COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING DECISION
of 16 June 2014
setting up the list of regions and areas eligible for funding from the European Regional Development Fund under the cross-border and transnational components of the European territorial cooperation goal for the period 2014 to 2020
(notified under document number C(2014) 3898)
(2014/388/EU)
THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
Having regard to Regulation (EU) No 1299/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 on specific provisions for the support from the European Regional Development Fund to the European territorial cooperation goal (1), and in particular the second subparagraph of Article 3(1) and the first subparagraph of Article 3(3) thereof,
After consulting the Coordination Committee for the European Structural and Investment Funds established by Article 150(1) of Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 laying down common provisions on the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund, the Cohesion Fund, the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund and laying down general provisions on the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund, the Cohesion Fund and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 1083/2006 (2),
Whereas:
(1)
The European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) supports the ‘European territorial cooperation goal’ in certain regions corresponding to level 3 of the common classification of territorial units for statistics (hereinafter referred to as ‘NUTS level 3’) for cross-border cooperation, in all regions corresponding to level 2 of the common classification of territorial units for statistics (hereinafter referred to as ‘NUTS level 2’) for transnational cooperation, which was established by Regulation (EC) No 1059/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council (3) as amended by Commission Regulation (EU) No 31/2011 (4). It is therefore necessary to set out these lists of eligible regions.
(2)
Pursuant to the third subparagraph of Article 3(1) of Regulation (EU) No 1299/2013, the list of eligible regions for cross-border cooperation is also to specify those NUTS level 3 regions of the Union taken into account for the ERDF allocation for cross-border cooperation at all internal borders, and those external borders covered by the external financial instruments of the Union, such as the European Neighbourhood Instrument (ENI) within the scope of Regulation (EU) No 232/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council (5) and the Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA II) within the scope of Regulation (EU) No 231/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council (6).
(3)
Pursuant to the fifth subparagraph of Article 3(1) of Regulation (EU) No 1299/2013, at the request of the Member State or Member States concerned, this list may also cover NUTS level 3 regions in outermost regions along maritime borders separated by more than 150 km as cross-border areas.
(4)
Pursuant to Article 3(6) of Regulation (EU) No 1299/2013, the Commission decision setting out the lists of cross-border and transnational areas is also to mention, for information purposes, the regions of third countries or territories, as referred to in paragraphs 2 and 4 of Article 3 of that Regulation.
(5)
It is therefore necessary to establish the lists of cross-border and transnational areas eligible for funding from the ERDF, broken down by cooperation programme,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:
Article 1
The regions and areas eligible for funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) under the cross-border component of the European territorial cooperation goal shall be those listed in Annex I.
Article 2
The NUTS level 3 regions of the Union which have been taken into account for the ERDF allocation for cross-border cooperation, but which are not part of any cross-border area listed in Annex I, and which will be covered by the external financial instruments of the Union, such as the European Neighbourhood Instrument (ENI) within the scope of Regulation (EU) No 232/2014 and the Pre- Accession Assistance (IPA II) within the scope of Regulation (EU) No 231/2014, shall be those listed in Annex II.
Article 3
The regions and areas eligible for funding from the ERDF under the transnational component of the European territorial cooperation goal shall be those listed in Annex III.
Article 4
This Decision is addressed to the Member States.
Done at Brussels, 16 June 2014.