Council Regulation (EC) No 2236/95 of 18 September 1995 laying down general rules for the granting of Community financial aid in the field of trans-European networks
Date: 1995-09-18
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: EU financial instrument, aid system, energy transport, intra-EU transport, telecommunications, transport infrastructure













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31995R2236

Council Regulation (EC) No 2236/95 of 18 September 1995 laying down general rules for the granting of Community financial aid in the field of trans-European networks  


Official Journal L 228 , 23/09/1995 P. 0001 - 0007 





COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 2236/95 of 18 September 1995 laying down general rules for the granting  of Community financial aid in the field of trans-European networksTHE COUNCIL OF  THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular the third  paragraph of Article 129d thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission  (1), Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee  (2), Having regard to the opinion of the Committee of the Regions  (3), Acting in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 189c of the Treaty  (4), Whereas under Article 3  (n) of the Treaty the activities of the Community should include  encouragement for the establishment and development of trans-European networks; Whereas Article 129b of the Treaty states that to help achieve the objectives referred to in  Articles 7a and 130a of the Treaty the Community shall contribute to the establishment and  development of trans-European networks in the areas of transport, telecommunications and energy  infrastructures; Whereas Article 129b  (2) of the Treaty is aimed at promoting the interconnection and  interoperability of national networks as well as access to such networks and must take account in  particular of the need to link island, landlocked and peripheral regions with the central regions  of the Community; Whereas Article 129c of the Treaty provides that the Community shall establish a series of  guidelines covering the objectives, priorities and broad lines of measures envisaged in the sphere  of trans-European networks and that it may support the financial efforts of the Member States to  establish trans-European networks; Whereas general rules should be laid down for the Community financing of trans-European networks,  thereby permitting implementation of this Article; Whereas under Article 129c of the Treaty Community aid may be granted to projects of common  interest which are identified in the framework of the guidelines; Whereas the guidelines referred to in Article 129c  (1) of the Treaty, proposed by the Commission,  are under consideration by the European Parliament and the Council; whereas, should the decisions  adopting these guidelines not have entered into force when this Regulation enters into force,  provision should be made on a transitional basis for a possible Community contribution to specific  priority projects within the limits of the appropriations available for the financial year 1995 and  at the latest until 31 December 1995; Whereas involvement of private capital funding trans-European networks should be increased and the  partnership between the public and private sectors developed; Whereas Community aid may take the form in particular of feasibility studies, loan guarantees or  interest rate subsidies; whereas these subsidies and guarantees relate in particular to financial  support from the European Investment Bank or other public or private financial bodies; whereas in  certain duly justified cases direct grants to investments may be considered; Whereas loan guarantees will be granted on a commercial basis by the European Investment Fund or by  other financial organizations; whereas Community financial aid may cover all or part of the  premiums paid by the beneficiaries of these guarantees; Whereas Community aid is chiefly intended to overcome any financial obstacles which may arise  during the start-up phase of a project; Whereas it is necessary to set a limit for Community aid in relation to the total cost of  investment; Whereas Community aid is to be granted to projects on the basis of how much they contribute to the  objectives of Article 129b of the Treaty and the other objectives and priorities covered by the  guidelines referred to in Article 129c of the Treaty; whereas account should also be taken of other  aspects such as the stimulative effect on public and private finance, the direct and indirect  socio-economic effects of projects, in particular on employment, and the consequences for the  enviroment; Whereas the Commission must carefully evaluate the potential economic viability of the projects,  with the help of cost/benefit analyses and other appropriate criteria, as well as their financial  profitability; Whereas Community financial support under Article 129c (1) of the Treaty must be compatible with  Community policies, in particular on networks and as regards environmental protection, competition  and the award of public contracts; whereas environmental protection includes an environmental  impact assessment; Whereas it is necessary to clarify the respective powers and responsibilities of Member States and  the Commission with regard to financial control; Whereas the Commission must ensure proper coordination of all Community activities, especially  between financing under trans-European networks, and that of the Structural and Cohesion Funds, of  the European Investment Fund and of the European Investment Bank, affecting trans-European  networks; Whereas provision should be made for suitable methods of evaluation, follow-up and control of  Community aid; Whereas there should be suitable information, publicity and transparency regarding the activities  financed; Whereas a financial reference amount, within the meaning of point 2 of the Declaration by the  European Parliament, the Council and the Commission of 6 March 1995, is included in this Regulation  for its implementation, without thereby affecting the powers of the budgetary authority as they are  defined by the Treaty; Whereas an assessment should be made before the end of the financial perspective for the period  1994-99 whether and to what extent the action provided for in this Regulation meets the Community's  needs, HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: Article 1 Definition and Scope This Regulation defines the conditions and  procedures for granting Community aid to projects of common interest in the field of trans-European  networks for transport, telecommunications and energy infrastructures under Article 129c (1) of the  Treaty. Article 2 Eligibility 1.  Community aid may be granted only to projects of common interest  (hereinafter referred to as 'projects`) identified within the framework of the guidelines referred  to in Article 129c (1) of the Treaty. Parts of projects within the meaning of the first subparagraph shall also be eligible in so far as  they form technically and financially independent units. 2.  Projects shall be eligible if they are financed by the Member States or by regional or local  authorities or by bodies working within an administrative or legal framework which makes them  equivalent to public entities, in particular public or private enterprises which run public  services or services in the public interest. A project shall be considered to be financed by the Member State when it is implemented and  directly financed by a public authority or receives public aid or aid out of public resources, in  whatever form, granted by a national, regional or local body. Article 3 Transitional clause Should the decisions adopting the guidelines referred to in  Article 129c (1) of the Treaty not yet have entered into force when this Regulation enters into  force, specific projects, the financing of which is of a priority nature and which relate in  particular to transport infrastructure, may be regarded as eligible within the meaning of this  Regulation. This provision shall apply until the day of the entry into force of the decisions adopting the  guidelines in the area of infrastructure concerned, and at the latest until 31 December 1995. Article 4 Forms of aid 1.  Community aid for projects may take one or several of the following  forms: (a)  co-financing of studies related to projects, including preparatory, feasibility and evaluation  studies, and other technical support measures for these studies. Community participation may in general not exceed 50  % of the total cost of a study. In exceptional, duly substantiated cases, at the initiative of the Commission and with the consent  of the Member States concerned, Community participation may exceed the limit of 50  %; (b)  subsidies of the interest on loans granted by the European Investment Bank or other public or  private financial bodies. As a general rule, the duration of subsidy shall not exceed five years; (c)  contributions towards fees for guarantees for loans from the European Investment Fund or other  financial institutions; (d)  direct grants to investments in duly justified cases; (e)  Community assistance under (a) to (d) shall be combined, where appropriate, in order to  maximize the stimulus provided by the budgetary resources deployed, which shall be used in the most  economical way. 2.  The forms of Community aid referred to under (a) to (d) shall be used selectively to take  account of the specific characteristics of the various types of network involved and to ensure, in  respect of the telecommunications and energy networks, that such aid does not cause distortions of  competition between undertakings in the sector concerned. Article 5 Conditions for Community aid 1.  Community aid shall be granted, in principle, only  if achievement of a project meets financial obstacles. 2.  Community aid shall not exceed the minimum considered necessary for the launch of a project. 3.  Regardless of the form of intervention chosen, the total amount of Community aid under this  Regulation shall not exceed 10  % of the total investment cost. 4.  The financial resources provided for under this Regulation shall not, in principle, be assigned  to projects or stages of projects which benefit from other sources of Community funding. Article 6 Project selection criteria 1.  Projects shall be assisted according to their degree  of contribution to the objectives set out in Article 129b of the Treaty and to the other objectives  and priorities defined in the guidelines referred to in Article 129c  (1) of the Treaty. 2.  Community aid shall be assigned to projects that are potentially economically viable and for  which the financial profitability at the time of application is deemed insufficient. 3.  The decision to grant Community assistance should also take account of: -  the maturity of the project, -  the stimulative effect of community intervention on public and private finance, -  the soundness of the financial package, -  direct or indirect socio-economic effects, in particular on employment, -  the environmental consequences. 4.  Especially in the case of cross-border projects, coordination of the timing of different parts  of the project shall also be taken into account. Article 7 Compatibility The projects financed under this Regulation shall comply with Community  law and Community policies, in particular in relation to environmental protection, competition and  the award of public contracts. Article 8 Submission of applications for financial aid Applications for financial aid shall be  submitted to the Commission by the Member State concerned or by the body directly concerned with  the agreement of the Member State. Article 9 Information required for the assessment and identification of applications 1.  Each  application for financial aid shall include all the information necessary for the examination of  the project according to Articles 5, 6 and 7, and in particular: (a)  if the application concerns a project: -  the body responsible for carrying out the project, -  a description of the project concerned and the type of Community aid envisaged, -  the results of the cost/benefit analyses, including the results of the potential economic  viability analysis and of the financial profitability analysis, -  the position of the project, according to the guidelines, in the field of transport, on the axes  and nodes, -  consistency with regional planning, -  a summary decription of the environmental impact, based on the assessments carried out in  accordance with Council Directive 85/337/EEC of 27 June 1985 on the assessment of the effects of  certain public and private projects on the environment(1), -  a statement that alternative possibilities of public and private financing, inlcuding the  European Investment Fund and the European Investment Bank, have been examined, -  a financial plan listing, in ecus or in national currency, all the components of the financial  package, including the financial aid requested from the Community and the Member State and the aid  already granted; (b)  if the application relates to a study, the study's objective and purpose and the methods and  techniques envisaged; (c)  a provisional timetable of work; (d)  a description of the control measures to be operated by the Member State concerned over the  use of the funds requested. 2.  Applicants shall supply the Commission with any relevant additional information which it  requires. 3.  The Commission may seek any specialist advice it requires in order to assess an application,  including the opinion of the European Investment Bank. Article 10 Grant of financial aid The Commission shall decide to grant financial aid under this  Regulation according to its assessment of the applications in accordance with the selection  criteria and the procedure specified in Article 17. It shall notify its decision directly to the  beneficiaries and to the Member States. Article 11 Financial provisions 1.  Community aid may cover only project-related expenditure  incurred by the beneficiaries or by third parties responsible for the implementation of a project. 2.  Expenditure incurred before the date on which the Commission received the application for  financial aid shall not be covered. 3.  Decisions to grant financial aid taken by the Commission under Article 10 shall be binding as  commitments to incur expenditure authorized by the Budget. 4.  As a general rule, payments shall be made in the form of advances, intermediate payments and a  final payment. The advance, which shall not normally exceed 50  % of the first annual tranche,  shall be paid once the application for aid has been approved. Intermediate payments shall be made  on the basis of requests for payment, taking account of the progress made in implementing the  project or study and, if necessary taking account of revised financial plans in a rigorous and  transparent manner. 5.  The payments must take account of the fact the infrastucture projects will be implemented over  a period of years and that provision must therefore be made for multiannual financing. 6.  The Commission shall make the final payment after approval of the final report on the project  or study, submitted by the beneficiary and itemizing all the expenditure actually incurred. 7.  The Commission shall determine, following the procedures set out in Article 17, the procedures,  timetable and amounts for payments of interest-rate subsidies and guarantee premium subisidies. Article 12 Financial control 1.  In order to guarantee successful completion of projects  financed by this Regulation, Member States shall take the necessary measures to: -  verify on a regular basis that projects and studies financed by the Community have been properly  carried out, -  prevent irregularities and take action against them, -  recover any amounts lost as a result of irregularity including interest on account of late  repayment in accordance with the rules adopted by the Commission. Except where the Member State  and/or the implementing authority provide proof that they were not responsible for the  irregularity, the Member State shall be liable in the alternative for reimbursement of any sums  unduly paid. 2.  Member States shall inform the Commission of the measures taken for these purposes and, in  particular, shall notify the Commission of the description of the management and control systems  established to ensure the efficient implementation of projects and studies. 3.  Member States shall make available to the Commission any appropriate national reports on the  control of projects. 4.  Without prejudice to any control measures carried out by the Member States in accordance with  national laws, regulations and administrative provisions and without prejudice to the provisions of  Article 188 a of the Treaty and control measures carried out in accordance with Article 209 (c) of  the Treaty, Commission officials or agents may carry out spot checks, including sample checks, in  respect of projects financed under this Regulation and may examine the control systems and measures  established by the national authorities, which shall inform the Commission of measures taken to  that end. 5.  Before carrying out an on-the-spot check, the Commission shall give notice to the Member State  concerned with a view to obtaining all the assistance necessary. If the Commission carries out  on-the-spot checks without giving notice, it shall be subject to agreements reached in accordance  with provisions of the Financial Regulation. Officials or agents of the Member State concerned may  take part in such checks. The Commission may require the Member State concerned to carry out an on-the-spot check to verify  the correctness of payment applications. Commission officials or agents may take part in such  checks, and must do so if the Member State concerned so requests. The Commission shall ensure that any checks that it carries out are performed in a coordinated  manner so as to avoid repeating checks in respect of the same subject matter during the same  period. The Member State concerned and the Commission shall immediately exchange any relevant  information concerning the results of the checks carried out. 6.  In the case of Community aid granted to the bodies referred to in Article 2 (2), the control  measures shall be carried out by the Commission in cooperation with the Member States. 7.  The responsible bodies and authorities shall keep available for the Commission all the  supporting documents regarding expenditure on any project for a period of three years following the  last payment in respect of the project. Article 13 Reduction, suspension and cancellation of assistance 1.  If the implementation of an  operation appears not to justify, in whole or in part, the financial aid allocated to it, the  Commission shall conduct an appropriate examination of the case, in particular requesting the  Member State, or the authorities or bodies designated by it to carry out the operation, to submit  their comments within a specified period of time. 2.  Following the examination referred to in paragraph 1 above, the Commission may reduce, suspend  or cancel aid in respect of the operation in question if the examination reveals an irregularity or  a failure to comply with one of the conditions laid down in the decision to grant assistance, and  in particular any significant change affecting the nature of, or conditions for carrying out, the  project for which the Commission's approval was not sought. Any undue cumulation shall give rise to the recovery of sums unduly paid. 3.  Any sum to be recovered for want of due entitlement shall be repaid to the Commission. Article 14 Coordination The Commission shall be responsible for coordination and coherence  between the projects undertaken under this Regulation and projects undertaken with the help of  contributions from the Community budget, the European Investment Bank and other Community financial  instruments. Article 15 Appraisal, monitoring and evaluation 1.  The Member States and the Commission shall  ensure that the implementation of projects under this Regulation is subject to effective monitoring  and evaluation. Projects may be adapted according to monitoring and evaluation results. 2.  In order to ensure that Community aid is used efficiently, the Commission and the Member States  concerned shall systematically evaluate progress with projects, where appropriate with the  cooperation of the European Investment Bank. 3.  On the receipt of an application for aid and before approving it, the Commission shall carry  out an appraisal in order to assess the project's conformity with the conditions and criteria laid  down in Articles 5 and 6. Where necessary, the Commission shall invite the European Investment Bank  to contribute to this appraisal. 4.  During the implementation of projects and after their completion the Commission and the Member  States shall evaluate the manner in which they have been carried out and the impact of their  implementation, in order to assess whether the original objectives can be, or have been, achieved.  This evaluation shall, inter alia, cover the impact of projects on the environment, having regard  to the Community laws in force. 5.  Monitoring shall be carried out, where appropriate, by reference to physical and financial  indicators. The indicators shall relate to the specific character of the projects and its  objectives. They shall be arranged in such a way as to show: -  the stage of the project reached in relation to the plan and the objectives originally laid  down, -  the progress achieved on the management side and any related problems. 6.  In vetting individual applications for assistance, the Commission shall take into account the  findings of appraisals and evaluations made in accordance with this Article. 7.  Procedures for evaluation and monitoring, as provided in paragraphs 4 and 5, shall be  established in the Decisions approving the projects. Article 16 Information and publicity 1.  The Commission shall submit an annual report on the  activities carried out under this Regulation to the European Parliament, the Council, the Economic  and Social Committee and to the Committee of the Regions for their appraisal. This report shall  contain an evaluation of the results achieved with Community aid in different fields of  application, in terms of original objectives. 2.  Beneficiaries shall ensure that suitable publicity is given to assistance granted under this  Regulation in order to inform the public of the role played by the Community in the implementation  of the projects. They shall consult the Commission on how this should be done. Article 17 Committee 1.  The Commission shall be responsible for the implementation of this  Regulation. 2.  In implementing this Regulation, the Commission shall be assisted by one Committee that will  meet in the appropriate composition according to the sectors treated: -  trans-European networks in the field of transport, -  trans-European networks in the field of telecommunications, -  trans-European networks in the field of energy. The Committee shall be composed of representatives of the Member States and chaired by a  representative of the Commission. The European Investment Bank shall appoint a representative to the Committee who shall not vote. 3.  The representative of the Commission shall submit to the Committee a draft of the measures to  be adopted. The Committee shall deliver its opinion on the draft within a time limit which the  Chairman may lay down according to the urgency of the matter. The opinion shall be delivered by the  majority laid down in Article 148 (2) of the Treaty in the case of decisions which the Council is  required to adopt on a proposal from the Commission. When votes are taken within the Committee, the  votes of the representatives of the Member States within the Committee shall be weighted as defined  in that Article. The Chairman shall not vote. 4.  (a)  The Commission shall adopt the measures envisaged if they are in accordance with the  opinion of the Committee. (b)  If the measures envisaged are not in accordance with the opinion of the Committee, or if no  opinion is delivered, the Commission shall, without delay, submit to the Council a proposal  relating to the measures to be taken. The Council shall act by a qualified majority. If, on the expiry of a period of three months from the date of referral to the Council, the Council  has not acted, the proposed measures shall be adopted by the Commission. Article 18 Budgetary resources The financial reference amount for the implementation of this  Regulation for the period 1995-99 shall be ECU 2  345 million. The annual appropriations shall be authorized by the budgetary authority within the limits of the  financial perspective. Article 19 Revision clause Before the end of 1999, acting in accordance with the procedure laid  down in the third paragraph of Article 129d of the Treaty, the Council shall examine whether and  under which conditions the measures provided for in this Regulation will be continued after the end  of the period referred to in Article 18. Article 20 Entry into force This Regulation shall enter into force on the day following its  publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities. This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all  Member States. Done at Brussels, 18 September 1995. For the Council The President P. SOLBES MIRA (1)  OJ No L 175, 5. 7. 1985, p. 40.