Call for proposals for action grants to provide financial contributions to organisations representing consumer interests in Members States or offering assistance to consumers in Member States in the form of Alternative Dispute Resolution
Programme Category
Programme Name
Programme Description
The Single Market Programme (SMP) covers the single market, competitiveness of enterprises, including small and medium-sized enterprises, the area of plants, animals, food and feed, and European statistics. Specifically, the programme brings together aspects in order to streamline, exploit synergies and provide a better flexible, transparent, simplified and agile framework to finance activities aiming at a well-functioning sustainable internal market.
Identifier Code
Call
Summary
The aim of this Call for proposals is to facilitate the consumers’ access to effective and efficient alternative dispute resolution entities compliant with Directive 2013/11/EU; including awareness-raising, protection to vulnerable consumers, networking of national alternative dispute resolution entities at national and EU-wide levels, cooperation with national enforcement bodies, the use of transparent digital tools, and good governance. A strong EU ADR framework would entice consumers to opt for ADR notably to resolve low-value disputes which would in return help in detecting rogue traders on the single market and create a more level-playing field for traders that comply with the EU consumer protection legislation.
Detailed Call Description
A wide range of activities are eligible to be supported by grants provided that they can be linked to the expected results. Such activities may include for instance (non exhaustive list):
- Awareness raising on consumer ADR, including ADR networks, bringing knowledge on ADR to a wider group of consumers and/or traders (e.g. campaigns, more user-friendly information on ADR, incentives for traders to engage more in ADR, etc.).
- ADR networks support: meetings, conferences, development of common tools and common knowledge to improve networking and sharing of best practices at national, regional or EU-wide levels.
- Case handling: development of case management systems, including information technology tools, for instance, online migration of the case handling process to facilitate better and rapid screening and assessment of cases, communication with the parties to the disputes, case tracking, automatic translation, development of inclusive and accessible tools and processes, etc.
- ADR operational capacity: staff training on the relevant European legislation, mentoring, study visits, data sharing with other stakeholders, and consulting to allow ADR entities to implement working methods and organisational models to better fulfil their mission.
- Prototyping or purchasing tools based on artificial intelligence to improve signposting or to assist and simplify the decision-making process. Performing statistical analysis of complaints and requests by consumers to determine common problems.
Call Total Budget
Financing percentage by EU or other bodies / Level of Subsidy or Loan
90%
Thematic Categories
- Social Affairs & Human Rights
Eligibility for Participation
- Associations
- Consumer Organisations
- Legal Entities
- Local Authority clusters
- NGOs
- Non Profit Organisations
- Private Bodies
- Semi-governmental organisations
- State-owned Enterprises
Eligibility For Participation Notes
In order to be eligible, the applicants (beneficiaries and affiliated entities) must:
- be legal entities (public or private bodies)
- be established in one of the eligible countries, i.e.:
- EU Member States (including overseas countries and territories (OCTs)
- non-EU countries: listed EEA countries and countries associated to the Single Market Programme or countries which are in ongoing negotiations for an association agreement and where the agreement enters into force before grant signature (list of participating countries).
- be, on the date of the submission of the proposal, an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) entity notified to the European Commission pursuant to Article 20(2) of Directive 2013/11/EU on consumer ADR. Applicants are advised to verify their status by consulting the public list of ADR entities registered on the European ODR platform, and to contact their national competent authorities in case they are not listed in the platform or their details are incorrect.
Call Opening Date
Call Closing Date
National Contact Point(s)
Ministry of Energy, Trade and Industry
Industry and Technology Service
1421, Nicosia, Cyprus
Email: sit@meci.gov.cy
Contact Person:
Spyros Triantaphyllidis
Telephone: 22867333
Email: striantafyllides@meci.gov.cy
(Publish Date: 06/04/2023-for internal use only)