Daphne II programme 2004-2008: combating violence against children, young people and women

PURPOSE : to establish the second phase of the Daphne programme (2004-2008) to prevent violence against children, young people and women and to protect victims and groups at risk. CONTENT : this proposal establishes a second phase for the Daphne programme built on the experience gained during the implementation of the current programme. The structure of this proposal is similar to the one of the original Daphne programme in 2000. There is no change in the scope of it. The proposed instruments are: - identification and exchanges of good practice and work experience; - mapping surveys, studies and research; - field work with the involvement of the beneficiaries; - creation of sustainable multidisciplinary networks; - training and design of educational packages; - development and implementation of treatment programmes for aggressors, on one side, and for victims on the other side; - creation and implementation of awareness-raising activities targeted to specific audiences; design of materials to supplement those already available, or adaptation and use of existing materials in other geographical areas or for other target groups; - dissemination of the results obtained under the Daphne programme: their adaptation, transfer and use by other beneficiaries or in other geographical areas. The proposed structure reflects also the requests made by the European Parliament in its resolution. The Commission introduces some new terminology and types of actions: - a share of the annual financial appropriation is reserved for large-scale projects enabling wider partnerships to implement extended activities. The maximum community funding for these projects could be raised up to EUR 250.000 (compared to EUR 125.0000 presently); - the proposal introduces complementary actions, such as studies, development of indicators, data gathering, dissemination of results, seminars, meetings of experts or other activities to reinforce the knowledge base of the programme and to disseminate the information and results obtained under the programme. The co-financing is proposed to be limited to a maximum of 80% of the project total costs. The proposed financial reference amount for the programme is increased in view of the wide interest shown in the previous programme and of the accession of new countries. The proposal indicates a financial reference of Ç 65 million. The increase is justified firstly by the fact that, in the previous Daphne programme, only 13% of the received proposals can be funded and that, in fact, at least the double are worth being carried out. Secondly, the accession of 10 new Member States will increase the demand. There are sometimes gaps in the topics covered by the proposals submitted to the Commission compared to the thematic priorities set in the annual plans of work. Consequently, it is proposed that the annual work programme identifies, every year, a few specific actions indicating their types (campaign, studies, specific areas of violence, etc.), and well-defined topics and targets. Based on the experience gained, but also on the suggestions made in the EP resolution, it appears that the programme should foresee complementary measures to more effectively achieve the objectives of the programme, in terms ofdissemination of the results and in the knowledge of the various phenomena of violence. The Commission could indicate in the annual work programme subjects and themes where the Commission would like to see direct actions carried out. These include the development of indicators on violence, setting up a procedure for regular and sustainable data collection, extracting policy issues from the work achieved by funded projects, or disseminating good practices stemming from funded projects. The co-financing of these actions can be up to 100%. However, a limit of the percentage of the annual appropriation that can be used for these complementary measures is set to 15 %.�