The partnership principle is a European requirement under which partners outside state administration – local governments, social and economic partners, non-governmental organisations representing disadvantaged groups, and the academic community – must be involved in the preparation, implementation, and evaluation of programmes. In practice this shows up in the composition of the monitoring committee, in public consultations on programme documents, and often also in commenting on draft calls before they are issued. For companies, municipalities, and organisations this creates a possibility that most do not use: the conditions of a call can be influenced before they become binding. The route is usually involvement through a union, chamber, or association that is a partner, or direct participation in a consultation if it is open to the public.
See also: Monitoring Committee, Preliminary information about a call for proposals, Partnership Council.
