Elisabeth Schroedter, MEP

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Civil Society Forum 3 Way Catalyst for Checking
Delivery How the new Programmes are
implemented Panel Partnerships Their Role in
Framing Strategies
Elisabeth Schroedter, MEP
Partnership in Regional Development
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Elisabeth Schroedter Partnership in Regional
Development
The principle of partnership in the Structural
Funds
Partnership means that the responsible
administration for the programming process is
obliged to consult the local and regional
authorities, social and economic partners and
bodies representing civil society, environmental
partners, non-governmental organisations and
bodies responsible for promoting equality between
men and women on all stages in the process of
drafting the operational programme, its
implementation and evaluation. The principle is
a cornerstone of the Cohesion Policy.
www.elisabeth-schroedter.de
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Elisabeth Schroedter Partnership in Regional
Development
Goal of the principle of partnership in the
Structural Funds

• Visibility of EU politics on the local level
• Control mechanism to ensure quality and good
  delivery
• Share management and responsibility
• Guarantee sustainability of the intervention
• Strengthen democratic structures
• Strengthen civil society

www.elisabeth-schroedter.de
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Actors within the principle of partnership

• Structural Funds Regulation 1999 - 2006
• REGULATION (EC) No 1260/1999
• Article 8
• Complementarity and partnership
• Community actions (...) shall be drawn up in
  close
• consultation, hereinafter referred to as the
• 'partnership', between the Commission and the
• Member State, together with the authorities and
• bodies designated by the Member State within the
• framework of its national rules and current
• practices, namely
• the regional and local authorities and other
  competent public authorities,
• b) the economic and social partners,
• c) any other relevant competent bodies within
  this framework.

• Structural Funds Regulation 2007 - 2013
• REGULATION (EC) No 1083/2006
• Article 11
• Partnership
• The objectives of the Funds shall be pursued in
  the
• framework of close cooperation, (hereinafter
  referred
• to as partnership), between the Commission and
• each Member State. Each Member State shall
• organise, where appropriate and in accordance
  with
• current national rules and practices, a
  partnership
• with authorities and bodies such as
• 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 organisations, and bodies
  responsible for promoting equality between men
  and women.

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Elisabeth Schroedter Partnership in Regional
Development
Involvement of the partners
Structural Funds Regulation 2007 -
2013REGULATION (EC) No 1083/2006 Article 11
(2) ( ...) The partnership shall cover the
preparation, implementation, monitoring and
evaluation of operational programmes. Member
States shall involve, where appropriate, each of
the relevant partners, and particularly the
regions, in the different stages of programming
within the time limit set for each stage.
www.elisabeth-schroedter.de
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Elisabeth Schroedter Partnership in Regional
Development
The principle of partnership in practice

• Lack of information (delays, rush, unfair
  process)
• Disregard for contributions
• Lack of involvement in the planning process
• Lack of training and capacity building
• Lack of professional structure and financial
  resources
• No refund of direct costs within the process

www.elisabeth-schroedter.de
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Elisabeth Schroedter Partnership in Regional
Development
Consequences of the current gap between words and
reality

• Partners can not act on equal level
• No real partnership
• No shared management

the original goal of controlling quality and good
delivery is not met
www.elisabeth-schroedter.de
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Elisabeth Schroedter Partnership in Regional
Development
Strengthening the principle of partnership -
Instruments of the Commission -

• Demand a full involvement of the partners from
  the member states
• Guidance on good partnership
• Opinions of partners have to be added to the
  proposed operational programmes
• Approving operational programmes on grounds of
  the committed fulfilment of the principle of
  partnership
• Sanctions if necessary

www.elisabeth-schroedter.de
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Elisabeth Schroedter Partnership in Regional
Development
Strengthening the principle of partnership -
Commitments in a possible guidance I -

• Active involvement of partners in all steps of
  the process (preparation, implementation,
  monitoring and evaluation)
• Transparency of all minutes and decision
  procedures
• Providing partners with all information in a
  reasonable time and manner
• Access to all supporting documents
• Improving the weight of the partners' opinions
• Highlighting the components of the partners in
  the final text
• Declaring which parts of the opinions by the
  partners were rejected for which reason

www.elisabeth-schroedter.de
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Elisabeth Schroedter Partnership in Regional
Development
Strengthening the principle of partnership -
Commitments in a possible guidance II -

• Voting right for the partners in the
  monitoring committee
• Coverage of direct costs (travel costs,
  copies, etc)
• Training and capacity building

www.elisabeth-schroedter.de
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Elisabeth Schroedter Partnership in Regional
Development
Long-term effects of an active principle of
partnership

• Improvement of democratic capacity in a
• region
• Partnership structure is a central element for
  an independent regional policy

www.elisabeth-schroedter.de
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Elisabeth Schroedter Partnership in Regional
Development
Demands of the European Parliament

• Guidance for monitoring committees
• Report by the COM to the EP on the principle of
  partnership within the member states
• Evaluation of the principle between partners
  and COM
• Meetings of the commissioner with the partners
  during her official visits in the regions
• Obligatory report by the member states to the
  COM on the implementation of the principle
• Initiative for training and capacity building

www.elisabeth-schroedter.de