In its Communication of 3 March 2010 entitled Europe 2020 A strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth (the 'Europe 2020 strategy'), the Commission emphasised the need to develop favourable conditions for investment in knowledge and innovation so as to achieve smart, sustainable and inclusive growth in the Union. Both the European Parliament and the Council have endorsed that strategy.
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Regulation (EU) No 1291/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council (3) established Horizon 2020 - The Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (2014-2020) ("Horizon 2020"). Horizon 2020 aims at achieving a greater impact on research and innovation by contributing to the strengthening of public-public partnerships, including through Union participation in programmes undertaken by several Member States in accordance with Article 185 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.
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Public-public partnerships should aim to develop closer synergies, increase coordination and avoid unnecessary duplication with Union, international, national and regional research programmes, and should fully respect the Horizon 2020 general principles, in particular those relating to openness and transparency. Moreover, open access to scientific publications should be ensured.
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Decision No 742/2008/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (4) provides for a Community financial contribution to the Ambient Assisted Living Joint Research and Development Programme ("AAL JP") matching that of the Member States but not exceeding EUR 150 000 000 for the duration of the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007-2013) established by Decision No 1982/2006/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (5).
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In December 2012, the Commission communicated to the European Parliament and the Council a report on the interim evaluation of the AAL JP. That evaluation was carried out by an expert panel. The overall opinion of that expert panel was that the AAL JP had achieved good progress towards its objectives and remarkable results and that it should be continued beyond the current funding period. The expert panel noted however a few shortcomings, in particular the need for stronger user involvement in projects from the earliest possible stage and further improvements of the operational performance in terms of time-to-contract and time to payment.
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The interim evaluation of 2010 and the consultation process of 2012 highlighted the diversity of financial instruments, eligibility rules and reimbursement systems. Participating States, through the Ambient Assisted Living General Assembly, could reflect on this and promote the exchange of good practices.
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In its communication of 12 October 2006 entitled 'The demographic future of Europe — from challenge to opportunity', the Commission underlined the fact that demographic ageing is one of the main challenges facing all the Member States and that increased use of new technologies could help to control costs, improve well-being and promote the active participation in society of elderly people, as well as improving the competitiveness of Union economy.
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Under the flagship initiative Innovation Union of the Europe 2020 strategy, the Commission indicated the ageing of the population as one of the societal challenges where innovation breakthroughs can play an important role and boost competitiveness, enable European companies to lead in the development of new technologies, to grow and assume global leadership in new growth markets, improve the quality and efficiency of public services and so contribute to creating large numbers of new quality jobs.
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About 20 million people across the Union are employed in 'white-coat' jobs in the health sector and social services sector, a figure which is expected to increase in the coming years due to the aging population. Training and life-long learning in this sensitive sector should be a key priority. Therefore, the need for white coat jobs and for investments in modern skills, such as using information technologies, should be assessed more precisely.
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In its communication of 19 May 2010 entitled A Digital Agenda for Europe, the Commission proposed to reinforce the AAL JP in order to help address the challenges of the ageing population.
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In its communication of 29 February 2012 entitled Taking forward the Strategic Implementation Plan of the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing, the Commission proposed to take account of relevant priorities of the Strategic Implementation Plan for future research and innovation work programmes and instruments which are part of Horizon 2020. The Commission also proposed to take into account the contributions that can be made by the AAL JP to the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing.
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Under the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing established under the Innovation Union, innovative information and communication technologies (ICT) based solutions are expected to play an important role in meeting its goals of two additional healthy life years by 2020 as well as improving quality of life for citizens and improving efficiency of care systems in the Union. Its Strategic Implementation Plan sets out priorities for accelerating and scaling up innovation in active and healthy ageing across the Union, in three domains: prevention and health promotion, care and cure, and independent living and social inclusion.
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Since ICT systems handle a large amount of personal data and profiles, and operate in real-time communication, thus bringing with them a high risk of data security breaches, data protection aspects should be taken into account. Moreover, the right to privacy should be respected.
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The Active and Assisted Living Research and Development Programme ('the AAL Programme') should build on the achievements of the previous programme and address its shortcomings by encouraging sufficient user participation in projects from the initial stage, in order to ensure that solutions developed are acceptable and respond to specific user needs, and by ensuring better AAL Programme implementation.
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The implementation of the AAL Programme should take into account a broad definition of innovation including organisational, business, technological, societal and environmental aspects. It should ensure a multidisciplinary approach and the integration of social sciences and humanities within the AAL Programme.
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Activities of the AAL Programme should be in line with the objectives and research and innovation priorities of Horizon 2020 and with the general principles and conditions laid down in Article 26 of Regulation (EU) No 1291/2013.
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A ceiling should be established for the Union's financial participation in the AAL Programme for the duration of Horizon 2020. The Union's financial participation in the AAL Programme should not exceed the financial contribution of the Participating States for the duration of Horizon 2020 in order to achieve a high leverage effect and ensure an active involvement of the Participating States in achieving the AAL Programme objectives.
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In order to take into account the duration of Horizon 2020, calls for proposals under the AAL Programme should be launched at the latest by 31 December 2020. In duly justified cases, calls for proposals may be launched by 31 December 2021.
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In line with the objectives of Regulation (EU) No 1291/2013, any Member State and any country associated to Horizon 2020 should be entitled to participate in the AAL Programme at any appropriate time.
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In order to ensure that a financial commitment by the Union will be matched by the Participating States, the financial contribution by the Union should be subject to formal commitments from the Participating States before the launch of the AAL Programme and their fulfilment. The Participating States' contribution to the AAL Programme should include the administrative costs incurred at national level for the effective operation of the AAL Programme.
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The joint implementation of the AAL Programme requires an implementation structure. The Participating States have agreed on the implementation structure for the AAL Programme and set up in 2007 the 'Ambient Assisted Living' aisbl, an international non-profit association with legal personality established under Belgian law ('AALA'). Given that, according to the report on the interim evaluation, the existing governance structure of AAL JP has proven to be efficient and of good quality, the AALA should be used as the implementation structure and should take the role as allocation and monitoring body of the AAL Programme. The AALA should manage the Union's financial contribution and should ensure an efficient implementation of the AAL Programme.
(22)
In order to achieve the objectives of the AAL Programme, the AALA should provide financial support mainly through grants to participants in actions selected by the AALA. Those actions should be selected following calls for proposals under the responsibility of the AALA, which should be assisted by independent external experts. The ranking list should be binding as regards the selection of proposals and the allocation of funding from the Union's financial contribution and from the national budgets for AAL Programme projects.
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The Union's financial contribution should be managed in accordance with the principle of sound financial management and with the rules on indirect management laid down in Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council (6) and Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 1268/2012 (7).
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In order to protect the financial interests of the Union, the Commission should, through proportionate measures, have the right to reduce, withhold or terminate the Union's financial contribution where the AAL Programme is implemented inadequately, partially or late, or the Participating States do not contribute, or contribute partially or late, to the financing of the AAL Programme. Those rights should be provided for in the delegation agreement to be concluded between the Union and the AALA.
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For the purpose of simplification, administrative burdens should be reduced for all parties. Double audits and disproportionate documentation and reporting should be avoided. When audits are conducted, the specificities of the national programmes should be taken into account, as appropriate.
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Participation in indirect actions funded by the AAL Programme is subject to Regulation (EU) No 1290/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council (8). However, due to specific operating needs of the AAL Programme it is necessary to provide for derogations from that Regulation in accordance with Article 1(3) of that Regulation.
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Calls for proposals by AALA 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.
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Specific derogations from Regulation (EU) No 1290/2013 are necessary, as the AAL Programme is intended as a market-oriented research and innovation programme in which many different national funding streams are joined up (such as research innovation, health and industry funding programmes). By their nature, those national programmes have different participation rules and cannot be expected to fully align with Regulation (EU) No 1290/2013. In addition, the AAL Programme is targeting in particular small and medium-sized enterprises and user organisations not usually participating in Union research and innovation activities. In order to facilitate the participation of those enterprises and organisations, the Union's financial contribution is provided in accordance with the well-known rules of their national funding programmes and implemented through a single grant combining Union funding with the corresponding national funding.
(29)
The financial interests of the Union should be protected through proportionate measures throughout the expenditure cycle, including the prevention, detection and investigation of irregularities, the recovery of funds lost, wrongly paid or incorrectly used and, where appropriate, administrative and financial penalties in accordance with Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012.
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The Commission should conduct, with the assistance of independent experts, an interim evaluation assessing in particular the quality and efficiency of the AAL Programme and progress towards the objectives set, as well as a final evaluation, and prepare a report on those evaluations.
(31)
The evaluation should be based on precise and up-to-date information. Upon request from the Commission, the AALA and the Participating States should therefore submit any information which the Commission needs to include in the reports on the evaluation of the AAL Programme.
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The actions envisaged in the AAL Programme should help underpin European public health and care systems, since they are an essential means of sustaining social welfare and reducing the welfare gap between regions and population sectors that is widening alarmingly owing to the current economic and social crisis.
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The AAL Programme should ensure the effective promotion of gender equality as set out in Horizon 2020. The AAL Programme should promote gender equality and the gender dimension in research and innovation content. Particular attention should be paid to gender balance, subject to the situation in the field, in evaluation panels and in bodies such as advisory groups and expert groups. The gender dimension should be adequately integrated in research and innovation content in strategies, programmes and projects and followed through at all stages of the research cycle.
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The AAL Programme should comply with ethical principles as set out in Horizon 2020. Particular attention should be paid to the principle of proportionality, the right to privacy, the right to the protection of personal data, the right to the physical and mental integrity, the right to non-discrimination and the need to ensure high levels of human health protection.
(35)
Since Participating States have decided to continue the AAL Programme and since the objectives of this Decision, namely to directly support and complement the Union policies in the field of active and healthy ageing, cannot be sufficiently achieved by the Member States but can rather, by reason of the scale of the action, be better achieved at Union level, the Union may adopt measures, in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity as set out in Article 5 of the Treaty on European Union. In accordance with the principle of proportionality, as set out in that Article, this Decision does not go beyond what is necessary in order to achieve those objectives,
