Costs for project activities are eligible from the date of the monitoring committee’s approval of the project until the end date of the project.

The end date of the project marks the end of the eligibility period for expenditure, and it is the date by which the last progress report must be submitted to the joint secretariat.

According to Article 82 of the Common Provision Regulation (EU) 2021/1060, each partner institution is required to archive documents related to their project activities for a minimum period.

All supporting documents must be kept for at least a 5-year retention period from 31 December of the year in which the last payment by the managing authority to the project is made.

Longer retention periods may apply in cases where state aid is involved or in accordance with national rules. 

The project end date marks the end of the eligibility of the expenditure.

This means that by this date:

• all project activities must be completed (incl. all procedures related to the administrative closure of the project, such as financial control)
• all payments must have been made, meaning debited from the bank account
• the last progress report is submitted to the joint secretariat.

Any expenditure incurred, invoiced, or paid after the project end date indicated in the latest approved application form will be ineligible.

Therefore, in order to be eligible, costs for the verification of expenditure of the final progress report have to be paid out before the end date of the project, provided the check itself is be concluded before the end date.