02 / 12 / 2019
EARTO input towards Horizon Europe’s MGA: Ensure continuity with H2020 personnel costs’ options
EARTO members very much appreciate the efforts of the EU institutions to preserve continuity in the Framework Programme’s rules for participation, while further improving simplification and efficiency. Following the EC proposal to move from hourly rate to daily rates for the calculation of personnel costs in Horizon Europe (incl. day-equivalent option), EARTO experts present their input and views in the attached paper. EARTO and EUA, which has also released its policy statement today, are both calling for continuity with the personnel costs methods and options of H2020 rules. This would be the best form of simplification. The calculation of personnel costs based on daily rates instead of hourly rates would be a major change that would not reflect the reality of many FP beneficiaries, and is not in line with their Usual Cost Accounting Practices.- Time recording is an integral part of the management control of RTOs and many other FP beneficiaries: they will continue to use timesheets.
- The daily rate approach would increase the administrative burden for both beneficiaries and auditors (e.g. crosschecking calendar years and reporting periods, establishing the personnel costs for day-equivalents).
- The unit cost option to calculate average personnel costs based on hourly rates needs to be maintained.
- Organising trainings for beneficiaries on the EU FPs eligibility rules would be the best way to lower the error rate.
