e-Cohesion – new initiative within
IT systems of Member States
in 2014-2020
Eighth Meeting of the Expert Group on Delegated and Implementing
Acts for the European Structural and Investment Funds
10/06/2013
Christophe de Lassus – European Commission
DG Regional & Urban Policy
IT Head of Unit
Regional
Policy
Cohesion Policy – a vehicle of Europe
2020 targets
•Malmö Ministerial Declaration on
eGovernment
Inclusive
Growth
•Granada Ministerial Declaration
Europe
2020
on the European Digital Agenda
•By 2015 50%
of citizens
should use
eGovernment
Sustainable
Growth
Regional
Policy
•By 2015 80%
of businesses
should use
eGovernment
COM's proposal
MAIN ARTICLE ON E-COHESION
PART THREE: GENERAL PROVISIONS APPLICABLE TO ERDF,
ESF AND CF
Management and control systems
Article 112 Responsibilities of Member States
(…)
3. Member States shall ensure that no later than 31 December [2014]
all exchanges of information between beneficiaries and managing
authorities, certifying authorities, audit authorities and intermediate
bodies can be carried out [solely] by means of electronic data
exchange systems.
The systems shall facilitate interoperability with national and Union
frameworks and allow for the beneficiaries to submit all information
referred to in the first sub-paragraph only once.
The Commission shall adopt, by means of implementing acts,
detailed rules concerning the exchanges of information (…)
Regional
Policy
Electronic exchange of information in 2014-2020
period
including e-Cohesion
SFC2014
European
Commission
database
Art. 63(4)
All official
exchanges of
information
between the
Member State and
the Commission
Beneficiaries
Businesses
Non-profit
organisations
Public and
semi-public
bodies
Other
Art. 112(3)
Electronic
exchange
of information
with
beneficiaries
- project level
Beneficiary
portal
Member State's
system for
reporting,
monitoring,
accounting (…)
- programme level
managing authority
/ intermediate body
certifying authority
Art. 62 (d) & 114(2)(d)
Computerized system for
accounting, monitoring
and reporting (…)
- programme level +
operation relevant
information
audit authority
Article 112(3)- minimum requirements
• Electronic exchange – optional or obligatory for
beneficiaries (post-award processes);
• Any information requirements applicable to the
beneficiary - including reporting on progress, declaration of
expenditure
&
exchange
of
information
related
to management, verifications & audits;
• 'Only once' encoding + interoperability – in the framework
of the same operation for all authorities implementing the
same programme (regardless its nature);
• Electronic audit trail + 1st level control - in compliance with
Art. 112, 132 + national requirements on the availability
of documents.
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Policy
Electronic data exchange system
Technical characteristics:
- data integrity & confidentiality;
- authentication of the sender within the meaning of Directive
1999/93/EC;
- storage in compliance with defined retention rules (Art. 132
of the CPR);
- secure transfer of data;
- availability during & outside standard office hours (exception:
technical maintenance);
- accessibility either directly or via an interface;
- protection of privacy of personal data for individuals &
commercial confidentiality for legal entities (Directives
2002/58/EC & 95/46/EC);
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Policy
Electronic data exchange system
Characteristics reducing administrative burden:
- interactive and/or pre- filled forms by the system on the
basis of the data which is stored at consecutive steps of the
procedures,
- automatic calculations preventing mistakes and speeding up
the work,
- automatic embedded controls which reduce as much as
possible back-and forth exchange of documents,
- system generated alerts to warn the beneficiary that certain
actions can be performed,
- on-line status tracking: beneficiary can follow up the current
state of the project, which results in more transparency,
- availability of all the history of the file.
Regional
Policy
More on e-Cohesion
• Report «IT Implications Assessment of
e-Cohesion Policy at EU/Member State
level»
http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/secretariat_general/admin_burden/docs/presentation_regio_en.pdf
• EC support to MS/regions/programmes:
− 'building blocks' on a business perspective
https://www.yammer.com/regionetwork/groups/e-cohesionpolicy/uploaded_files
50 Q&A for ETC in cooperation with INTERACT
http://www.interact-eu.net/downloads/5081/INTERACT_Publication___50_Questions_&_Answers_on_eCohesion_in_European_Territorial_Cooperation_Programmes___July_2012.pdf
Regional
Policy
Christophe de Lassus
Head of IT Unit, DG REGIO:
christophe.de-lassus@ec.europa.eu
e-Cohesion@ec.europa.eu
e-Cohesion on Yammer:
https://www.yammer.com/regionetwork/#/thre
ads/inGroup?type=in_group&feedId=1534553
Regional
Policy
Annex
Regional
Policy
Electronic data exchange
• Definition:
- refers to a medium of exchange of documents (Art. 2(16) of the
proposed CPR),
- structured + unstructured data,
- relationship between MAs/IBs/CAs/AAs & beneficiaries (Art. 2 of
the CPR ).
• Requirements:
- regardless the nature of OP,
- terms and conditions defined in the contract with the beneficiary
(Article 114(3)),
- free of charge for beneficiaries,
- without prejudice of any paper documents stored by the
beneficiary (CPR Art. 132),
- requirements of the CPR & the Fund specific rules taken into account
+ Article 46 (2) (g).
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Policy
Possible variants and evolution
• Optional or compulsory use by beneficiaries:
-
If optional: beneficiaries choose it in the contract,
MS could impose it at their own initiative & after cost/benefit analysis
(no detrimental effect on beneficiaries' access to the Funds!).
• Obligatory use by applicants - recommendations:
-
docs & data exchanged at applicant stage reused at beneficiary stage,
e-signature reused.
• Evolution:
-
MS shouldn't be prevented from improving e-Cohesion service for the
beneficiary or introducing variant/s above.
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Policy
e-signature
• E-Cohesion minimum requirement:
at least the basic electronic
signature – authentication procedure – should be put into effect for the
population of beneficiaries (within the meaning of Directive 1999/93/EC)
• Features to examine:
- for a closed-user group -> basic e-signature,
- which form of e-signature to choose?
- eID or certificates, token, login & password…
- security requirements,
- +legal effectiveness & admissibility.
13
Regional
Policy
‘only once’ encoding principle
• Definition:
referred to in the Small Business Act in Europe
• Minimum requirement:
The principle should be applied, at a minimum, in the framework of the
same operation for all authorities implementing the same programme
(regardless of whether this is an 'Investment for growth and jobs' or
'European Territorial Cooperation' programme)
• Features to examine:
•
- beneficiary NOT repeatedly providing the same info,
•
- information/data/document recorded in the storage features and reused,
•
- effective use of public databases,
•
- together with interoperability.
14
Regional
Policy
All exchanges of information
• Definition:
- any information requirements applicable to the beneficiary
via electronic exchange;
- including reporting on progress, declaration of expenditure &
exchange of information related to management, verifications &
audits.
• Minimum requirements:
- Administrative verification concerning each application for
reimbursement by beneficiaries (according to Article 114) need
to rely on information & documents available through the
computer system. Only exceptionally, following a risk
analysis, beneficiary asked to send paper documents.
Regional
Policy
All exchanges of information
• Minimum requirements:
- The electronic audit trail in compliance with Art. 112 & 132 of the CPR
+ with national requirements on the availability of document,
- Only in exceptional cases, following a risk analysis, the beneficiary asked
to send paper documents for a desk review,
- Paper docs in the beneficiary premises for the on-the-spot audit
• Features to examine:
-
documents in e-versions for audit purposes – already in 2007-2013,
1st and 2nd level control procedures in 2014-2020 to maximise the reduction of
administrative burden for beneficiaries.
• In practice:
-
e-storage capabilities instead of paper archiving,
1st level controllers rely primarily on the IT system,
AA uses the IT system to prepare audits of operations/system audits,
CA relies on the IT system.
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Policy
16
Interoperability
• Definition refers to:
-
National Interoperability Frameworks,
European Interoperability Framework (EIF) & the European Interoperability
Strategy (EIS) under ISA Programme.
• Minimum requirement:
-
MS free to establish its own interoperability approach,
In practice in the framework of the same operation for all authorities
implementing the same programme (regardless its nature).
• Features to examine:
- more interoperable systems of cohesion policy bodies,
- work together at organisational, semantic and technical levels.
• Guidance:
- to extend to external databases (e.g. state treasury, business, tax register,
SFC2014, state aid register, environmental impact assessment bodies, e17
procurement);
Regional
- also for applicants?
Policy
Written comments can be sent until 14 June to:
REGIO-DELEGATED-AND-IMPLEMENTINGACTS@ec.europa.eu
Regional
Policy