HERCULE II: Call for proposals � OLAF/2012/D5/02: Technical support for national authorities� use of special investigative tools and methods in the fight against fraud and corruption and technical support to strengthen inspections of containers and trucks

Hercule II is an action programme to promote activities aimed at protecting the Community’s financial interests. This call is aimed at national or regional administrations which promote the strengthening of European action to protect the Union's financial interests.

Applicants must be from one of the following countries: the 27 EU Member States, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, or Turkey.

Actions eligible for technical assistance are:
— technical support for national authorities' use of special investigative tools and methods in the fight against fraud and corruption, and
— technical support to strengthen inspections of containers and trucks at the EU's external borders, including the fight against cigarette smuggling and counterfeiting.

The technical support should reinforce the Member States' capacities and logistics allocated to the technical operational support units in the fight against fraud, in particular the actions aimed at setting up, improving or upgrading of existing:
— automated container-code recognition systems,
— automated number-plate recognition systems,
— technical equipment for electronic surveillance,
— technical equipment for mobile surveillance,
— technical equipment for the acquisition and analysis of digital evidence,
— technical equipment for encrypted communications,
— equipment and devices to detect smuggled and counterfeited goods on the basis of the scent characteristics of the smuggled and counterfeited goods.

The total budget available under this call is €3.75 million. A budget of €2m is available for proposals submitted before the first deadline of 31 May 2012. The remainder and the balance of the first deadline, €175m, will be available for proposals submitted before the second deadline of 13 September 2012.

The financial contribution will take the form of a grant and will not exceed 50% of eligible costs.

The deadlines are 31 May 2012 and 13 September 2012.

Further information is available on the OLAF website

Reference: 2012/C 135/06

(Added 2012-05-09)