Bio-based Industries Joint Undertaking
The European Parliament adopted by 563 votes to 29, with 81 abstentions, a legislative resolution on the proposal for a Council regulation on the Bio-Based Industries Joint Undertaking (BBI).
Parliament approved the Commission proposal subject to the following amendments:
Joint Undertaking: for the implementation of the Joint Technology Initiative on Bio-Based Industries, the BBI Joint Undertaking should be established until 31 December 2024. In order to take into account the duration of the Horizon 2020 Framework Programme, calls for proposals under BBI shall be launched at the latest by 31 December 2020. In duly justified cases calls for proposals may be launched until 31 December 2021.
The BBI Joint Undertaking should seek to develop close interactions with the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF).
Financial contribution: Members proposed that the maximum Union contribution, including EFTA appropriations to the BBI Joint Undertaking to cover administrative costs and operational costs shall be EUR 975 million.
The Members of the BBI Joint Undertaking other than the Union shall make or arrange for their constituent entities to make a total contribution of at least EUR 2 730 million of which at least EUR 1 755 million are in kind contributions.
Openness and transparency: in order to facilitate participation, the calls for proposals launched by the Joint Undertaking should also be published on the single portal for participants as well as through other Horizon 2020 electronic means of dissemination managed by the Commission.
The Bio-Based Industries Joint Undertaking should operate in an open and transparent way providing all relevant information in a timely manner to its appropriate bodies as well as promoting its activities, including information and dissemination activities to the wider public and liaising with a broad range of stakeholders including research organisations and universities.
Discharge: in view of the specific nature and the current status of the Joint Undertakings, and in order to ensure continuity with the 7th Framework Programme, the Joint Undertakings should continue to be subject to a separate discharge.
Simplification: for the purpose of simplification, administrative burdens should be reduced for all parties. Double audits and disproportionate documentation and reporting should be avoided.
Evaluation: by 30 June 2017, the Commission should carry out, with the assistance of independent experts, an interim evaluation of the BBI Joint Undertaking, and send a report to the European Parliament and to the Council by 31 December 2017. The results of the interim evaluation of the Joint Undertaking shall be taken into account in the interim evaluation of Horizon 2020.