COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING DECISION (EU) 2020/669

of 18 May 2020

amending Implementing Decision 2013/801/EU as regards entrusting the Innovation and Networks Executive Agency with the implementation of the Innovation Fund

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 58/2003 of 19 December 2002 laying down the statute for executive agencies to be entrusted with certain tasks in the management of Community programmes (1) and in particular Article 3(3) thereof,

Whereas:

(1) Directive 2003/87/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (2) establishes the Innovation Fund to support innovation in low-carbon technologies and processes, and to help stimulate the construction/creation and operation of projects that aim at the environmentally safe capture and geological storage of CO2, as well as of innovative renewable energy and energy storage technologies.

(2) In accordance with Article 16(1) of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/856 (3), the Innovation Fund is to be implemented in direct management or indirect management. Article 17 of that Regulation states that the Commission may decide to designate an implementing body to carry out certain implementation tasks, and in the case of direct management, those tasks must be delegated to an executive agency.

(3) Commission Implementing Decision 2013/801/EU (4) established the Innovation and Networks Executive Agency ('the Agency') and entrusted it with the management of certain parts of Union programmes, including the Connecting Europe Facility and the Horizon 2020 in the field of energy.

(4) The cost-benefit analysis carried out in accordance with Article 3 of Regulation (EC) No 58/2003 demonstrated that delegating the management of parts of the Innovation Fund to the Agency would contribute to achieving the objectives of the Innovation Fund more efficiently. Entrusting the Agency with the implementation of parts of the Innovation Fund would result in cost savings of about EUR 30,5 million over the period 2020 to 2030 when compared to the in-house management cost, increase efficiency and flexibility in the management of the Innovation Fund, provide significant synergies between the Innovation Fund and other Union programmes managed by the Agency and increase proximity to the beneficiaries as well as visibility of Union funding.

(5) It is therefore appropriate to entrust the Agency with the management and implementation of parts of the Innovation Fund.

(6) Implementing Decision 2013/801/EU should therefore be amended accordingly.

(7) The measures provided for by this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee for Executive Agencies,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1 Amendment to Implementing Decision 2013/801/EU Article 3(1) of Implementing Decision 2013/801/EU is replaced by the following: ‘1. The Agency is hereby entrusted with the implementation of parts of the following Union programmes: (a) Connecting Europe Facility; (b) Part III Societal Challenges of the Horizon 2020 Specific Programme; (c) the Innovation Fund established under Article 10a(8) of Directive 2003/87/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (*1).

Article 2 Entry into force This Decision shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

Done at Brussels, 18 May 2020. For the Commission The President Ursula VON DER LEYEN

(1) OJ L 11, 16.1.2003, p. 1.

(2) Directive 2003/87/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 October 2003 establishing a scheme for greenhouse gas emission allowance trading within the Community and amending Council Directive 96/61/EC (OJ L 275, 25.10.2003, p. 32).

(3) Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/856 of 26 February 2019 supplementing Directive 2003/87/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council with regard to the operation of the Innovation Fund (OJ L 140, 28.5.2019, p. 6).

(4) Commission Implementing Decision 2013/801/EU of 23 December 2013 establishing the Innovation and Networks Executive Agency and repealing Decision 2007/60/EC as amended by Decision 2008/593/EC (OJ L 352, 24.12.2013, p. 65).