Ad hoc expert group meeting on draft
templates and guidance for the
Partnership Agreement and
operational programmes under
cohesion policy
14.01.2012
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Documents (1)
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The draft templates and guidance have been circulated ahead
of the meeting
Two elements: 1) template (structure), 2) guidance on the
presentation of the content
The aim of these documents is to:
• ensure that there is a common understanding between the
COM and the Member State on the expectations towards
the content of the programming documents consistent
approach
• facilitate informal dialogue between the COM and the
Member States
These documents are provisional and are presented without
prejudice to the on-going negotiations - "nothing is agreed
until everything is agreed"
Other guidance is under preparation e.g. on the intervention
logic, ex-ante conditionalities, the performance framework, ex-2
ante evaluation etc.
Documents (2)
• The headings of the templates translate legal requirements
on the content for the PA and the OP (Articles 14, 24 and
87 of the CPR) into a standard structure
• The boxes provide guidance on the content of each of the
sections
• These documents do not constitute draft implementing acts
• The implementing act for the model of the OP will be a
technical document setting out:
• data input fields for the SFC2014;
• the form of data in each field;
• character limits for each field.
• The content of "guidance boxes" is nevertheless relevant as
it helps to determine appropriate character limits to be set
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out in the implementing act
Aims of the meeting
• The aim is to receive feedback from Member State experts
on the draft documents to ensure that they are sufficiently
clear, concise and take into account the diversity of
programming and institutional arrangements in Member
States
• The legal framework set out within the CPR has been
agreed - this is not subject to discussion
• Therefore interventions should focus on:
• identifying instances where the guidance elements
proposed may need further clarification
• proposals for better presentation of information incl.
tables for quantitative data
• The guidance will be adjusted following the expert meeting
and made available. COM is open to another expert
meeting, if needed
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Discussion
• One tour de table for the Partnership Agreement
and one for the operational programme on
cohesion policy
• Interventions should focus on the main issues –
other comments and proposals should be sent in
writing until 18 January
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The draft template and
guidance on the Partnership
Agreement
Article 14 of the CPR
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The role of the Partnership
Agreement
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The PA constitutes a joint strategy at national level for the ESI
Funds, which is consistent with the EU 2020 strategy and ensures
that all ESI Funds are used towards jointly agreed objectives and
in a complementary manner – this cannot be achieved at the
level of programmes
It should:
• provide assurance for the Commission and for the
partners/public, that the strategic choices are justified
• promote cooperation and coordination between relevant
authorities and upstream agreements on coordination
arrangements to facilitate implementation later on
• provide for transparency by including commitments not only vis a
vis the Commission but also with respect to the partners and
beneficiaries
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Main blocks
1. Arrangements to ensure alignment with the Union strategy of
smart, sustainable and inclusive growth as well as the Fund
specific missions pursuant to their Treaty-based objectives,
including economic, social and territorial cohesion (Article 14.1 (a)
2. Arrangements to ensure effective implementation (Article 14.1
(b))
3. Description of the integrated approach to territorial development
supported by the ESI Funds or a summary of the integrated
approaches to territorial development based on the content of the
programmes (article 14(2) (a)CPR)
4. Arrangements to ensure efficient implementation (Article 14.2
(b))
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1. Arrangements to ensure
alignment with the Union
strategy of smart, sustainable
and inclusive growth as well as
the Fund specific missions
pursuant to their Treaty-based
objectives, including economic,
social and territorial cohesion
(Article 14.1 (a))
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The main aims of the guidance(1)
To ensure that the analysis of development needs in the
Partnership Agreement:
• is evidence based;
• takes into account the EU 2020 objectives, targets and
relevant country specific Council recommendations;
• demonstrates consistency with the Common Strategic
Framework;
• takes into account sectoral challenges, territorial
imbalances as well as cross-sectoral and cross -border
challenges;
• underpins the selection of the main funding priorities
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and thematic objectives.
The main aims of the guidance(2)
To ensure that the Partnership Agreement demonstrates:
• consistency of the strategic choices made i.e. the
consistency between the development needs, funding
priorities, thematic objectives, main results and the
corresponding financial allocations;
• that the observations of the ex-ante evaluators are duly
considered and taken into account in a transparent manner
in making these strategic choices and commitments;
• implementation arrangements for horizontal principles and
the fulfilment of the partnership principle.
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2. Arrangements to ensure
effective implementation (Article
14.1 (b))
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The main aims of the guidance(1)
To ensure that the Partnership Agreement provides sufficient
detail on:
• coordination mechanisms at national (and regional) level
put in place considering all relevant aspects, including
possible complementarities, and practical possibilities
(including those outlined in the CSF)
• ex-ante conditionalities through information provided in a
standard form and that there is sufficient
information/supporting documentation to allow the
assessment of the consistency of the information provided
• the methodology for setting up of the performance
framework and that assurance can be attained on a
consistent approach across programmes
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The main aims of the guidance(2)
To ensure that:
• the Member State presents a thorough analysis of the need
to develop administrative capacity and the current burden
of beneficiaries
• the Member State commits to concrete actions at national
level to improve capacity or reduce the burden of
beneficiaries , where necessary, to improve the
effectiveness of implementation – not only vis a vis the
Commission, but also with regard to partners and
beneficiaries
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3. Description of the integrated
approach to territorial
development supported by the
ESI Funds (Article 14(2) (a)CPR)
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The main aims of the guidance(1)
To ensure that:
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the strategic choices presented reflect not only sectoral but also
territorial considerations and that territorial needs and imbalances
are considered and addressed in a coordinated manner, using all
ESI Funds, as appropriate;
• it is possible to assess whether the strategic choices made are
consistent with relevant macro-regional strategies i.e. objectives
jointly agreed for the macro-region, and that complementarities
and the "division of tasks" with the ETC goal have been duly
considered and exploited;
• where instruments such as community-led local development and
ITIs are used, which require a high degree of coordination and
upstream cooperation between different authorities (especially
where multiple ESI Funds are used), the Partnership Agreement
sets out implementation arrangements and coordination
structures agreed between relevant authorities.
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The main aims of the guidance(2)
To ensure that the Partnership Agreement sets out:
• a methodical presentation of the situation in the Member
State as regards poverty, and a clear and integrated
approach to addressing poverty (note: EU2020 headline
target), which includes the coordinated use of all relevant
ESI Funds in a complementary manner to address the
needs of areas most affected by poverty or groups in risk of
exclusion;
• the specific needs of areas which suffer from severe and
permanent natural or demographic handicaps, and how
these will be addressed.
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4. Arrangements to ensure
efficient implementation
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The main aims of the guidance
Main element: An assessment of the existing systems for
electronic data exchange, and a summary of the actions
planned to gradually achieve "e-cohesion policy"
Aims of guidance: to ensure that the assessment takes
account of the existing stage of development and that the
Member State takes clear commitments as regards the steps
needed to fulfil the legal requirement to establish systems for
electronic exchange with beneficiaries – not only vis a vis the
Commission but with respect to partners and beneficiaries
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Thank you!
Written comments can be sent until 18 January to:
REGIO-DGA1.01-WORKSHOPS-ANDSEMINARS@ec.europa.eu
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Operational programmes
under cohesion policy
Articles 24 and 87 of the CPR
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Operational programme
• The main role of the operational programme is to set out a
coherent intervention strategy
It should also:
• Entail firm commitments as regards objectives,
performance and funding
• Take into account both sectoral challenges and territorial
imbalances
• Be consistent with the Partnership Agreement and
complement it with a sectoral/regional perspective, but not
repeat it
• Be clear and concise
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The main aims of the guidance
• To facilitate the presentation of a coherent intervention
logic throughout the operational programme by detailing
the structure and content of the information
• To clarify the links between the Partnership Agreement and
the operational programme
• To set out standard formats for data (financial table,
indicators, ex-ante conditionalities etc.) to enable
aggregation and/or simpler follow-up – input for the
Implementing Act
NB: Adaptation needed for ETC and technical assistance OPs
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The strategy, the description of
the priority axes and the
financial plan
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The main aims of the guidance
• The main aim of the guidance is to provide a
structure that facilitates the presentation of a
coherent intervention strategy
• The template provides for the main content
elements - other guidance is under preparation
on the elaboration of the intervention strategy,
the performance framework, the assessment of
the fulfilment of ex-ante conditionalities, the tools
for territorial development etc.
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The integrated approach to
territorial development, poverty
and to regions with permanent
natural and demographic
handicaps
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The main aims of the guidance
To ensure that the OP demonstrates that:
• the integrated approaches outlined in the
Partnership Agreement are supported by
individual operational programmes
• national authorities have agreed clear
arrangements for the implementation of
territorial approaches and the use of territorial
development tools
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Authorities responsible, the role
of partners and coordination
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The main aims of the guidance
• To provide a standard structure for the
information on authorities responsible for
management, control and audit
• To ensure that the national and programme
authorities have set out clear arrangements and
mechanisms for coordination of specific types of
actions undertaken within operations and that
they have analysed and harnessed
complementarities between different instruments
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Ex-ante conditionalities
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The main aims of the guidance
• To explain the link to the corresponding section
of the Partnership Agreement – all ex-ante
conditionalities applicable to the operational
Programmes should be included
• To provide a standard format for the presentation
of the assessment of fulfilment of applicable exante conditionalities and for action plans, where
applicable
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Horizontal principles
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The main aims of the guidance
• To provide more guidance on how these
principles should be integrated into operational
programmes and which analysis should underpin
decisions in this regard
• To ensure that Member States have considered
the possibilities for the integration of horizontal
principles in their operational programmes,
including the possibilities for mainstreaming
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Annexes
• List of major projects – should ensure that the
national and programme authorities have a
realistic forward planning for the largest
operations (the list is subject to the "light"
modification procedure)
• The performance framework for the programme –
an overview table, generated automatically on
the basis on information entered for each priority
axes
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Thank you!
Written comments can be sent until 18 January to:
REGIO-DGA1.01-WORKSHOPS-ANDSEMINARS@ec.europa.eu
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