Programming period
2007-13
Strategy and Operational
programmes
DG REGIO – Unit B.3
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National Strategic Reference
Frameworks (NSRFs)
• NSRFs describe how the Objectives - Convergence and
Competitiveness & Employment - contribute to the
Integrated Guidelines on Growth and Jobs, including
– the setting of national and Operational Programme targets
– by making an additional effort in terms of Lisbon-related
expenditure in relation to the 2000-06 baselines
• NSRFs should include:
– priority actions identified in National Reform Programmes
– the 4 priority actions in the Annual Progress Report (Lisbon
Strategy)
– coordination mechanisms between Lisbon and cohesion
processes at national and regional level
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Architecture of the OPs
• MonoFund OPs
- Monofund rule laid down in Art 34(1)
- Exception for ERDF and Cohesion Fund :
compulsory joint programming (Art 34 (3))
- Crossfinancing between ESF- and ERDFtype actions (Art 34 (2))
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Mono objective OPs (Art 32 (1))
Reasons for the rule:
- Intervention of the Funds differentiated by
Objective
- Financial perspectives defined by Objective
Exception « when otherwise agreed between
the Commission and the Member State »
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Geographical coverage
Convergence objective (Art 35 (1)) - ERDF OP :
NUTS level 2
- CF (and ERDF) OP: National level
Regional competitiveness and employment
objective (Art 35 (2)):
NUTS level 1 or 2
European territorial cooperation objective (Art 35
(3)):
NUTS level 3 + derogations
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Content of the OP
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2
3
4
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Analysis of the area or sector and
justification of the priorities chosen
Priority axes
Categorisation
Financing plans
Implementing provisions
Indicative list of major projects
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1 Analysis of the area or sector and
justification of the priorities chosen
- Analysis of the situation of the area or sector
- Strategy chosen to respond to the strengths
and weaknesses of the area or sector
- Approach towards the sustainable urban
development, shall be encouraged
+ Justification of the concentration on the
priorities for OPs under the Regional
competitiveness and employment objective.
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2 Priority axes
The OP shall be detailed by priority axis not by measure.
The priority axis shall define targets and indicators
Elements helping to define the number of priority
axes:
- A priority axis = a priority of the strategy
- Containing operations which are related and have
specific measurable goals (Art 2(2))
- One priority axis – one fund – one objective
- Financial management at the level of the priority axis
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3 Categorisation
- Ex ante categorisation : previsions on the programmed
use of the funds
- At the level of the Operationnal programme and not by
priority axis
- Three tables to fill in:
Priority themes
Forme of finance
Territory
For information purpose only
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4 Financing plans
Two tables:
• At the level of the OP the total financial appropriation
envisaged for the contribution of the fund broken
down by year (not by priority axis)
• At the level of the priority axis the amount of the total
financial appropriation of the community contribution,
the national counterpart and the rate of contribution
of the funds for the whole programming period (not
by year)
= Shall simplify the financial management
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5 Implementing provisions
- Designation of the authorities and bodies: MA, CA,
AA, body responsible for making the payments to
the beneficiaires and body responsible for
receiving the payments from the Commission
- Description of the monitoring and evaluation
system
- Definition of the procedures for mobilisation and
circulation of the financial flows
- Elements concerning information and publicity
- Description of the procedures agreed for the
exchange of computerised data.
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6 Indicative list of major projects
- In the perspective of the programming and not of the
financial management of major projects
- Indicative: no need to amend the list whenever a new
major project is added
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Eligibility period (art 56)
- Starting date: the earliest date between the
date of submission of the OP and 1 January
2007;
- Starting date for the eligibility of the
expenditure for all operations;
- Expenditure paid by the beneficiary in
implementing the operation (art 78);
- End date: 31 December 2015 laid down in the
general Regulation .
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Preparation of the OP
- Partnership in the preparation of the OP: (Art 32 (2)
and 11)
- Deadline: Submission as soon as possible and no
later than 5 months from the adoption of the CSG
- Submission to the Commission of the OP containing
all elements mentionned in Article 37.
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Appraisal and adoption of the
OP by the Commission
Appraisal of the OPs:
- Consistency with the CSG and NSRF
- Quality check of the content
Adoption of the OPs:
- Deadline: 4 months following the formal submision of
the OP by the MS and not before 1 January 2007 (art
32 (5))
- Adoption by habilitation except OPs under the
European territorial cooperation objective
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Modification of OPs
Modifications shall be done at the request of the MS or
at the initiative of the Commission
Reasons for modifying the OP:
- Significant socio-economic changes
- To take greater account of major changes in
Community, national or regional priorities
- Drawing lessons from on going evaluations
- Implementing difficulties
Modifications of the OP without
modification of the decision approving the NSRF
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