Major projects approval
process in 2014 -2020
Brendan Smyth
DG REGIO
Regional
Policy
Major Projects: future Regulation
 Common Provisions Regulation for 2014-2020: close
to formal approval and publication before end-year
 'Major projects', with specific conditions for approval,
remain within the Regulation (see Articles 90-92) but
with some changes:
 Cost threshold for a major project contributing to
Thematic Objective 7 (transport and 'key network
infrastructures') changes from €50 million to €75
million
 Definition of major project changes from 'total cost'
to 'total eligible cost'
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Major Projects: approval procedure
 Options for the approval of major projects:
 Projects may be assessed by independent
experts funded from technical assistance of the
Commission
 Projects may be assessed by other experts
approved by the Commission
 Projects may be assessed by the Commisssion
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Decision on major project
 "Where the information referred to in Article 91 has been
appraised positively by a quality review by
independent experts, the Member State may proceed
with the selection of the major project. The Managing
Authority shall notify the Commission of the selected
major project"
 "The financial contribution to the major project shall be
deemed to be approved by the Commission in the
absence of a decision…refusing the financial contribution
within three months of the date of notification. The
Commission shall refuse ....only on the grounds that
it has established a significant weakness in the
independent quality review"
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Independent Quality Review bodies:
minimum criteria will be proposed
 Significant technical experience of all stages of the
project cycle
 Significant international experience to ensure
adequate benchmarking
 Knowledge of EU law, policies and procedures
 A governance structure that is independent of
government or national authorities in terms of
ownership, control, funding or staffing
 No possible conflict of interest at the level of project,
sector or client
 No commercial interest in the outcome of a proposal
for funding
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JASPERS as Independent Expert
 JASPERS: Joint technical assistance facility since 2006
 Commission considers that JASPERS meets the minimum
criteria for an independent review body and has proposed
that JASPERS can be made available as an independent
quality review body to all Member States with major projects
 Any other independent review body proposed would have to
meet the criteria for independence and quality and be
acceptable to the Commission
 Any Member State which does not wish to use independent
experts can submit applications to the Commission
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Independent Quality Review body
 The report of the Independent Quality Review body
(whether JASPERS or otherwise) will be prepared in
good faith, drawing on its knowledge and expertise,
but Member States are obliged, as they are now, to
ensure compliance with EU law
 Time is required to set up new appraisal structures so
Member States concerned have been requested to
indicate :
 If they will use independent experts, as described in
the draft Regulation
 If they will make use of JASPERS as independent
expert
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