majewski, Krajowy Punkt Kontaktowy – pobierz tutaj,
- Ogólne Informacje o konkursie “Bezpieczne społeczeństwa” na lata 2016-2017 – pobierz tutaj,
- Model wdrożenia numeru PIC – pobierz tutaj,
- Udział służb mundurowych w Programie Horyzont 2020 – Rashel Talukder, Dyrektor Zarządzający, Polska Platforma Bezpieczeństwa Wewnętrznego – pobierz tutaj,
- Program Pracy na lata 2016-2017 w obszarze “Bezpieczne Społeczeństwa” – pobierz tutaj.
A link for registration of an institution in the Participant Portal of the European Commission is available here.
