Article 9U.K.Implementation of programmes
1.Member States may be assisted by partners for the implementation of the national programme. The partners shall be organisations expressively identified in the national programme to assist the Member States to implement the whole or a significant part of the national programme. The partners shall be directly involved in the technical implementation of one or more tasks of the national programme and shall be subject to the same obligations as the Member States in relation to the implementation of the national programmes.
2.The partners shall not act, in the context of the programme, as subcontractors to the Member State or other partners.
3.For a fixed duration, specific tasks of the national programme may be carried out by subcontractors, who shall not be considered as partners. Subcontractors shall be natural or legal persons providing services to the Member States and/or partners. Any recourse to subcontracting while the action is under way, if not provided for in the initial programme proposal, shall be subject to prior written authorisation by the Commission.