www'governance'sk

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EUROPEAN COHESION POLICY AT A GLANCE
Introduction to the EU Structural Funds
Sergej Muravjov
Ctibor Kostal
www.governance.sk
www.transparency.lt
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EU Cohesion policy background
1957 Treaty of Rome
1958 Setting up of the European Social Fund
(ESF)
1962 Creation of the Agricultural Guidance and
Guarantee Fund (EAGGF)
1975 Creation of the European Regional
Development Fund (ERDF)
1986 The Single European Act lays the ground
for EU cohesion policy
1988 Overhaul of the operation of then
Solidarity Funds (SF now)
1992 Treaty of European Union establishes
cohesion as one of its objectives
1993 The Council creates a new financial
instrument for Fisheries
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EU Cohesion policy at a glance
The Cohesion Policy programme for
2007-2013 347 billion or 35.7 EU budget
Three financial instruments European Regional
Development Fund European Social Fund Cohesion
Fund
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EU Cohesion policy at a glance
The Cohesion Policy has three objectives
Convergence objective for regions with a GDP
below 75 of the Community average (81,5 of the
Cohesion policy funds)
Regional competitiveness and employment objective
for all other regions (16 of the Cohesion
policy funds)
European territorial cooperation objective for
cross-border, transnational and interregional
co-operation (2,5 of the Cohesion policy funds).
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Convergence objective
The goal to promote growth-enhancing conditions
and factors leading to real convergence for the
least-developed Member States and regions.
17 new member states and their 84 regions, 154
million people - with per capita GDP at less than
75 community average
Phasing-out regions 16 regions, 16.4 million
people with per capita GDP only slightly above
the threshold
The Splits 282.8 billion
Convergence regions 199.3 billionPhasing-out
regions 14 billionThe Cohesion Fund (15 old
EU states) 69.5 billion
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Regional Competitiveness and Employment objective
The goal to strengthen the competitiveness and
attractiveness, as well as employment, through
anticipation and promotion of economic change and
adapting the workforce and investing in human
resources.
The Splits 55 billion Euros
19 member states
168 regions 43.6 billion Euros, 314 million
people
13 phasing-out regions 11.4 billion Euros, 13
regions, 19 million people
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166 the financial assistance to new EU member
states is 166 higher than in the previous
programming period 30 the old EU15 states
will receive 30 less aid.
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The Cohesion Fund
Member States with a Gross National Income less
than 90 of the Community average receive a
total of 69.5 billion for investment
programmes in the fields of environment and
trans-European transport networks
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European Territorial Co-operation objective
The goal to strengthen cross-border co-operation
through joint local and regional initiatives,
trans-national co-operation aimed at integrated
territorial development and interregional
co-operation and exchange of experience.
The Splits 8.7 billion Euros
181.7 million people / 13 transnational
co-operation areas
Cross-border co-operation 6.44 billion
EurosTransnational co-operation 1.83 billion
EurosInter-regional co-operation 445 million
Euros
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Objectives, structural funds instruments
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EU Cohesion policy funds available
Source European Commission
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EU Cohesion policy allocation by programs
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EU Cohesion policy allocation by states
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Important Stages

• Setting up rules regulations
• Regulations introduced by the EC
• Council WG Member States
• Programming
• Important stage for the partners (NGOs, local
  authorities etc.)
• Sets up national rules, priorities, management
  authorities etc.
• NSRF and OPs
• Implementation
• Calls
• Different types of projects
• Evaluations
• Monitoring

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Key actors in SF

• EC
• DG Regio
• Member States
• Managing authority
• Intermediate bodies
• Certifying authority
• Audit authority
• Social partners, local and regional governments
• Other partners NGOs
• Final beneficiaries

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Role of NGOs

• NGOs should participate in the following stages
• Programming
• Active role in designing national priorities and
  management system
• Implementation
• As final beneficiaries
• As members of selection committees
• Evaluation
• Taking part in required evaluations
• Independent evaluations
• Monitoring
• As member of Monitoring Committee
• Independent monitoring - watchdog

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Legislative background

• Period 2007 to 2013
• Three main regulations
• Regulation (EC) No 1083/2006 of 11 July 2006
  laying downgeneral provisions on the European
  Regional Development Fund, the European Social
  Fund and the Cohesion Fund
• Regulation (EC) No 1080/2006 of the European
  Parliament and of the Council of 5 July 2006 on
  the European Regional Development Fund
• Regulation (EC) No 1081/2006 of the European
  Parliament and of the Council of 5 July 2006 on
  the European Social Fund
• Proposed by the EC
• Council working group Structural Actions

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Regulation general provisions on ERDF, ESF and
CF

• Reg. has 73 recitals (!)
• Sets basic principles and rules for SF in 2007-13
  such as
• partnership
• objectives for contributions
• eligibility criteria
• management
• monitoring
• evaluation
• programming
• financial resources available
• criteria for financial allocations

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Regulation general provisions on ERDF, ESF and
CF

• Partnership principle Art.11
• Each Member State shall organize, where
  appropriate and in accordance with current
  national rules and practices, a partnership with
  authorities and bodies such as
• (a) the competent regional, local, urban and
  other public authorities
• (b) the economic and social partners
• (c) any other appropriate body representing civil
  society, environmental partners, non-governmental
  organizations, and bodies responsible for
  promoting equality between men and women.
• Each Member State shall designate the most
  representative partners
• at national, regional and local level and in the
  economic,
• social, environmental or other spheres
  (hereinafter referred to
• as partners), in accordance with national rules
  and practices...
• The partnership shall cover the preparation,
  implementation,
• monitoring and evaluation of operational
  programmes.

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Regulation general provisions on ERDF, ESF and
CF

• Objectives
• Reducing economic, social and other disparities
• Objectives 1, 2, 3
• Eligibility
• For each objective geographical eligibility
• Obj.1 GDP per capita is less than 75 of the EU
  average
• Obj.2 other

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Regulation general provisions on ERDF, ESF and
CF

• Principles of assistance 4C
• Complementarity - SF provide assistance which
  complements national actions
• Consistency - assistance from the SF is
  consistent with the activities, policies and
  priorities of the EU
• Coordination EC and MS ensure the coordination
  between the assistance from the Funds, the EAFRD,
  the EFF and the interventions of the EIB and of
  other existing financial instruments
• Compliance operations financed by SF comply
  with the provisions of the Treaty and of acts
  adopted under it

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Regulation general provisions on ERDF, ESF and
CF

• Management of SF
• Set up by MS designation of authorities
• Managing authority
• Management and implementation of Ops
• Any public or private body designed by the MS
• Intermediate bodies
• Certifying authority
• Draws up and submits certified statements of
  expenditures and applications for payments
• Audit authority
• Carries out audits verifying the effective
  functioning of the management and control system
  of OPs

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Regulation general provisions on ERDF, ESF and
CF

• Monitoring
• Monitoring Committee
• Considers and approves criteria for selection of
  support
• Reviews progress
• Examines the results of implementation
• Approves annual and final reports

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Regulation general provisions on ERDF, ESF and
CF

• Evaluation
• Aiming to improve the quality, effectiveness and
  consistency of SF
• EC can carry out strategic evaluations
• Ex-ante evaluation
• To improve programing and financial allocations
• Mid-term evaluation
• Ex-post evaluation
• Effectiveness and efficiency socio-economic
  impact
• Carried out under the responsibility of the
  Member State or the Commission by experts or
  bodies, internal or external, functionally
  independent of the authorities
• Results are accessible to the public

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Regulation general provisions on ERDF, ESF and
CF

• Programming
• NSRF main framework for MS
• OPs priorities and activities
• Both prepared by MS with inclusion of partners
  (NGOs)
• Working groups on governmental level
• Importance of one voice

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Regulation general provisions on ERDF, ESF and
CF

• Financial management
• Sets rules for payments between MS and EC
• Certifying authority
• Responsible for statements of expenditure and
  applications for payments

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Regulation on the ERDF

• Defines
• Tasks of the ERDF
• Redressing regional imbalances
• The scope of assistance
• Productive investments sustainable jobs
• Investments in infrastructure
• Services
• Examples of investments research, innovations,
  IT, environment, tourism, culture, transport,
  energy, education, social infrastructure
• Rules on eligibility
• System of management and control

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Regulation on the ESF

• Defines
• Tasks of the ESF
• Improving employment and job opportunities
• The scope of assistance
• Increasing adaptability of workers, enterprises
• Enhancing access to employment
• Modernizations of labor market institutions
• Social inclusion
• Enhancing human capital
• Rules on eligibility