ANNEX III
Information, publicity and visibility requirements
1. Communication and visibility actions of the managing authority
1.1.
For the purposes of Article 123(2), point (k), of Regulation (EU) 2021/2115, the managing authority shall ensure that publicity is made for the CAP Strategic Plan by planning and carrying out relevant communication and visibility actions throughout the preparation and implementation of the CAP Strategic Plan for the purpose of informing the target groups referred to in that point.
1.2.
For the purposes of Article 124(3), point (f), of Regulation (EU) 2021/2115, the managing authority shall make available to the monitoring committee the information necessary for the monitoring committee to carry out the task of examining the implementation of communication and visibility actions.
1.3.
The managing authority shall ensure that, within 6 months of the Commission decision approving the CAP Strategic Plan, there is a website where information on the CAP Strategic Plan under its responsibility is available, covering the plan’s objectives, activities, available funding opportunities as well as expected and, once available, actual achievements. The website shall target the general public as well as potential beneficiaries as referred to in Article 123(2), point (k), of Regulation (EU) 2021/2115.
1.4.
The managing authority shall ensure the publication on the website referred to in point 1.3, a timetable of the planned calls and deadlines for applications, that is updated at least three times a year, with the following indicative data:
(a)
geographical area covered;
(b)
intervention and specific objective(s) concerned;
(c)
type of eligible applicants;
(d)
total amount of support;
(e)
start and end date for the submission of applications.
1.5.
The managing authority shall ensure, in accordance with Article 123(2), point (k)(i), of Regulation (EU) 2021/2115, that potential beneficiaries have access to all the information needed about funding opportunities, including eligibility conditions, selection criteria and all requirements for beneficiaries selected for funding, as well as their responsibilities.
1.6.
The managing authority shall ensure that beneficiaries selected for funding are informed that the support is co-financed by the Union.
1.7.
The managing authority shall ensure that communication and visibility material including at the level of beneficiaries is made available upon request to Union institutions, bodies, offices or agencies and that a royalty-free, non-exclusive and irrevocable licence to use such material and any pre-existing rights attached to it is granted to the Union in accordance with the second paragraph. This shall not require significant additional costs or a significant administrative burden for the beneficiaries or for the managing authority.
The licence on intellectual property rights referred to in the first paragraph shall grant to the Union at least the following rights:
(a)
internal use, i.e. right to reproduce, copy and make available the communication and visibility materials to Union’s institutions and agencies, Member States’ authorities, and their employees;
(b)
reproduction of the communication and visibility materials by any means and in any form, in whole or in part;
(c)
communication to the public of the communication and visibility materials by using any and all means of communication;
(d)
distribution to the public of the communication and visibility materials (or copies thereof) in any and all forms;
(e)
storage and archiving of the communication and visibility materials;
(f)
sub-licensing of the rights on the communication and visibility materials to third parties.
2. Visibility of certain operations supported by the EAFRD
For the purposes of Article 123(2), point (j), of Regulation (EU) 2021/2115, the managing authority shall, through the following measures, ensure that the beneficiaries under interventions financed by the EAFRD other than area- and animal-related interventions acknowledge support from the CAP Strategic Plan as follows:
(a)
by providing on the beneficiary’s official website, where such a site exists, and official social media sites, a short description of the operation, proportionate to the level of support, including its aims and results, and highlighting the financial support from the Union;
(b)
by providing a statement highlighting the support from the Union in a visible manner on documents and communication material relating to the implementation of the operation, intended for the public or for participants, presenting also the Union emblem in accordance with the technical characteristics laid down in Annex II;
(c)
for operations consisting of the financing of infrastructure or construction operations, of which the total public expenditure, or the total cost in the case of support in the form of financial instruments, including working capital finance, exceeds EUR 500 000, by displaying durable plaques or billboards clearly visible to the public, that present the Union emblem in accordance with the technical characteristics laid down in Annex II, as soon as the physical implementation of the operations starts or purchased equipment is installed;
(d)
for operations consisting of investment in physical assets not falling under point (c), the total public support of which exceeds EUR 50 000, or in the case of support in the form of financial instruments, including working capital finance, the total cost of which exceeds EUR 500 000, by placing an explanatory plaque or equivalent electronic display with information about the project, highlighting the financial support from the Union, presenting also the Union emblem in accordance with the technical characteristics laid down in Annex II;
(e)
for operations consisting of support for LEADER operations, basic services and infrastructure not falling under point (c) and (d), the total public support of which exceeds EUR 10 000, or in the case of support in the form of financial instruments, including working capital finance, the total cost of which exceeds EUR 100 000, by displaying at a location clearly visible to the public at least one poster of a minimum size A3 or equivalent electronic display with information about the operation highlighting the support from the Union. An explanatory plaque shall also be installed in the premises of the local action groups financed by LEADER.
By way of derogation from the first paragraph, the managing authority shall ensure, to the extent possible, that in cases where the beneficiary is a natural person, appropriate information is available, highlighting the support from the funds, at a location visible to the public or through an electronic display.
The first paragraph, points (a) and (b), shall apply mutatis mutandis to the bodies implementing financial instruments financed by the EAFRD.
The first paragraph, points (c), (d) and (e), shall apply to the final recipients of financial instruments by means of the contractual terms provided for in the funding agreement as referred to in Article 59(5) of Regulation (EU) 2021/1060 of the European Parliament and of the Council ( 1 ) .
( 1 ) Regulation (EU) 2021/1060 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 June 2021 laying down common provisions on the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund Plus, the Cohesion Fund, the Just Transition Fund and the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund and financial rules for those and for the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund, the Internal Security Fund and the Instrument for Financial Support for Border Management and Visa Policy ( OJ L 231, 30.6.2021, p. 159 ).
