COVID-19 outbreak

Please find below the latest information regarding the impact of the COVID-19 on EU projects at CERN:


Personnel costs : telework is accepted, thus the personnel costs during the current period will be eligible.

Please do not forget to fill in the timesheets according to the work performed under your project(s). Please also add the cancelled travels if any in the box comments.

This will enable us to make the links with the potential costs incurred. They must indeed be identified, and evidence of the “non-reimbursement possibilities” must be provided at the end of the next reporting period of each project.


Other direct costs : The Force Majeure clause can apply for the Travels, flight tickets or events cancelled, as a consequence related costs may be eligible.

In order to use the Force Majeure clause, the coordinator must

  1. Formally notify the project officer a.s.a.p. about the Force Majeure situation- the nature, likely duration and foreseeable effects (e.g. provide links to official documents, instructions from the respective authorities in the region/country concerned)
  2. Justify that it should not be possible at all to perform that task (e.g. running a meeting or event), not that you chose not to perform it considering the circumstances.

Then for the costs already incurred:

  1. Beneficiaries must immediately take all the necessary steps to limit any damage due to force majeure (e.g. try to cancel the flight ticket, claim the reimbursement from the cancellation insurance (if applicable)).

For example, if a meeting/event cannot take place due to force majeure, travel and accommodation costs may still be charged to the H2020 action if they fulfil the cost eligibility conditions, even if the beneficiary did not travel and did not take part in the meeting/event

  1. If not possible to be reimbursed by the ticketing company or travel insurance, then the costs may be claimed to the project. Evidence must be provided that the beneficiary first tried to be reimbursed but they were refused by the ticketing or insurance company. Evidence will be asked at the next reporting in order to accept the costs as eligible. Evidence can be e-mails or other written communication. 

-> PLEASE ATTACH THE EVIDENCE OF THE NON-REIMBURSMENT POSSIBILITIES TO THE EDH CLAIM OR TO THE TRAVEL REQUEST.

 

Same for any deposit made e.g. for room or catering for organizing a meeting- first, beneficiaries must try to be reimbursed.

  1. If a task could not be executed due to a situation of force majeure but certain costs were incurred for that task and could not have been avoided, those costs may still be eligible. This is different from FP7, where only costs for tasks that had actually been executed up to the date of the force majeure were eligible

Do not hesitate to contact your financial project contact here for more information.

The EC FAQ regarding the COVID-19 outbreak is available here

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Updated on: 06/04/2020