Comparative law studies and periodical publications

EUAF-2026-TRAI-04 funds high-profile comparative law research and dissemination through periodical publications to strengthen protection of the EU financial interests against fraud, corruption and related irregularities. Eligible mono-beneficiary applicants include national or regional public authorities, international organisations, research and educational institutes and non-profit entities established for at least one year in eligible countries. The topic budget is €1,000,000, projects must be at least €40,000, the standard funding rate is 80 percent with up to 90 percent for defined priority actions, and eligible costs include personnel, subcontracting, travel, equipment depreciation and other implementation costs with 7 percent indirect costs. Proposals are submitted electronically via the EU Funding and Tenders Portal with a planned opening on 17 March 2026 and a deadline of 07 May 2026 at 17:00 Brussels time.

Comparative law studies and periodical publications — EUAF-2026-TRAI-04

What it funds

Scope summary

Grants to support high-profile research, comparative-law studies and periodical publications on protecting the EU financial interests against fraud, corruption or other irregularities; dissemination and awareness-raising among stakeholders (including judiciary and legal professions).

Call type and timeline:Call for proposals under the Union Anti-fraud Programme, Training, Conferences, Staff Exchanges and Studies (EUAF-2026-TRAI). Planned opening 17 March 2026; deadline 07 May 2026 17:00 Brussels time. Single-stage submission. Topic code EUAF-2026-TRAI-04. More details on the topic page Topic page. ¹

Who can apply

Eligible applicants for the TRAI call: legal entities (public or private) such as national or regional public authorities, international organisations, research and educational institutes and non-profit entities that can help achieve EUAF objectives. Research/education and non-profit applicants must have been established and operating for at least one year. Participants must be established in an eligible country (EU Member States, participating EEA/associated countries as listed in the call).

Money and project size

Indicative budget for the Training, Conferences, Staff Exchanges and Studies call: €1,000,000 (call-level). Individual project budgets for the TRAI call are expected to be not lower than €40,000 (staff exchanges excepted). Funding rate normally 80% of eligible costs; a 90% rate may be available for specific priority actions defined in the call document. Project duration typically 12–24 months.

1. 1Eligible activities: comparative-law research, studies, periodical publications, dissemination and concluding events
2. 2Single applicant (mono-beneficiary) projects allowed; affiliated entities and associated partners may participate; no financial support to third parties
3. 3Applications submitted electronically via the Funding & Tenders Portal using the EUAF templates and detailed budget table

Applicants must read the call document and templates in the Portal Submission System (application Part A online; Part B PDF and required annexes). Admissibility, eligibility, evaluation and reporting rules are set out in the call document and the EUAF Model Grant Agreement.

Footnotes

1. 1Full call documentation and templates are available on the Funding & Tenders Portal topic page: EUAF-2026-TRAI-04 topic.

Comparative law studies and periodical publications (EUAF-2026-TRAI-04) — Funding Opportunity Overview

This is a forthcoming single-stage call for proposals under the Union Anti-Fraud Programme (EUAF), topic EUAF-2026-TRAI-04: Comparative law studies and periodical publications. The call is managed by the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) and forms part of the EUAF Training, Conferences, Staff Exchanges and Studies strand (EUAF-2026-TRAI).

Planned opening and deadline:Opening: 17 March 2026. Deadline: 07 May 2026, 17:00 Brussels time. Submission is via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal only EU Funding & Tenders Portal Topic Page.

Programme and action type:Programme: Union Anti-Fraud Programme (EUAF). Action: EUAF-PJG EUAF Project Grants. Model Grant Agreement type: EUAF Action Grant Budget-Based [EUAF-AG]. Deadline model: single-stage.

Scope and Expected Results

Scope: Funding supports relevant, high-profile research on the protection of the EU’s financial interests against fraud, corruption and other irregularities, including studies in comparative law, and dissemination through periodical publications. Activities may include conducting comparative legal analyses, producing academic outputs, and establishing or sustaining periodical publications to diffuse results to practitioner and academic audiences concerned with protecting the EU budget.

• Conduct of high-profile research, including in the area of comparative law, focused on the protection of the EU’s financial interests
• Publication of original, high-quality articles in academic or scientific outlets
• Dissemination of findings via periodical publications
• Raising awareness among stakeholders, including the judiciary and other legal professionals, about ongoing needs in protecting EU financial interests

Indicative thematic priorities (applicants may also propose other relevant themes):Themes span digitalisation of anti-fraud reporting, cooperation between OLAF, EPPO and national authorities, OLAF’s investigative framework, prevention/detection/investigation/prosecution of fraud and corruption, customs data and e-commerce challenges, protection of the single market from counterfeits and illicit tobacco, border protection and information sharing, environmental and public health-related fraud (waste, endangered species, illicit chemicals, food), imports of non-compliant goods affecting the EU budget, anti-fraud in environment and climate funding, emerging challenges in expenditure fraud (including RRF), double-funding risks with RRF, national/EU anti-fraud strategies and comparative law enforcement frameworks, control system effectiveness and fraud-risk methodologies, rule-of-law conditionality for protecting the EU budget, future anti-fraud architecture, money laundering accompanying fraud/corruption, cyber fraud affecting the EU budget, and OLAF’s role in serious misconduct cases affecting EU financial interests.

Who Can Apply and How

Eligible Applicant Types

Under the Training, Conferences, Staff Exchanges and Studies call (EUAF-2026-TRAI), the following are eligible as applicants (beneficiaries and affiliated entities), provided they are legal entities:

• National or regional public authorities, or international organisations that can help achieve EUAF objectives, in particular protecting the EU’s financial interests
• Research and educational institutes that can help achieve EUAF objectives and have been established and operating for at least one year
• Non-profit making entities that can help achieve EUAF objectives and have been established and operating for at least one year
• International organisations are eligible irrespective of country scope limitations; EU bodies (except the Commission JRC) are not eligible as beneficiaries

Consortium Requirement

Only single-applicant proposals are allowed (mono-beneficiary grants). Affiliated entities and other participants (associated partners, subcontractors, in-kind contributors) are allowed where relevant.

Geographic Eligibility (Beneficiary Scope)

Applicants must be from EU Member States (including OCTs), or listed EEA countries or countries associated to the EUAF Programme, or countries in ongoing association negotiations where the agreement enters into force before grant signature. International organisations are eligible regardless of the country rules. Activities should take place in eligible countries unless otherwise agreed (e.g. staff exchanges or training essential to protect the EU’s financial interests).

Funding, Rates, Budget and Duration

• Call budget for EUAF-2026-TRAI: €1,000,000 (across four topics). The granting authority can reallocate funds between priorities depending on evaluation results.
• Project budget expectations for Training/Studies: not lower than €40,000 (staff exchanges may be an exception).
• Funding rate: 80% of eligible costs by default. Up to 90% for priority actions in the Training call if: the project is undertaken by scientific and/or research organisations fulfilling criteria linked to European criminal law networks and geared towards protecting EU financial interests; or where the project covers the exceptional priority cases listed for Technical Assistance (as referenced in the call document).
• Indirect costs: flat-rate 7% of eligible direct costs (categories A-D, except volunteers and any exempted categories).
• VAT: not eligible.
• Eligible cost categories (TRAI): A Personnel costs (employees, natural persons under direct contract, seconded), B Subcontracting, C.1 Travel and subsistence, C.2 Equipment (depreciation for Training call), C.3 Other goods, works, services, E Indirect costs.
• Travel, accommodation and subsistence: normally to be declared as unit costs using the fixed amounts in Annex 2a of the Grant Agreement based on Commission Decision C(2021)35 and updates reflected in the grant’s Annex 2a; where not covered in the unit-cost tables, actual costs may be used.
• Project duration: typically 12 to 24 months; extensions possible via amendment when duly justified.
• Form of grant: budget-based mixed actual cost grant, with unit cost and flat-rate elements where applicable. No-profit rule applies; for-profit organisations must declare revenues, which will be offset at final payment if there is profit.
• Payments: prefinancing normally 50% of the maximum grant; no interim payments; balance at the end after approval of the final report. Prefinancing guarantees may be requested depending on financial capacity assessment.

Application and Evaluation

Application Type and Process:Open competitive call; single-stage submission through the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Paper submissions are not accepted. The submission system opens on the topic opening date.

What to submit:Application Form Part A (online) with administrative details and summarised budget; Application Form Part B (technical description) uploaded as PDF; Detailed Budget Table (Excel template); List of previous key projects (last 3 years); Draft agenda/outline (template) for studies and periodical publications; Other mandatory annexes as required in the system. Page limit for Part B: 70 pages. Language: any EU official language; the abstract/summary must be in English; use of English throughout is strongly recommended.

Templates and mandatory annexes:Applicants must use the call-specific templates available inside the Submission System. Standard references include: Standard application form (EUAF), Detailed budget table (EUAF TRAI), Draft Agenda-Outline (EUAF TRAI), EUAF Model Grant Agreement, EU Grants AGA — Annotated Model Grant Agreement. The draft agenda/outline template must be completed for studies and periodical publications, providing a provisional outline of content/topics.

Draft Agenda/Outline template structure highlights:For studies and periodical publications: provide a DRAFT OUTLINE that includes project name and acronym; the name of the study/periodical; provisional content and topics; intended audience and coherence with the overall objective of protecting the EU’s financial interests; identification of expected contributors/editors (to be confirmed where necessary). For conferences/training (if any within the dissemination plan), provide day-by-day session layout, topic coherence with project scope, adequate Q&A time, breaks, speakers/trainers identified or marked “to be confirmed,” and funding statement/visual identity as per the Grant Agreement template Draft Agenda-Outline Template.

Evaluation procedure and timing:Single-step evaluation after eligibility and admissibility checks. Indicative timetable: Evaluation May–October 2026; information on results in November 2026; grant agreement signature November–December 2026.

Award criteria, scoring and thresholds:Proposals are scored out of 100 with individual thresholds per criterion: Conformity with EUAF Programme objectives (max 30; min 18), Quality (max 20; min 12), Value for money (max 20; min 12), Added value for the protection of the EU financial interests (max 30; min 18). Overall pass threshold: 60 points. Ties are resolved by topic coverage gaps, Added Value score, Conformity score, Quality score, then portfolio balance considerations.

Detailed Categorisation and Key Facts

Eligible Applicant Types:National or regional public authorities; international organisations; research institutes; higher education institutions; nonprofit entities; associations for European Criminal Law and for the Protection of EU Financial Interests (noted as eligible particularly for networks, conferences, and publications under activities 2 or 4). EU bodies except JRC are not eligible. Entities without legal personality may participate if legal obligations can be undertaken and EU financial interests are equivalently protected. Associated partners, subcontractors, and in-kind contributors can participate in non-beneficiary roles.

Funding Type:Grant (budget-based mixed actual cost grant with unit costs and flat-rate elements).

Consortium Requirement:Single applicant (mono-beneficiary). Affiliated entities and other participants allowed when justified.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):EU Member States including OCTs; listed EEA or EUAF-associated countries; countries with ongoing association negotiations that enter into force before grant signature. International organisations are eligible irrespective of country rules. Activities should primarily take place in eligible countries.

Target Sector:Law and justice; anti-fraud and anti-corruption; public administration; customs and law enforcement; governance and rule of law; legal research and publications; environment and climate-related fraud control; digitalisation of anti-fraud processes; financial crime and money laundering affecting the EU budget.

Mentioned Countries or Regions:Regionally framed: EU, EEA, EUAF-associated countries, and potentially candidate/potential candidate countries within cooperation contexts mentioned in the call document. No specific individual countries are named in the topic fiche beyond these regional categories.

Project Stage:Research, analysis, publication, and dissemination. Projects should produce original comparative law research and high-quality academic or scientific articles, and disseminate via periodicals. Awareness-raising among practitioners and judiciary is expected.

Funding Amount:Overall call budget for EUAF-2026-TRAI (four topics combined): €1,000,000. For Training/Studies projects, minimum project size is not lower than €40,000 (exception may apply for staff exchanges). No explicit per-project maximum is set; grants awarded depend on evaluation ranking and budget availability. The granting authority may ensure a homogeneous spread among applicants and re-balance across topics if needed.

Application Type:Open competitive call; single-stage electronic submission via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal.

Nature of Support:Financial support (grant). Non-financial support is provided through guidance documents, Q&As, and the Online Manual. No financial support to third parties is allowed.

Application Stages:1 stage (single-stage submission and evaluation).

Success Rates:Not specified in the call documentation.

Co-funding Requirement:Yes. Applicants must co-fund the share of eligible costs not covered by the EU grant. Standard funding rate is 80%; up to 90% is possible for defined priority actions. Indirect costs at 7% are eligible; VAT is ineligible. No-profit rule applies.

Evaluation Deliverables and Reporting Requirements

• Mandatory deliverables for Training/Studies projects include: final agenda of each event (if any), signed attendance lists (if events are organised), event evaluation forms completed on the last day of events, event feedback form summarising scores, and post-event survey forms six months after action end to evaluate medium-term impact.
• For studies/periodical publications: evidence of outputs (e.g., published articles, issues of periodicals), dissemination tracker and channels used, and indicators of reach and impact (e.g., citation indices, impact factors where applicable).
• Continuous reporting via the Portal for deliverables/outputs; final reporting includes technical report, financial statements, and where applicable certificates on financial statements based on thresholds.

Budgeting Rules and Cost Eligibility Nuances (TRAI call)

• Personnel costs are eligible for the Training/Studies call. Show allocation by function/profile and link to tasks in Part B and the Detailed Budget Table.
• Travel and subsistence usually declared as unit costs per Grant Agreement Annex 2a (based on Commission decision tables). If a travel instance is not covered by the unit-cost tables, actual costs may be used. Budget lines must reflect destination and correct unit amounts; do not average different unit costs.
• Equipment: for the Training/Studies call, equipment is eligible via depreciation during the project period; full cost purchases are not eligible under this strand.
• Other goods, works, services: include dissemination, publications, translations, design/printing when eligible and appropriately justified.
• Indirect costs: 7% flat-rate of eligible direct costs.
• In-kind contributions for free are allowed but cost-neutral; cannot be declared as costs.
• Project websites: communication via the beneficiaries’ existing websites or social channels is eligible; separate project website costs are not eligible.
• Double funding prohibition: the same cost cannot be claimed under more than one EU-funded action, except under defined Synergies (not applicable here).
• Detailed Budget Table: use the official Excel template with intact macros; ensure Part A summarised budget matches the Detailed Budget Table.

Mandatory Templates and Application Form Structure

Application Form Part B — structure to follow:Part B must follow the EUAF Standard template: 1) Conformity with objectives of the EUAF Programme: background, needs analysis, specific objectives with indicators, relevance and complementarity/European added value; 2) Quality: concept and methodology; project management, quality assurance, monitoring and evaluation; project teams, staff and experts; risk management; 3) Value for money: cost effectiveness and financial management; 4) Added value for protecting EU financial interests: expected results, impact and ambition; communication, dissemination, visibility; sustainability and continuation; 5) Workplan: work packages, activities, resources, timing; 6) Other: ethics, security; 7) Declarations including applicant type, request for higher funding rate where applicable, and double-funding confirmations. Include Annex 1 Detailed Budget Table, Annex 4 List of previous projects (last 3 years). EUAF Application Form (specimen) Part A and Part B structure.

Draft Agenda/Outline — studies/periodical publications:Provide a provisional content outline, targeted audiences, author/editor roles, coherence with project objectives, realistic timeline for drafting, peer-review/editing steps, publication schedule and dissemination plan. Use the official template and adapt to your project needs.

Compliance, Capacity and Exclusion

• Financial capacity: assessed except for public bodies, international organisations, or where the requested grant is not more than €60,000. Enhanced measures or guarantees may be required if capacity is weak.
• Operational capacity: assessed via Part B descriptions of organisational activities, team composition and roles, and list of recent relevant projects; public bodies, Member State organisations and international organisations are exempted from the operational capacity check.
• Exclusion: applicants must not be in exclusion situations under the EU Financial Regulation (e.g., bankruptcy, tax/social breaches, grave professional misconduct, fraud/corruption, significant breaches under past EU grants/contracts). EU restrictive measures apply; such entities are ineligible in any role.

Legal and Financial Arrangements (Grant Agreement)

• Project start date typically after grant signature; retroactive start is possible only exceptionally and not before proposal submission.
• No financial support to third parties is allowed under this call.
• Communication and visibility obligations apply (use of the EU emblem and funding statement; disclaimer text required in all communications).
• Record-keeping: keep all records and supporting documents for 3–5 years after final payment, as specified in the Grant Agreement’s Data Sheet.
• Checks, reviews, audits and investigations: the granting authority, OLAF, ECA, EPPO and the European Commission may conduct control activities during and after the action. Undue amounts will be recovered; beneficiaries may face grant reduction for non-compliance. EUAF Model Grant Agreement

Support, Contacts and Reference Documents

• Topic page and submission: see the EU Funding & Tenders Portal topic page EUAF-2026-TRAI-04 topic.
• Call fiche and call document: EUAF-2026-TRAI call document (V1.0 – 12.03.2026) Call document (PDF).
• Draft Agenda-Outline template: Template download.
• Annotated Grant Agreement: EU Grants AGA.
• Online Manual (submission process): Portal Online Manual.
• Helpdesk: IT Helpdesk via the Portal for technical submission issues.
• Call-specific contact for Training/Studies: OLAF-ANTI-FRAUD-TRAINING@ec.europa.eu.
• Union Anti-Fraud Programme information: EUAF policy page (Hercule component).

Concise Timeline and Budget Overview

Key Do’s and Don’ts for Applicants

• Submit early; last-minute congestion is at applicant’s risk; deadlines cannot be extended.
• Ensure Part A summarised budget equals the Detailed Budget Table totals; inconsistencies delay processing.
• Use the official Detailed Budget Table template with intact macros; do not modify the template.
• Respect the 70-page limit for Part B; excess pages will be ignored by evaluators.
• For travel unit costs, list separate lines for different distance bands/cities; do not average unit amounts.
• Ensure double funding is explicitly disclaimed in Part B declarations; provide details if otherwise.
• If applying for the 90% funding rate, substantiate how the project meets the specific criteria in the call document.
• For Training/Studies, charge equipment by depreciation only; do not include full purchase costs under this strand.
• No financial support to third parties; subcontracting must be limited and justified, and best value for money assured.

Summary — What this opportunity is about and how to explain it

EUAF-2026-TRAI-04 funds high-quality comparative legal research and periodical publications that strengthen the protection of the EU’s financial interests against fraud, corruption and related irregularities. The expected outputs are original scholarly articles and periodicals that raise awareness among judges, prosecutors, legal practitioners and policymakers on anti-fraud needs and solutions across the EU. It is a mono-beneficiary grant scheme aimed at competent public authorities, international organisations, research and educational institutes, and nonprofits established for at least one year, within EU/EEA/associated countries. Projects typically last 12–24 months and must present a rigorous research methodology, clear EU relevance, robust dissemination routes through periodicals, and credible indicators to measure impact, such as publication metrics and reach within the legal community. Funding covers up to 80% of eligible costs, rising to 90% for defined priority cases. Personnel, travel (mainly via unit costs), dissemination, and other implementation costs are eligible; VAT is not. Applications are submitted via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal using standard templates, including a structured Part B and a mandatory draft outline for studies/periodicals. Proposals are evaluated on relevance to EUAF objectives, technical quality, value for money, and added value for protecting EU financial interests, with strict thresholds. The overall call budget for the 2026 Training, Conferences, Staff Exchanges and Studies tranche is €1,000,000 across all four topics. For organisations engaged in legal research, anti-fraud policy, and judicial practice, this call is a targeted opportunity to produce comparative law insights and sustained publications that directly inform and improve the EU’s collective response to fraud and corruption affecting its budget.

EUAF-2026-TRAI-04: Comparative Law Studies and Periodical Publications

This call for proposals under the Union Anti-Fraud Programme (EUAF) supports high-profile research on protecting the EUs financial interests against fraud, corruption, and irregularities, with a focus on comparative law studies and dissemination through periodical publications. It aims to produce original articles for academic and scientific journals and raise awareness among stakeholders including the judiciary and legal professionals.

Programme and Objectives

The call falls under the EUAF-2026-TRAI programme: Training, Conferences, Staff Exchanges and Studies. The general objective is to protect EU financial interests by preventing and combating fraud, corruption, and illegal activities. Specific expected outcomes include conducting high-profile research (including comparative law), publishing high-quality articles, and increasing stakeholder awareness.

Scope and Activities

Projects must conduct relevant research on topics related to EU financial interests protection, including comparative law. Dissemination occurs through periodical publications. Indicative priority areas cover digitalisation of anti-fraud processes, cooperation between EU institutions like OLAF and EPPO, OLAFs investigative framework, fraud prevention in revenue and expenditure, protection against counterfeits and illicit trade, border protection, environmental fraud, and emerging challenges like RRF fraud.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligible Participants

• National or regional public authorities or international organisations that support EUAF objectives, particularly protecting EU financial interests.
• Research and educational institutes and non-profit entities established and operating for at least one year, contributing to EUAF objectives.
• Legal entities from EU Member States (including OCTs), EEA countries, or countries associated to EUAF or in negotiations for association (if agreement enters force before grant signature).

Consortium and Activities

• Single applicants only (mono-beneficiary grants; affiliated entities allowed if needed).
• Eligible activities: research studies and periodical publications as described in scope.
• Projects must occur in eligible countries unless otherwise agreed (e.g., for essential activities).
• Duration: 12-24 months (extensions possible with justification).

Financial Information

Budget:€1,000,000 allocated to this topic EUAF-2026-TRAI-04 within the €1,000,000 total for EUAF-2026-TRAI call. Overall EUAF 2026 calls budget: €11,800,000.

Project Budget:Minimum €40,000 (except staff exchanges). Maximum grant amount analysed per applicant to ensure balanced distribution.

Funding Rate:80% of eligible costs. Higher rate of 90% possible for priority actions by scientific/research organisations promoting European criminal law studies/networks or reflecting specific fraud reports.

Evaluation and Award

• Single-stage submission.
• Award criteria: Conformity with EUAF objectives (30 pts, min 18), Quality (20 pts, min 12), Value for money (20 pts, min 12), Added value for EU financial interests protection (30 pts, min 18). Overall threshold: 60/100 pts.
• Priority for uncovered themes, then by scores on Added value, Conformity, Quality.

Timeline

Application Requirements

• Electronic submission via Funding & Tenders Portal.
• Part A: Administrative data (online).
• Part B: Technical description (max 70 pages).
• Mandatory annexes: Detailed budget table (EUAF TRAI), Draft agenda/outline for studies/publications, List of previous projects (last 3 years).
• Project acronym: Year-Country-Acronym (e.g., 2026-BE-REI).

Key Documents and Support

• Call document: Available on portal.
• Model Grant Agreement: EUAF Action Grant Budget-Based (EUAF-AG).
• Contact: OLAF-ANTI-FRAUD-TRAINING@ec.europa.eu.
• Portal resources: Online Manual, FAQs, IT Helpdesk.

Applicants must ensure financial/operational capacity, no exclusion grounds, and compliance with EU policies. Detailed conditions in call document sections 5-10. Apply via EU Funding & Tenders Portal.

Footnotes

1. 1Source: Official EU Funding & Tenders Portal topic page and call fiche EUAF-2026-TRAI (V1.0, 12.03.2026). Budget from portal budget overview.