Union actions
Article 8
1. At the Commission’s initiative, the Instrument may be used to finance transnational actions or actions of particular interest to the Union (‘Union actions’) concerning the general, specific and operational objectives referred to in Article 3. 2. To be eligible for funding, Union actions shall be consistent with the priorities and initiatives identified at Union level, in particular those that have been endorsed by the European Parliament and the Council, in relevant Union strategies, policy cycles, programmes, threat and risk assessments, and support in particular: (a) preparatory, monitoring, administrative and technical activities, and the development of an evaluation mechanism required to implement the policies on police cooperation, preventing and combating crime, and crisis management; (b) transnational projects involving two or more Member States or at least one Member State and one third-country; (c) analytical, monitoring and evaluation activities, including threat, risk and impact assessments, which are evidence based and consistent with priorities and initiatives identified at Union level, in particular those that have been endorsed by the European Parliament and the Council and projects monitoring the implementation of Union law and Union policy objectives in the Member States; (d) projects promoting networking, public-private partnerships, mutual confidence, understanding and learning, identification and dissemination of best practices and innovative approaches at Union level, training and exchange programmes; (e) projects supporting the development of methodological, notably statistical, tools and methods and common indicators; (f) the acquisition, maintenance and/or further upgrading of technical equipment, expertise, secure facilities, infrastructures, related buildings and systems, especially ICT systems and their components at the Union level, including for the purpose of European cooperation on cyber security and cybercrime, notably the European Cybercrime Centre; (g) projects enhancing awareness of Union policies and objectives among stakeholders and the general public, including corporate communication on the political priorities of the Union; (h) particularly innovative projects developing new methods and/or deploying new technologies with a potential for transferability to other Member States, especially projects aiming at testing and validating the outcome of Union funded security research projects; (i) studies and pilot projects. 3. Within the objectives referred to in Article 3, the Instrument shall also support actions in relation to and in third countries, and in particular the following: (a) actions improving police cooperation and coordination between law enforcement authorities and, where applicable, international organisations, including joint investigation teams and any other form of cross-border joint operation, access to and exchange of information and interoperable technologies; (b) networking, mutual confidence, understanding and learning, identification, exchange and dissemination of know-how, experience and best practice, information sharing, shared situation awareness and foresight, contingency planning and interoperability; (c) acquisition, maintenance, and/or further upgrading of technical equipment, including ICT systems and their components; (d) exchange, training and education of staff and experts of relevant authorities, including language training; (e) awareness raising, dissemination and communication activities; (f) threat, risk and impact assessments; (g) studies and pilot projects. 4. Union actions shall be implemented in accordance with Article 6 of Regulation (EU) No .514/2014.