Media freedom and investigative journalism

Deadline: Sep 27, 2019  
CALL EXPIRED

This call for proposals consists of three actions:

•   Action 1 - Pilot Project: A Europe-wide response mechanism for violation of press and media freedom

•   Action 2 - Preparatory Action: Cross-border Investigative journalism fund

•   Action 3 - Pilot Project: Supporting investigative journalism and media freedom

  in the EU

•   The actions will be carried out under separate grant agreements:

  • o Action 1 - under a Multiple beneficiaries grant agreement;
  • o Action 2 - under a Multiple beneficiaries grant agreement;
  • o Action 3 - under several Mono-beneficiary/Multiple beneficiaries grant agreements

Applicants are requested to select and identify clearly the Action(s) for which they are submitting a proposal(s). A separate proposal must be submitted for each selected action.

 

1. INTRODUCTION – BACKGROUND

Media freedom and pluralism are essential pillars of any democracy and crucial conditions for an open and free democratic debate. They are enshrined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (Article 11(2)).

Recent physical attacks on, incitement against, death threats to and, recently, assassinations of investigative journalists in the EU have brought to the fore the dangers which investigative journalists often face and, consequently, and the need to enhance their protection.

Several journalists increasingly investigate issues of common interest to citizens of several Member States. However, such cross-border investigations tend to be complex and resource-intensive and may lack adequate funding..

While digital transformation has led to new working methods in the media sector and the emergence of a collaborative journalism community in Europe, it has also had a disruptive effect on all types of media, including news media. There is a clear need to support wider dissemination of innovative and collaborative tools and methods.

In this changing media landscape, support to journalists and media freedom is deemed essential.

This Call combines three references in the European Parliament’s budgetary remarks for 2019:

•   Action 1 - Pilot Project: A Europe-wide response mechanism for violation of press and media freedom

•   Action 2 - Preparatory Action: Cross-border Investigative journalism fund

•   Action 3 - Pilot Project: Supporting investigative journalism and media freedom

  in the EU

  The selected projects will be expected to ensure inter-project coordination and to regularly exchange information on their activities.

  Legal Basis

  Pilot projects within the meaning of Article 58(2)(a) and Preparatory action within the meaning of Article 58(2)(b) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union, amending Regulations (EU) No 1296/2013, (EU) No 1301/2013, (EU) No 1303/2013, (EU) No 1304/2013, (EU) No 1309/2013, (EU) No 1316/2013, (EU) No 223/2014, (EU) No 283/2014, and Decision No 541/2014/EU and repealing Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012 (OJ L 193, 30.7.2018, p. 1).

  The annual work programme was adopted under Commission Decision C/2019/2233 of 01/04/2019.

 

2. SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES – ACTIVITIES – PRIORITIES OF EACH ACTION

2.1 Action 1 - Pilot Project: A Europe-wide response mechanism for violation of press and media freedom

The call for proposals aims at selecting one consortium to carry out Action 1.

2.1.1 Objectives

The Europe-wide rapid response mechanism to address violations of press and media freedom will be geared at mitigating the consequences of the recently observed deterioration of press and media freedom in certain EU Member States and Candidate Countries. It will provide tangible protection for journalists and will encompass fact- finding, advocacy, monitoring, providing information to the European public and awareness raising. This action will flag and bring attention to violations, and will provide practical help to journalists under threat. It will be carried out in collaboration with European, regional and local stakeholders in the field of media freedom.

2.1.2 Expected outputs

This action is expected to support the activities of one consortium of organisations working together to uphold media freedom and safety of journalists in the EU and Candidate Countries.

 

Practical help shall encompass concrete tools to protect journalists under threat, such as providing advice and legal support as well as offering shelter and logistical assistance thereby enabling the targeted journalists to continue pursuing their professional activities.

Representatives of the consortium shall visit the countries affected, and anti-impunity action shall be supported through advocacy. The tools used will be adjusted to accommodate individual needs on a case-by-case basis.

Violations of press and media freedom will be systematically monitored across the EU in order to ensure the provision of reliable and comprehensive information on such violations to the general public as well as to the European institutions. The monitoring should be geared to ensure early warnings about violations.

2.1.3 Description of the activities to be funded under the call for proposal

1. a)  Design and manage a Europe-wide rapid response mechanism to support media freedom and journalists' safety

   The mechanism shall be designed in such a way as to ensure rapid reaction to situations where journalists are under threat and/or media freedom is endangered. The applicants shall describe the type, scope and size of the mechanism they intend to establish. They will also describe the various partners they intend to work with and how the partners will collaborate.

2. b)  Providelegalandpracticalsupporttojournalistsandothermediapractitionersin need

   The project shall provide legal and practical support to journalists and other media practitioners in need. The applicants shall describe the resources they intend to mobilise to that effect, the practical means (such as shelter or financial support) as well as the expected total number of individuals they will be able to support at any one time as well as on a monthly basis.

3. c)  Organise advocacy missions to locations where journalists are under threat

   The project shall have the capacity to organise several advocacy missions during the course of the project. The applicants shall provide an indicative list of the advocacy missions they intend to conduct and shall describe how they would organise them. The project shall also be able to rapidly establish additional missions, should an urgent situations emerge. The applicants shall describe the type of collaboration with partners and other stakeholders they would seek to establish for the purpose of advocacy missions.

4. d)  Monitor the state of media freedom in the EU Member States and Candidate Countries

   The project shall monitor the state of media freedom and record threats and alerts in the EU Member States and Candidate Countries. This activity will build on the experience of the Mapping Media Freedom project1. The applicants shall describe the methodology they intend to use to ensure a systematic gathering of alerts in all EU Member States and Candidate Countries. They shall also explain how they intend to verify and publish the information gathered.

5. e)  Organise awareness raising campaigns in the field of media freedom and safety of journalists

   The applicants shall describe the type and number of awareness raising campaigns they intend to organise.

6. f)  Ensure communication and dissemination activities

   Communication and dissemination activities are essential for this project. The applicants shall describe their planned activities (conferences, publications, websites, social media activities, etc.), and indicate the expected deliverables and the resources they intend to devote to this part of the project.

7. g)  Monitor and evaluate the action

   All the activities of the project shall be monitored and evaluated in terms of efficiency and impact. A specific evaluation report shall be submitted on completion of the project.

2.2 Action 2 - Preparatory Action: cross-border investigative journalism fund

The call for proposals aims at selecting one consortium to carry out Action 2.

2.2.1 Objectives

Sustaining quality journalism and, in particular, resource-intensive investigative journalism in the current fast-evolving media landscape is a challenge. The preparatory action will contribute to this goal. The action will fund grants for journalistic investigations involving journalists from at least two countries covered by the action. This will encourage journalistic work on issues of common interest to citizens of more than one Member State thereby strengthening the European media sphere. The preparatory action will build on the ‘European research grants for journalistic investigations, #IJ4EU’ project, the information about which is available online2.

2.2.2 Expected outputs

This action is expected to fund activities of one consortium of organisations.

Similarly to the approach used in the #IJ4EU project, a series of European research grants for journalistic investigations with a cross-border dimension will be provided. An independent body will be set up to implement consecutive rounds of grants supporting journalistic investigations involving journalists working in at least two Member States, or working in at least one Member State and one Candidate Country. The award of the grants shall take into account the need to ensure independent investigations and journalistic freedom. The results of investigations will be published in, at least, the countries concerned. They will also be announced and linked to on a dedicated website.

 

2.2.3 Description of the activities to be funded under the call for proposal

1. a)  Design and implement a cross-border investigative funding scheme, including the establishment of an independent jury which shall evaluate and select journalistic projects

   The applicants shall describe in detail how they intend to structure and manage the funding scheme, including how they will appoint the jury and how they will ensure that the selection process is fair, inclusive and independent. They will, as far as possible and relevant, take account of lessons learnt by other cross- border/investigative journalistic funding schemes, especially the #IJ4EU project. They will also take into account the Feasibility study on ‘European research grants for cross-border investigative journalism3’. The applicants will provide a detailed, indicative timetable, indicating the number and size of journalistic projects they intend to fund. They will also specify the types of journalistic work and medium they intend to support (print, online, audiovisual media) and the criteria for involving media outlets.

2. b)  Selection of grantees ensuring a geographical and thematic balance

   The applicants shall explain how they intend to cooperate with the jury and what criteria will be used to select the grantees. This Preparatory Action should cover the entire European Union, with possible participation of grantees from Candidate Countries alongside grantee(s) from at least one Member State), and a wide variety of topics, with a particular emphasis on topics having a strong cross- border dimension. When launching their calls for grant applications, the applicants are invited to specify whether / to what extent particular areas of investigation or specific geographical areas will be targeted.

3. c)  Provide practical support and training to the journalists involved in the funding scheme

   The Preparatory Action shall provide training and support to the selected grantees involved in the funding scheme if/when requested and relevant. The applicants will describe the type of training and support they intend to provide and how and/or with whom they will organise it. The Action will cover the accommodation/travel costs of the grantees participating is such training sessions. The total amount devoted to this task should not exceed 10% of the total budget of the project. When needed, the action will provide legal or practical support to the grantees. The applicants will describe how they plan to provide such support.

4. d)  Disburse funds and ensure sound financial management

   The applicants will describe the way they will fund the selected projects. They will detail the modalities of payment they intend to apply (breakdown, timing, etc). No co-funding from the grantees (i.e. the journalists or the media outlets) shall be required.

5. e)  Ensure dissemination of results and communication with the grantees

The applicants shall describe how they will ensure that each investigative story to be funded is published/broadcast as widely as possible. Such stories should be published/broadcast in at least the Member States or Candidate Countries where the participating journalists work. In addition, a website dedicated to the action shall be set up, where, at a minimum, titles of and links to the publications will be made available. The action will also ensure dissemination of its results via social media. The applicants will describe in detail their dissemination strategy (public events, websites, brochures, videos, press releases, social media, etc.) and how they will ensure liaison with the grantees.

f) Monitor and evaluate the action

The applicants will describe how they intend to monitor and evaluate the action, notably in view of possible similar activities in the future. They will submit an evaluation report at the end of the action.

2.3 Action 3 - Pilot Project: Supporting investigative journalism and media freedom in the EU

To carry out Action 3,the call for proposals aims at selecting three to five projects to be conducted either by single entities or consortia.
For Action 3, applicants can submit a proposal for a project covering one or several activities described under 2.3.3.

2.3.1 Objectives

The projects will be geared at providing support to independent, collaborative journalism in the EU Member States and at promoting media freedom across the EU. The action will also help raising awareness on the importance of media freedom and quality and ethical journalism for democracy. The action should facilitate building a community of media professionals and organisations that are active in the field.

2.3.2 Expected outputs

This action is expected to fund the activities to be carried out by several beneficiaries / consortia of organisations. Overall the action will provide financial and practical support to stimulate quality journalism and media freedom in the EU. The outputs will comprise, in particular: training and practical guides for collaborative journalism; facilitating journalists and news media to carry out projects and exchange good practices; helping journalists and news media to acquire, master and develop innovative tools and resources in order to improve the quality of their output; setting up cooperation with peers; promoting ethical codes and professional standards.

2.3.3 Description of the activities to be funded under the call for proposals

All projects should envisage activities in several EU Member States. Applicants shall explain why the proposed activity/activities is/are of relevance to the media community in the targeted countries.

Activities to be covered by the projects include, but are not limited to, the following: a) Organise training for investigative journalists and other media actors

The activity shall include the organisation of training sessions stretching over several days for groups of journalists and groups of managers from recently established or small independent media. In addition, distance learning can be envisaged. Applicants are expected to describe the type and number of training sessions they intend to organise, the specific target groups and the estimated number of participants, as well as the main topics they would cover for each training session. Particular attention should be given to new/emerging (digital) media outlets and journalists working in countries where investigative and collaborative journalism is less developed or where the training offer is deemed insufficient. The project should cover the trainers’ fees as well as travel and accommodation expenses of the participants.

b) Supporttheacquisition,integration,developmentanddisseminationofinnovative tools and resources that can help enhance quality journalism

The activity shall include practical and financial support to journalists and small media outlets to help them acquire and master innovative tools/standards/methods/techniques, especially in the area of investigative and collaborative journalism. Applicants are invited to describe the scope, extent and components of such support, e.g. the particular innovations they would prioritise, the number of journalists / small media outlets that will be supported, concrete means of support, etc. They shall also describe the way they intend to select the journalists/media outlets they intend to support and how they will ensure the independence of the selected journalists / outlets.

c) Fund collaborative / innovative journalistic projects

Collaborative / innovative journalistic projects dealing with issues of public interest and deploying new working methods and tools will be funded through this activity. The applicants shall describe the criteria and procedures they intend to use to select the journalistic projects to be funded and how they will ensure full editorial independence of the participating journalists. Particular attention should be given to new/emerging (digital) media outlets, local journalism and journalists working in countries where collaborative or innovative journalism is less developed. Applicants shall indicate the types and the number of journalistic projects they intend to select and fund and shall explain how they plan to disburse the funds.

d) Facilitate the collaboration between journalists and news media actors

This activity will focus on putting journalists and news media actors, such as media entrepreneurs or publishers, in contact through existing or new networks and platforms in order to foster collaborative / innovative journalistic projects. This can include the organisation of workshops, creation of a new collaborative platform or the enhancement of an existing one, as well as the organisation of virtual and/or physical “matching” events. The applicants will describe the proposed measures (including the types and the number) as well as the platform they would use, if relevant.

e) Promote ethical codes and professional standards

This activity will focus on stimulating awareness and understanding of journalistic ethical codes and professional standards within the profession and the general public. Applicants will describe the proposed measures (including the types and the number) as well as the envisaged geographical coverage.

f) Organise and support events and conferences

This activity shall comprise the organisation of at least one EU-wide event on quality journalism and media freedom. However, it can also include support to other organisers of relevant events and/or participants of such events. Applicants should describe the number, type and scope of events/conferences they intend to organise and/or support. They shall provide details on the topics and size of the events and detail the type of costs they would cover.

All projects should avoid duplication of the activities described in Actions 1 and 2.

All projects are expected to ensure communication and dissemination of their activities. Applicants shall describe how they will disseminate the results of their activities (websites, social media) and how they will ensure coordination with entities selected to carry out other activities of this Action.

Applicants should envisage attending one or two coordination meetings in Brussels. All projects are expected to monitor and evaluate the implementation of their activities.

The applicants shall describe how they intend to monitor and evaluate the action, notably in view of possible similar activities in the future.

 

3. TIMETABLE

The indicative schedule for the different steps and stages of the selection procedure are as follows:

(a) Publication of the call

July 2019

(b) Deadline for submitting applications

27/09/2019

(c) Evaluation period

October 2019

(d) Information to applicants

November 2019

(e) Signature of grant agreements

December 2019-Q1/2020

Scheduled start date for the action: as soon as possible upon signature of grant agreements.

 

 

4. BUDGET AVAILABLE

The total budget earmarked for the co-financing of projects under this call for proposals is estimated at 4.175.000 EUR (four million one hundred and seventy five thousand euros). The breakdown per Action is as follows:

Action 1: 1.400.000 EUR (one million four hundred thousand euros)
Action 2: 1.500.000 EUR (one million five hundred thousand euros)
Action 3: 1.275.000 EUR (one million two hundred seventy five thousand euros)

The EU co-financing is limited to a maximum co-funding rate of 90% of the total eligible costs.

The Commission expects to fund 1 proposal for Action 1. The maximum grant under Action 1 will be 1.400.000 EUR

The Commission expects to fund 1 proposal for Action 2. The maximum grant under Action 2 will be 1.500.000 EUR

The Commission expects to fund 3 to 5 proposals for Action 3. The maximum grant under Action 3 will be 425.000 EUR

The Commission reserves the right not to distribute all the funds available.

 

5. ADMISSIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

In order to be admissible, applications must be:

 sent no later than the deadline for submitting applications referred to in section 3;

 submitted in writing (see section 14), using the application form available at https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/news-redirect/650637 and in electronic form (pdf format); and

 drafted in one of the EU official languages.
Failure to comply with those requirements will lead to rejection of the application.

 

6. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Applicants are requested to select and identify clearly the Action(s) for which they are submitting a proposal.

Applicants may submit a proposal for one or more of the Actions, but a separate proposal must be submitted for each Action.

For Actions 1 and 2, each proposal must cover all the activities of the respective action. Bidding for only part of the activities under these actions is explicitly forbidden and will lead to the exclusion of the proposal.

For Action 3, applicants can submit a proposal for a project covering one or several activities described under 2.3.3. (the maximum grant for any project under Action 3 is 400.000 EUR).

6.1. Eligible applicants

The call is open to:

For projects under Actions 1 and 2:

 Groupings of entities (consortia) – with the entities forming this consortia having or not entities affiliated to them

For projects under Action 3 only:

•   Single entities (with or without affiliated entities, as defined below)

•   A ‘sole’ applicant (several legal entities forming together one legal entity or 'sole

  beneficiary')

•   Groupings of entities (consortia) – with the entities forming this consortia having or not entities affiliated to them.

  For projects under all three actions, proposals may be submitted by any of the following applicants or combinations of:

•   non-profit organisation (private or public);

•   international organisations;

•   universities;

•   educational institutions;

•   research centres.

Natural persons are not eligible except if:

•   they are self-employed persons or equivalent (i.e. sole traders) where the company does not possess legal personality separate from that of the natural person.

•   they are part of a consortium. However, projects cannot be coordinated by a natural person.

For Action 3 only: profit-making entities as part of a consortium. However, projects cannot be coordinated by such entities.

For British applicants: Please be aware that eligibility criteria must be complied with for the entire duration of the grant. If the United Kingdom withdraws from the EU during the grant period without concluding an agreement with the EU ensuring in particular that British applicants continue to be eligible, you will cease to receive EU funding (while continuing, where possible, to participate) or be required to leave the project on the basis of Article II.17.3 of the grant agreement.

 

Affiliated entities

Legal entities having a legal or capital link with applicants, which is neither limited to the action nor established for the sole purpose of its implementation, may take part in the action as affiliated entities4, and may declare eligible costs as specified in section 11.2.

For that purpose, applicants shall identify such affiliated entities in the application form.

For Action 3 only:
An application may be submitted by one applicant (the "sole" applicant), whether

established specifically or not for the action, provided that:

•   it is formed of several legal entities complying with the eligibility, non-exclusion and selection criteria set out in this call for proposals, and implementing together the proposed action;

•   the application identifies the said entities.

  For the purpose of declaring eligible costs as specified under section 11.2, the entities composing the “sole” applicant shall be treated as affiliated entities in accordance with Article 187 of the Financial Regulation5.

  Country of establishment – for Actions 1, 2 and 3

  Only applications from legal entities established in the following countries are eligible:

•   EU Member States;

•   EFTA and EEA countries: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland. Applications from legal entities established in EFTA and EEA countries are eligible as part of a consortium but the projects cannot be coordinated by an entity established in an EFTA or EEA country.

•   Candidate Countries. Applications from legal entities established in candidate countries are eligible as part of a consortium but the projects cannot be coordinated by an entity established in a candidate country.

Consortium requirements – for Actions 1 and 2

•  In order to be eligible, a proposal must be submitted by a consortium composed of at least two legal entities.

Requirements for Action 3
By way of exception, an application may be submitted by one applicant (the "sole" applicant), whether established specifically or not for the action, provided that:

•   it is formed of several legal entities complying with the eligibility, non-exclusion and selection criteria set out in this call for proposals, and implementing together the proposed action;

•   the application identifies the said entities.

  For the purpose of declaring eligible costs as specified under section 11.2, the entities composing the “sole” applicant shall be treated as affiliated entities in accordance with Article 187 of the Financial Regulation6.

  Supporting documents

  In order to assess the applicants' eligibility, the following supporting documents are requested:

•   private entity: extract from the official journal, copy of articles of association, extract of trade or association register, certificate of liability to VAT (if, as in certain countries, the trade register number and VAT number are identical, only one of these documents is required);

•   public entity: copy of the resolution, decision or other official document establishing the public-law entity;

•   natural persons: photocopy of identity card and/or passport; certificate of liability to VAT, if applicable (e.g. some self-employed persons);

•   entities without legal personality: documents providing evidence that their representative(s) have the capacity to undertake legal obligations on their behalf.

  In the case of legal entities forming one applicant (the "sole" applicant), as specified in section 6.1, the above requirements apply to each one of those entities.

6.2. Eligible activities
The following types of activities are eligible under Action 1 of this call for proposals:

•   cooperation projects;

•   conferences, seminars;

•   training activities;

•   awareness and dissemination actions;

•   actions aiming at the creation and improvement of networks, exchanges of good practices;

•   actions aiming at the creation and improvement of digital tools;

•   studies, analyses, mapping projects;

•   legal and practical support to journalists;

•   advocacy missions;

•   financial support to third parties (see point 11.8. d)).

 

The following types of activities are eligible under Action 2 of this call for proposals:

•   conferences, seminars;

•   training activities;

•   awareness and dissemination actions;

•   advocacy missions;

•   legal and practical support to journalists;

•   financial support to third parties (see point 11.8. d)).

  The following types of activities are eligible under Action 3 of this call for proposals:

•   cooperation projects;

•   conferences, seminars;

•   training activities;

•   awareness and dissemination actions;

•   actions aiming at the creation and improvement of networks, exchanges of good

  practices;

•   actions aiming at the creation and improvement of digital tools;

•   studies, analyses, mapping projects;

•   advocacy missions.

•   financial support to third parties (see point 11.8. d)).

  Implementation period – for Actions 1, 2 and 3

 the maximum duration of projects is 12 months
Applications for projects scheduled to run for a longer period than that specified in this

call for proposals will not be accepted.

 

7. EXCLUSION CRITERIA – FOR ACTIONS 1, 2 AND

3 7.1. Exclusion

The authorising officer shall exclude an applicant from participating in call for proposals procedures where:

(a) the applicant is bankrupt, subject to insolvency or winding-up procedures, its assets are being administered by a liquidator or by a court, it is in an arrangement with creditors, its business activities are suspended, or it is in any analogous situation arising from a similar procedure provided for under EU or national laws or regulations;

(b) it has been established by a final judgment or a final administrative decision that the applicant is in breach of its obligations relating to the payment of taxes or social security contributions in accordance with the applicable law;

(c) ithasbeenestablishedbyafinaljudgmentorafinaladministrativedecisionthatthe applicant is guilty of grave professional misconduct by having violated applicable laws or regulations or ethical standards of the profession to which the applicant belongs, or by having engaged in any wrongful intent or gross negligence, including, in particular, any of the following:

1. (i)  fraudulently or negligently misrepresenting information required for the verification of the absence of grounds for exclusion or the fulfilment of eligibility or selection criteria or in the performance of a contract, a grant agreement or a grant decision;

2. (ii)  entering into agreement with other applicants with the aim of distorting competition;

3. (iii)  violating intellectual property rights;

4. (iv)  attempting to influence the decision-making process of the Commission during the award procedure;

5. (v)  attempting to obtain confidential information that may confer upon it undue advantages in the award procedure;

(d)  it has been established by a final judgment that the applicant is guilty of any of the following:

1. (i)  fraud, within the meaning of Article 3 of Directive (EU) 2017/1371 of the European Parliament and of the Council and Article 1 of the Convention on the protection of the European Communities' financial interests, drawn up by the Council Act of 26 July 1995;

2. (ii)  corruption, as defined in Article 4(2) of Directive (EU) 2017/1371 or Article 3 of the Convention on the fight against corruption involving officials of the European Communities or officials of Member States of the European Union, drawn up by the Council Act of 26 May 1997, or conduct referred to in Article 2(1) of Council Framework Decision 2003/568/JHA, or corruption as defined in the applicable law;

3. (iii)  conduct related to a criminal organisation, as referred to in Article 2 of Council Framework Decision 2008/841/JHA;

4. (iv)  money laundering or terrorist financing within the meaning of Article 1(3), (4) and (5) of Directive (EU) 2015/849 of the European Parliament and of the Council;

5. (v)  terrorist offences or offences linked to terrorist activities, as defined in Articles 1 and 3 of Council Framework Decision 2002/475/JHA, respectively, or inciting, aiding, abetting or attempting to commit such offences, as referred to in Article 4 of that Decision;

6. (vi)  child labour or other offences concerning trafficking in human beings as referred to in Article 2 of Directive 2011/36/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council;

(e)  the applicant has shownsignificantdeficienciesincomplyingwithmainobligations in the performance of a contract, a grant agreement or a grant decision financed by the Union's budget, which has led to its early termination or to the application of liquidated damages or other contractual penalties, or which has been discovered following checks, audits or investigations by an authorising officer, OLAF or the Court of Auditors;

(f)  it has been established by a final judgment or final administrative decision that the applicant has committed an irregularity within the meaning of Article 1(2) of Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 2988/95;

 

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