Transcript TI_Romania_Cohesion_presentati

EUROPEAN COHESION POLICY
AT A GLANCE
Introduction to the EU Structural Funds
Sergej Muravjov
Ctibor Kostal
www.transparency.lt
www.governance.sk
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
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
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).
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 billion
“Phasing-out” regions: €14 billion
The Cohesion Fund (15 old EU states): €69.5 billion
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
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.
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 transEuropean transport
networks
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 Euros
Transnational co-operation – 1.83 billion Euros
Inter-regional co-operation – 445 million Euros
Objectives, structural funds & instruments
EU Cohesion policy: funds available
Source: European Commission
EU Cohesion policy: allocation by programs
EU Cohesion policy: allocation by states
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
Key actors in SF
• EC
– DG Regio
• Member States
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Managing authority
Intermediate bodies
Certifying authority
Audit authority
Social partners, local and regional governments
Other partners – NGOs
Final beneficiaries
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
Legislative background
• Period 2007 to 2013
– Three main regulations:
• Regulation (EC) No 1083/2006 of 11 July 2006 laying down
general 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
Regulation – general provisions on
ERDF, ESF and CF
• Reg. has 73 recitals (!)
• Sets basic principles and rules for SF in 2007-13
such as:
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partnership
objectives for contributions
eligibility criteria
management
monitoring
evaluation
programming
financial resources available
criteria for financial allocations
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.
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Regulation on the ESF
Defines:
• Tasks of the ESF
– Improving employment and job opportunities
• The scope of assistance
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Increasing adaptability of workers, enterprises
Enhancing access to employment
Modernizations of labor market institutions
Social inclusion
Enhancing human capital
• Rules on eligibility