The new objective of European Territorial Cooperation

1
The new objective of European Territorial
Cooperation

• Harry Ekestam
• Iq-Train workshop
• Bozen/Bolzano, 24-25 February 2005

2
From 2000-2006 to 2007-2013New status

• 2000-2006
• Community Initiative Interreg III (one of four
  CIs)
• both internal and
• external cooperation

• 2007-2013
• Objective 3 European Territorial Cooperation
  (one of three objectives)
• only internal cooperation external in a separate
  system (ENPI, IPA)

3
and more funding

• 2000-2006
• 2,5 of Structural Funds
• ca 5,8 billion

• 2007-2013
• 3,9 of Structural Funds
• ca 14,3 billion according to COMs (latest)
  proposal, but may be less in the end

4
Legal basis

• General Structural Funds regulation (objectives,
  geographical eligibility, resources, programme
  areas )
• ERDF regulation (scope of assistance, content of
  programmes, management, monitoring, control,
  selection of operations, lead partner )
• Regulations are still under negotiation, changes
  possible

5
The European territorial cooperation objective
shall be aimed at

• strengthening cross-border cooperation through
  joint local initiatives,
• at transnational level by means of actions
  conducive to integrated territorial development
  linked to the Community priorities, and
• through networking and exchange of experience at
  the appropriate territorial level

6
Types of cooperation and their (proposed)
financial shares

• Cross-border cooperation programmes
• 47,7 or 6,8 bn (now 69 / 4 bn ) of which
• CBC internal 35,6 or 5,1 bn
• CBC external 12,1 or 1,7 bn , which will be
  transferred to ENPI and IPA
• Transnational cooperation programmes
• 47,7 or 6,8 bn (now 24 / 1,4 bn )
• Interregional cooperation and network programmes
• 4,5 or 0,65 bn (now 6 / 0,37 bn )

7
Allocation of funds between MS

• Cross-border cooperation (internal)
• eligible population
• Transnational cooperation
• eligible population
• Programmes for networks and exchange of
  experience
• no allocation between MS
• Flexibility clause
• financial allocation by MS may be subject to
  flexibility of 10 between the cross-border
  component and the transnational component

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Cross-border cooperation (1)

• Eligible areas
• all NUTS III regions on internal (and certain
  external) landborders
• maritime NUTS III regions separated by up to 150
  km
• Programmes
• for each border or group of borders, by an
  appropriate grouping of eligible areas
  (subprogrammes possible)
• up to 20 of programme funding may be used in
  adjacent NUTS III regions
• up to 10 of programme funding may be used
  outside the EU if for the benefit of EU regions

9
Cross-border cooperation (2)

• Topics for cross-border cooperation
• Entrepreneurship and SMEs, tourism, culture and
  cross-border trade
• Protection and joint management of the
  environment
• Better access to transport
• Information and communication networks
• Water, waste management and energy management
  systems
• Health, culture and education infrastructures
• The list is non-exhaustive

10
Cross-border cooperation (3)

• Basic requirements for projects
• Partners from at least two countries
• Fulfill at least 2 of the following 4 cooperation
  criteria
• joint project development
• joint implementation
• joint project staff
• joint financing

11
Transnational cooperation (1)

• Eligible areas / programme areas
• Commission will adopt eligible transnational
  areas (a list will be annexed to the
  Community Strategic Guidelines)
• overlapping areas possible, but should be limited
• bilateral maritime cooperation is foreseen for
  borders separated by more than 150 km
• up to 20 of programme funding may be used
  outside the programme area
• up to 10 of programme funding may be used
  outside the EU if for the benefit of EU regions

12
Transnational cooperation (2)

• Topics for transnational cooperation (linked to
  Lisbon and Gothenburg priorities)
• Water and coastal management
• Improving accessibility advanced communication
  and information technologies
• Risk prevention maritime safety, flooding, water
  pollution
• Creation of scientific and technological networks
• Possible widening of scope
• Types of projects/actions
• Strategic projects and actions
• Bilateral maritime cooperation
• Soft cooperation projects/actions

13
Transnational cooperation (3)

• Basic requirements for projects
• Partners from at least two countries
• Fulfill at least 2 of the following 4 cooperation
  criteria
• joint project development
• joint implementation
• join project staff
• joint financing
• However, operations may be be implemented in a
  single MS provided that they have been presented
  by entities belonging to at least two MSs

14
Interregional cooperation and network programmes
(1)

• Eligible area
• Whole EU territory
• Topics
• Themes linked to Lisbon and Gothenburg priorities
• Technological innovation, RD in regional
  development, entrepreneurship
• Innovation in regional services
• Environment, energy efficiency and biodiversity
• Risk prevention
• Others
• Urban development and regeneration
• Studies, data collection, transfer of best
  practices in implementation of cooperation
  programmes, observation and analysis of
  development trends

15
Interregional cooperation and network programmes
(2)

• Possible programmes
• Thematic interregional cooperation programme
  focusing on Lisbon and Gothenburg priorities
• Framework programme for the exchange of
  experiences on urban issues (based on URBACT)
• Information and dissemination of best practise in
  management of cooperation programmes (based on
  INTERACT)
• Studies and data collection (based on ESPON)

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Interregional cooperation and network programmes
(3)

• Requirements for projects
• At least 3 partners from at least 3 regions in at
  least 2 countries
• Fulfill (all) the following cooperation criteria
• joint project development
• joint implementation
• joint project staff
• joint financing

17
Interregional cooperation in Objective 1 and 2
programmes (mainstreaming)

• Inclusion of a specific priority for
  interregional cooperation in Objective 1 and 2
  programmes (optional)
• Will allow cooperation between objective 1 and 2
  regions and between regions of the same objective
  (mostly bilateral)
• Can cover all topics of the programme
• Each project partner funds own activities from
  respective programme
• Top up of 10 for the maximum co-financing rates
  applicable

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Co-financing, TA and eligible expenditure

• ERDF co-financing rate
• max 75 of public expenditure in all areas (now
  max 75 in Objective 1 areas and max 50
  elsewhere)
• Technical assistance
• max 6 of the total amount allocated to the
  programme
• for preparatory, management, monitoring,
  evaluation, information and control activities
• Eligible expenditure
• joint eligibility rules for all Obj. 3 programmes
  to be proposed by the COM in an implementing
  regulation

19
Programming

• Programmes will be drawn up on priority level, no
  programme complement
• Content of programmes
• analysis of cooperation area, definition of
  strategy
• justification of priorities in the light of
  Community strategic guidelines
• information on priorities indicators/goals
• single financial plan with no breakdown by MS
• implementing provisions
• indicative list of major projects

20
Programme management bodies (1)

• Managing Authority (MA)
• normal responsibilities (except checking
  regularity of operations and expenditure done
  by approved controllers)
• Certification authority
• receives payments from COM and pays the Lead
  Partner
• Audit authority
• assisted by group of auditors from the involved
  Member States (i.a. in systems audit and sample
  check of expenditure)

21
Programme management bodies (2)

• Joint Technical Secretariat (JTS)
• located close to the MA
• Monitoring Committee
• normally also responsible for project selection

22
Financial management

• Lead partner
• concludes agreement with MA
• concludes agreement with project partners
• is responsible for implementing the whole project
• ensures that expenditure corresponds to
  activities agreed
• checks that expenditure presented by project
  partners has been validated by the agreed
  controllers
• receives the ERDF grant and transfers funds to
  project partners
• in case of irregularities, recovers funds from
  project partner in accordance with partnership
  agreement

23
Financial management and control

• Approved controllers validate legality and
  regularity of expenditure declared by each
  beneficiary
• Certification authority recovers from the lead
  partner any amount unduly paid
• Lead partner recovers funds from project partner
• Member State has the ultimate responsibility for
  reimbursing funds from project partner on their
  territory

24
EGCC a new option for managing programmes

• According to the ERDF regulation, Member States
  may make use of the proposed new European
  Grouping of Cross-border Cooperation and confer
  to it the responsibilities of the managing
  authority and joint technical secretariat
• More about this in my second presentation!