Roles in Malta
The National Authority (NAU) is the supervisory body for the EU Educational Programmes, namely the Erasmus+ Programme (2014-2020) and its predecessors, the Lifelong Learning Programme (LLP) and the Youth-in-Action programme (YiA).
Erasmus+ Programme
The Erasmus+ Programme is the EU's new programme for enhancing skills and employability through education, training, youth, and sport.
The seven year programme (2014-2020) has a budget of €14.7 billion; a 40% increase compared to current spending levels, reflecting the EU's commitment to investing in these areas. Erasmus+ aims to provide opportunities for over 4 million Europeans to study, train, gain work experience and volunteer abroad.
Erasmus+ will support transnational partnerships among Education, Training, and Youth institutions and organisations to foster cooperation and bridge the worlds of Education and work in order to tackle the skills gaps being faced in Europe. The programme shall also support national efforts to modernise Education, Training, and Youth systems.
Erasmus+ replaces seven programmes and brings together:
the Lifelong Learning Programme (Erasmus, Leonardo da Vinci, Comenius and Grundtvig)
the Youth in Action programme
five international cooperation programmes (Erasmus Mundus, Tempus, Alfa, Edulink, the programme for cooperation with industrialised countries)
the new sport action.
As an integrated programme, Erasmus+ offers more opportunities for cooperation across the Education, Training, Youth, and Sport sectors and is also easier to access than its predecessors through simplified funding rules.
The actions of the Erasmus+ programme are divided into decentralised actions and centralised actions. The decentralised actions are managed in each programme country by the European Union Programmes Agency (EUPA) which is the Maltese National Agency appointed by the National Authority (NAU) in Malta. On the other hand, centralised actions are managed at a European level by the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) located in Brussels.
As of 1st January 2012, the Funds and Programmes Division assumed the responsibilities of the NAU through Legal Notice 505 of 2011.
According to REGULATION (EU) No 1288/2013 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 11 December 2013 establishing 'Erasmus+': the Union programme for education, training, youth and sport and repealing Decisions No 1719/2006/EC, No 1720/2006/EC and No 1298/2008/EC, the responsibilities of the National Authority are inter alia:
Designating a National Agency responsible for managing all stages of the project lifecycle of all decentralised programme actions
Providing the Commission with an appropriate ex-ante compliance assessment that the national agency complies with points (c)(v) and (vi) of Article 58(1) and Article 60(1), (2) and (3) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012, and Article 38 of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 1268/2012 ( 1 ), as well as with the Union requirements for internal control standards for national agencies and rules for the management of Programme funds for grant support
Designating an independent audit body responsible for issuing an audit opinion on the yearly management declaration referred to in Article 60(5) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012
Monitoring and supervising the management of the Programme at national level. The NAU shall inform and consult the Commission in due time prior to taking any decision that may have a significant impact on the management of the Programme, in particular regarding its national agency.
Based on the national agency's yearly management declaration, the independent audit opinion thereon and the Commission's analysis of the national agency's compliance and performance, the national authority shall provide the Commission, by 31 October of each year, with information concerning its monitoring and supervision activities in relation to the Programme.
Providing adequate co-financing for the operations of its national agency to ensure that the Programme is managed in compliance with the applicable Union rules.
The national authority shall take responsibility for the proper management of the Union funds transferred by the Commission to the national agency by way of grant support to be awarded under the Programme.
In the event of any irregularity, negligence or fraud attributable to the national agency, or any serious shortcomings or underperformance on the part of the national agency, where this gives rise to claims by the Commission against the national agency, the national authority shall be liable to reimburse to the Commission the funds not recovered.
Erasmus + Documentation
Manual of Procedures
National Authority Manual of Procedures
Annex 10 - Checklist for IAB Work conducted
Annex 11 - Checklist for Work Programme Draft 1
Annex 12 - Checklist for Work Programme Draft 2
Annex 13 - Checklist for Work Programme Final
Annex 14 - Checklist for IAB Audit Report
Annex 16 - NAU Review of the Yearly NA Report