Questionnaire to Assess Member States' Financial Needs for National

GRANT APPLICATION FORM

FOR MEMBER STATES FOR FINANCIAL FACILITY UNDER ARTICLE 16 OF COUNCIL REGULATION ON MIGRATION OF THE SCHENGEN INFORMATION SYSTEM (SIS 1+) TO THE SECOND GENERATION SCHENGEN INFORMATION SYSTEM (SIS II) (RECAST)

Please send your response to and by 23 January 2013.

Please read attentively Annex 2 and 3 to this grant application form before completing it.

This grant application form has to be duly signed and initialled on each page.

As a follow-up to the explanations given in the SISVIS Committee of 25 October 2012 this grant application form is addressed to Member States to which the Migration Regulations[1]areapplicablein order to identify national financing needs eligible for the financial facility under Article 16 of the Regulations.

The objective of this grant application form is to allow Member States to provide sufficient detailed explanation that the additional financial needs identified by them fit within the requirements of the Migration Regulations. The reply to this grant application form constitutes the request for financial support.

Where you do not yet have precise amounts, please indicate estimates.

INTRODUCTION TO ARTICLE 16 AND ITS REQUIREMENTS

The financial facility under Article 16 of the Migration Regulations can be provided for the following activities:

outstanding testing activities required under Articles 8 and 9 and Article 10 (8) of the Migration Regulations (re-runs of the comprehensive test, the test on supplementary information and the global migration rehearsal); and

the real data migration (data loading, switchover and the intensive monitoring) as set out in Article 11 of the Migration Regulations.

A.Administrative Questions

Member State
Ministry/Department
Contact person
Telephone N°
e-mail

B.Description of activities relating to your nationaltesting and migrationrequirementsas covered by Article 16 of the Regulation

If there are insufficient boxes for you to complete please add through copy and paste as appropriate. Extend the boxes as necessary.

Activity 1 / Applicable article(s) / Start dateand projected end date / Expected output or deliverables / Procurement procedure (if any)
General description of national SIS II-related activities relating to your national testing and migration requirements as covered by Article 16 of the Regulation
……………………………………………………………………………..……………………………………………………………………………..……………………………………………………………………………..……………………………………………………………………………..……………………………………………………………………………..……………………………………………………………………………..……………………………………………………………………………..……………………………………………………………………………..……………………………………………………………………………..……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Total costs
75 % of the total costs
Activity 2 / Applicable article(s) / Start dateand projected end date / Expected output or deliverables / Procurement procedure (if any)
General description of national SIS II-related activities relating to your national testing and migration requirements as covered by Article 16 of the Regulation
……………………………………………………………………………..……………………………………………………………………………..……………………………………………………………………………..……………………………………………………………………………..……………………………………………………………………………..……………………………………………………………………………..……………………………………………………………………………..……………………………………………………………………………..……………………………………………………………………………..………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Total costs
75 % of the total costs
Activity 3 / Applicable article(s) / Start dateand projected end date / Expected output or deliverables / Procurement procedure (if any)
General description of national SIS II-related activities relating to your national testing and migration requirements as covered by Article 16 of the Regulation
……………………………………………………………………………..……………………………………………………………………………..……………………………………………………………………………..……………………………………………………………………………..……………………………………………………………………………..……………………………………………………………………………..……………………………………………………………………………..……………………………………………………………………………..……………………………………………………………………………..………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Total costs
75 % of the total costs
Activity 4 / Applicable article(s) / Start dateand projected end date / Expected output or deliverables / Procurement procedure (if any)
General description of national SIS II-related activities relating to your national testing and migration requirements as covered by Article 16 of the Regulation
……………………………………………………………………………..……………………………………………………………………………..……………………………………………………………………………..……………………………………………………………………………..……………………………………………………………………………..……………………………………………………………………………..……………………………………………………………………………..……………………………………………………………………………..……………………………………………………………………………..……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Total costs
75 % of the total costs
Activity 5 / Applicable article(s) / Start dateand projected end date / Expected output or deliverables / Procurement procedure (if any)
General description of national SIS II-related activities relating to your national testing and migration requirements as covered by Article 16 of the Regulation
……………………………………………………………………………..……………………………………………………………………………..……………………………………………………………………………..……………………………………………………………………………..……………………………………………………………………………..……………………………………………………………………………..……………………………………………………………………………..……………………………………………………………………………..……………………………………………………………………………..………………………………………………………………………………
Total costs
75 % of the total costs

1.How the financial facility provided under Article 16 of the Regulations can provide immediate, timely and adequate response to a substantiated need for funding for the testing phases and the migration of the national SIS II developments

(A detailed description of the current situation and an indication of the impact of the additional support for the national SIS II system during the testing and the migration.)

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

2.Breakdown of total costs of testing, investments and work for migration related national developments

Break-down of costs for testing, investments and work and remaining to be completed by the end of the migration / Activity 1 / Activity 2 / Activity 3 / Activity 4
Hardware
Development
Testing
External support
Network
Other
- …………………………….
-……………………………..
Total
75 % of the total costs

Please attach to this application form all documentation necessary to substantiate your request.

3.What are the costsof the above-mentioned investments, that you are able to cover either from national budget or the 2012 or 2013 allocations for the EBF?

Break-down of costs for testing, investments and work remaining to be completed by the end of the migration / 2012 / 2012 / 2013 / 2013
National resources / EBF / National resources / EBF
Hardware
Development
Testing
External support
Network
Other
- …………………………….
-……………………………..
Total

4.Consequently, what are thecosts*that you cannot cover fromeither the national budget or the EBF allocations?

Break-down of costs for testing, investments and work remaining to be completed by the end of the migration / 2012 / 2013
Hardware
Development
Testing
External support
Network
Other
- …………………………….
-……………………………..
Total
75 % of the total costs

* Where appropriate, please provide information on the budget planning:

5. Can this be met from the revision of the existing 2011 or 2012annual programmes or by planning these costs under the 2013 annual programme, bearing in mind the maximum co-financing percentage of 75% and the overall multi-annual planning that you have established for the EBF ? If your answer is, "No" please explain why.

6. Any other comments / observations on the above figures and the funding required for the implementation of the SIS II related national activities linked to your national testing and migration requirements as covered by Article 16 of the Regulation?

ANNEX 1

DECLARATION OF THE APPLICANT ORGANISATION

I, the undersigned, certify on my honour that:

The applicant organisation is not in one of the following situations, foreseen by the Financial Regulation of the European Communities, which would exclude it from taking part in a Community grant programme and accordingly declare that the organisation:

a)is not bankrupt or being wound up, is not having its affairs administered by the courts, has not entered into an arrangement with creditors or suspended business activities, and is not in any analogous situation arising from a similar procedure provided for in national legislation or regulations;

b)has not been convicted of an offence concerning its professional conduct by a judgment which has the force of res judicata;

c)is not guilty of grave professional misconduct proven by any means which the contracting authority can justify;

d)has fulfilled its obligations relating to the payment of social security contributions or taxes under the legislation of the country in which it is established or with those of the country of the contracting authority or those of the country where the contract is to the performed;

e)has not been the subject of a judgment which has the force of res judicata for fraud, corruption, involvement in a criminal organisation or any other illegal activity detrimental to the Communities' financial interests;

f)is not currently subject to an administrative penalty;

g)has not been declared to be in serious breach of contract for failure to comply with its contractual obligations subsequent to another procurement procedure or grant award procedure financed by the Community budget.

I have been informed that, under the Regulation (EU, EURATOM) No 966/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2012 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union[2]and Commission Delegated Regulation of 29 October 2012 on the rules of application of Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union, contracts may not be awarded to candidates who, during the procedure:

(a)are subject to a conflict of interest;

(b)are guilty of serious misrepresentation in supplying the information required by the contracting authority as a condition of participation in the contract procedure or fail to supply this information.

The applicant organisation has the operational and financial capacity to carry out the project described in this application form ;
Information given in this application as well as all annexes is true and verifiable.

Authorised signatory of the applicant organisation :

Title (Mr, Ms, etc.)
Name and Surname
Position in the applicant organisation
Date :
Signature :

ANNEX 2

CHECK-LIST
Documents to be provided in electronic format
1. "Grant application form" duly completed
2. ”Budget and cost claim form” duly completed (Excel)
Documents to be provided on hard copy (paper): 1 original + 1 copy
1. Completed application form dated, initialled on each page and signed by the authorised representative of the applicant organisation (responsible authority)
Information regarding grant applicant
2. Financial identification form signed and dated both by the applicant organisation and the bank branch in which the bank account is held[3]

3. Legal entities form/grant applicant

Information regarding the financing of the project
5. Budget and cost claim , initialled on each page, dated and signed (print-out of the Excel file)
6. Declaration of co-financing (specifying clearly the amount of funding)

ANNEX 3

GOVERNING LEGAL FRAMEWORK

In relation to the financial facility the following articles of the Migration Regulations are applicable:

Article 8

Comprehensive test

1. The comprehensive test shall not start before the Commission has declared that it considers that the level of success of the tests referred to in Article 1 of Decision 2008/839/JHAis sufficient to begin such a test.

2. A comprehensive test aiming at confirming, in particular, the completion by the Commission and the Member States participating in SIS 1+ of the necessary technical arrangements to process SIS II data and the demonstration that the level of performance of SIS II is at least equivalent to that achieved with SIS 1+ shall be performed.

3. The comprehensive test shall be executed by the Member States participating in SIS 1+ for the N.SIS II and by the Commission for the Central SIS II.

4. The comprehensive test shall follow a detailed schedule defined by Member States participating in SIS 1+ acting within the Council in cooperation with the Commission.

5. The comprehensive test shall be based on the technical specifications defined by the Member States participating in SIS 1+ acting within the Council in cooperation with the Commission.

6. The Commission and the Member States participating in SIS 1+ acting within the Council shall define the criteria for determining whether the necessary technical arrangements to process SIS II data are completed and the level of performance of SIS II is at least equivalent to that achieved with SIS 1+.

7. The test results shall be analysed using the criteria referred to in paragraph 6 of this Article, by the Member States participating in SIS 1+ acting within the Council and the Commission. The test results shall be validated in accordance with Article 71 (3)(c) of Decision 2007/533/JHA.

8. Member States not participating in SIS 1+ may participate in the comprehensive test. Their results shall not affect the overall validation of the test.

Article 9

Test on supplementary information

1. The Member States participating in SIS 1+ shall conduct functional SIRENE tests.

2. The Commission shall make available Central SIS II and its communication infrastructure during the execution of the test on supplementary information.

3. The test on supplementary information shall follow a detailed schedule defined by Member States participating in SIS 1+ acting within the Council.

4. The test on supplementary information shall be based on the technical specifications defined by the Member States participating in SIS 1+ acting within the Council.

5. The test results shall be analysed by the Member States participating in SIS 1+ acting within the Council.

6. Member States not participating in SIS 1+ may participate in the test on supplementary information. Their results shall not affect the overall validation of the test.

Article 10

Interim migration architecture

1. An interim migration architecture shall be set up consisting of the components as referred to in Article 4 (a)-(f). The converter connects Central SIS II and C.SIS for a transitional period. The N.SIS are connected to C.SIS, the N.SIS II to Central SIS II.

2. The Commission shall provide a converter, the Central SIS II and its communication infrastructure as part of the interim migration architecture.

3. To the extent necessary, the converter shall convert data in two directions between the C.SIS and Central SIS II and keep C.SIS and Central SIS II synchronised.

4. The Commission shall test the communication between Central SIS II and the converter.

5. France shall test the communication between C.SIS and the converter.

6. The Commission and France shall test the communication between Central SIS II and C.SIS via the converter.

7. France, together with the Commission, shall connect C.SIS via the converter to Central SIS II.

8. The Commission, together with France and the other Member States participating in SIS 1+, shall test the interim migration architecture as a whole in accordance with a test plan provided by the Commission.

9. France shall make available data for test purpose, if necessary.

Article 11

Migration from SIS 1+ to SIS II

1. For the migration from C.SIS to Central SIS II, France shall make available the SIS 1+ database and the Commission shall introduce the SIS 1+ database into Central SIS II. Data of SIS 1+ database referred to in Article 113 (2) of the Schengen Convention shall not be introduced into Central SIS II.

2. The Member States participating in SIS 1+ shall migrate from N.SIS to N.SIS II using the interim migration architecture, with the support of France and of the Commission.

3. The migration of the national system from SIS 1+ to SIS II shall start with the data loading of N.SIS II, when that N.SIS II is to contain a data file, the national copy, containing a complete or partial copy of the SIS II database.

The data loading as described in the first subparagraph shall be followed by a switchover from N.SIS to N.SIS II for each Member State. The switchover shall start on the date to be fixed by the Council in accordance with Article 71 (2) of Decision 2007/533, after the conditions of Article 71 (3) of Decision 2007/533 are met. The switchover from N.SIS to N.SIS II for all Member States shall be completed within no more than 12 hours. The national applications for the exchange of supplementary information shall migrate to sTESTA network in parallel with the switchover.

The migration shall be terminated following an intensive monitoring period. The said intensive monitoring period shall be limited in time, and shall not exceed 30 days from the date of the switchover of the first Member State.

The migration shall follow a detailed schedule provided by the Commission and the Member States participating in SIS 1+ acting within the Council.

4. The Commission shall assist in coordination and support of the common activities during the migration.

Article 16

Costs

1. The costs arising from migration, the comprehensive test, the test on supplementary information, maintenance and development measures at Central SIS II level or concerning the communication infrastructure shall be borne by the general budget of the Union.

2. The costs arising from installationmigration, testing, maintenance and development of the national systems as well as from the tasks to be performed by the national systems under this Regulation shall be borne by each Member Stateconcerned as it is provided for by Article 119(2) of the Schengen Convention.

3. Complimentary to the financial assistance provided by the External Borders Fund, the Union may provide a financial contribution to the expenditures of the Member States for their migration and migration related testing activities performed under Articles 8, 9, 10 (8) and 11 of this Regulation to cover specific and well-defined activities.

The Union contribution related to the activities referred to in the first subparagraph will take the form of grants as provided for by Title VI of the Financial Regulation. The Union contribution shall not exceed 75 % of the eligible expenditures of each Member State and it shall not exceed EUR 750 000 per Member State. The Commission shall appraise, decide and administer the co-financing operation in accordance with the budgetary and other procedures, in particularly those laid down in the Financial Regulation.

Each Member State requesting such a financial contribution shall prepare a financial forecast indicating a breakdown of the operational as well as administrative costs of the activities related to the testing and migration. Where Member States use Union funds for their expenditures, those expenditures shall bereasonable and comply with the principles of sound financial management, in particular, value for money and cost-effectiveness. Member States shall present a report to the Commission on their use of the Union's contribution by not later than six months following the date of switchover fixed by the Council in accordance with Article 71 (2) of Decision 2007/533/JHA.

Where the Union contribution is not implemented or is implemented inadequately, partially or late, the Union may reduce, withhold or terminate its financial contribution. Where the Member States do not contribute or contribute only partially or late to the financing of activities referred to in paragraph 1, the Union may reduce its financial contribution.

4. The Court of Auditors of the European Union shall be entitled to carry out the appropriate audits in liaison with national audit bodies or with the competent national departments. The Commission shall be empowered to carry out all the checks and inspections necessary to ensure the proper management of the Union funds and to protect the Union’s financial interest against any fraud or irregularity. To this end, the Member States shall make available all the relevant documents and records to the Commission and the Court of Auditors.

5.The costs of installing and operating the technical support function referred to in Article 92 (3) of the Schengen Convention, including the cost of lines connecting the national sections of SIS 1+ to the technical support function, and of activities performed in conjunction with tasks conferred upon France for the purpose of this Regulation shall be borne jointly by the Member States as it is provided for by Article 119(1) of the Schengen Convention.

[1] Council Regulation (EU) No 1272/2012of 20 December 2012 on migration of the Schengen Information System (SIS1+) to the second generation Schengen Information System (SIS II) (OJ L359, 29.12.12, p. 21) and Council Regulation (EU) No 1273/2012of 20 December 2012 on migration of the Schengen Information System (SIS1+) to the second generation Schengen Information System (SIS II) (OJ L359, 29.12.12, p. 32).

[2]OJ L 298, 26.10.2012, p. 1.

[3] Consult