Saatja: Geert Debersaques <
[email protected]>
Saaja: Info, ACA Tallinn, Maarja Oras, Liis Lindström, Geert Debersaques, Veerle Vertongen, Joris Casneuf, Günther Carsten, Veer, drs. R. van der
Teema: ACA-Seminar Tallinn 2018 - Postponed to October 2018
To the attention of Chief Justice Priit Pikamäe
Dear Mister Pikamäe,
First of all, I wish you all the best for 2018.
I am contacting you concerning the ACA-Europe seminar initially foreseen the 25-26th of April 2018. It is my understanding you have already been able to discuss the matter with Ms Oras and Ms Lindström and alternative dates were proposed in the month of October 2018. It is a relief a solution could have been found this quickly and I would like to sincerely thank you for this effort. I can assure you the ACA-Europe team will support the Estonian Supreme Court to a maximum.
Even though the problem has been solved thanks to your goodwill, you are entitled to a full explanation, which I will try to give you below.
In the long and administrative grant application selection process, I received confirmation from the European Commission that our proposal for the EU grant for 2018 has passed the phase of evaluation and that the Commission starts the grant preparation 2018. With respect for the deadlines, I encoded and submitted our final version to the European Commission, so the processes 2018 is ongoing.
Although I’m rather optimistic ACA-Europe will eventually receive a EU- grant (we are selected as partner), it is the timing for signing the agreement that concerns me. The EC notes that the finalisation of the grant preparation depends (evidently) on the rest of the selection procedure (implying further checks f.i.). However…. as latest legal date of signature is mentioned the 20th of March 2018, which means it will have its effects from the 1st of April. So, ACA-Europe still hasn’t a formal EU-commitment for funding the activities and projects of 2018. It means that no formal commitments can be recorded before the official agreement has been signed, as the EC notes that she is not bound by the approval of the application so far.
The requested EU contribution (according to our proposal) for the Tallinn seminar is 31.402 euro (see annex). To this “EU grant budget” must be added the own ACA-Europe contribution for “not EU-eligible” costs as decided by the last board of 2017. Given this very specific circumstances, ACA-Europe couldn’t give any formal commitment for funding this seminar as long the EU-agreement has not been signed. As the grant signature is fixed the 20th of March at the latest (indicative date), I do regret that the predefined dates for the Tallinn seminar (25-26th of April 2018) are no longer realistic as there is no guarantee on short term about the ACA-Europe financial intervention in the organisation of your seminar.
I would like to stress I do not approve this course of action, but my hands are tied by the EC procedures.
I apologize for the inconvenience caused for you and your colleagues and I sincerely thank you for postponing the Tallinn seminar.
If you prefer discussing the matter further personally, you can reach me on my mobile phone +32 470 275 974. In any case, I hope to meet you at the annual general assembly of ACA-Europe which will give me the opportunity to apologize to you in person.
Thank you for your understanding.
Kind regards,
Geert Debersaques
Secretary-general of ACA-Europe
President of Chamber at the Belgian Council of State