2002/685/EC: Commission Decision of 31 March 2000 approving a single programming document of Community structural assistance under Objective 1 in certain parts of eastern Finland, namely the regions of South Savo, Kainuu, North Karelia and North Savo (notified under document number C(2000) 844)
Date: 2000-03-31
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Eastern Finland, Finland, Structural Funds, distribution of aid, financing plan, regional aid, regional planning

L 241/4

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

9.9.2002

COMMISSION DECISION

of 31 March 2000

approving a single programming document of Community structural assistance under Objective 1
in certain parts of eastern Finland, namely the regions of South Savo, Kainuu, North Karelia and
North Savo

(notified under document number C(2000) 844)

(Only the Finnish and Swedish texts are authentic)

(2002/685/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community,

Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999 of
21 June 1999 laying down general provisions on the
Structural Funds (1), and in particular Article 15(5) thereof,

After consultation of the Committee on the Development and
Conversion of Regions, the Committee pursuant to Article 147
of the Treaty, the Committee on Agricultural Structures and
Rural Development and the Committee on Structures for
Fisheries and Aquaculture,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

Article 13 et seq. of Title II of Regulation (EC) No
1260/1999 lay down the procedure for preparing and
implementing single programming documents.

Article 15(1) and (2) of Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999
that, after consultation with the partners
provides
referred to in Article 8 of the Regulation, the Member
State may submit to the Commission a development
plan which is treated as a draft single programming
document, and which contains the information referred
to in Article 16 of the Regulation.

Under Article 15(5) of Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999,
the Commission, on the basis of
regional
development plan submitted by the Member State and
within the partnership established in accordance with
Article 8 of the Regulation, is to take a decision on the
single programming document, in agreement with the
Member State concerned and in accordance with the
procedures laid down in Articles 48 to 51.

the

The Finnish Government submitted to the Commission
on 12 October 1999 an acceptable draft
single
programming document for the regions of South Savo,
Kainuu, North Karelia and North Savo,
fulfilling the
conditions for Objective 1 pursuant to Article 3(1) of

(5)

(6)

(7)

(8)

(9)

Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999. The draft contains the
information listed in Article 16 of the Regulation, and
in particular a description of the priorities selected and
an indication of
the financial contribution from the
the
European Regional Development Fund (ERDF),
European Social Fund (ESF), the European Agricultural
Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF), Guidance
Section, and the Financial
for Fisheries
Guidance (FIFG).

Instrument

submission of

The date of
the draft which was
considered acceptable by the Commission constitutes
the date from which expenditure under the plan is
eligible. Under Article 30 of Regulation (EC) No
1260/1999, it is necessary to lay down the final date
for the eligibility of expenditure.

as

are

and

particular

governed,

The rural development measures to be financed by the
regards
EAGGF
in
and
the measures’
accounting
consistency with common agricultural policy measures,
by Council Regulation (EC) No 1257/1999 of 17 May
1999 on support
from the
European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund
certain
and
(EAGGF)
regulations (2).

rural development

compatibility

amending

repealing

and

for

The single programming document has been drawn up
in agreement with the Member State concerned and
within the partnership.

The Commission has
programming document
principle of additionality.

satisfied itself

that
the single
in accordance with the

is

Under Article 10 of Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999, the
Commission and the Member State are required to
ensure,
in a manner consistent with the principle of
partnership, coordination between assistance from the
Funds and from the EIB and other existing Financial
Instruments.

(1) OJ L 161, 26.6.1999, p. 1.

(2) OJ L 160, 26.6.1999, p. 80.

9.9.2002

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Official Journal of the European Communities

L 241/5

(10)

(11)

document

The EIB has been involved in drawing up the single
in accordance with the
programming
provisions of Article 15(5) of Regulation (EC) No
1260/1999 and has
to
contribute to its implementation with the estimated loan
amounts indicated in this Decision in conformity with
its statutory provisions.

itself prepared

declared

in

are

financial

expressed

euro. The
consistent with the

The
contribution from the Community
available over the entire period and its year-by-year
breakdown
annual
breakdown must be
relevant
financial perspective. Under Article 7(7) of Regulation
(EC) No 1260/1999, the Community contribution has
already been indexed at a rate of 2 % per year. Under
Articles 7(7)
the
Community contribution may be reviewed at mid-term,
and not later than 31 December 2004, to take account
of the effective level of inflation and the allocation of
the performance reserve,

the Regulation,

and 44(2) of

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

The single programming document for Community structural
assistance under Objective 1 in certain parts of eastern Finland,
namely the regions of South Savo, Kainuu, North Karelia and
North Savo, for the period 1 January 2000 to 31 December
2006 is hereby approved.

Article 2

1.
In accordance with Article 19 of Regulation (EC) No
1260/1999, the single programming document includes the
following elements:

(a)

the strategy and priorities for the joint action of
the
Community Structural Funds and the Member State; their
specific quantified targets; the ex ante evaluation of the
expected impact, including on the environmental situation,
and the consistency of the priorities with the economic,
social and regional policies and the employment strategy
of Finland.

(b) a summary description of

the measures planned to
implement the priorities, including the information needed
to check compliance with the State aid rules under Article
87 of the Treaty;

(c)

the indicative financing plan specifying for each priority
and each year the financial allocation envisaged for the
contribution from each Fund and the total amounts of
eligible public or equivalent expenditure and estimated
private
total
contribution from the Funds planned for each year for the
single programming document
is consistent with the
relevant financial perspective;

the Member

State. The

funding

in

(d) the provisions for implementing the single programming
document including designation of the managing authority,
a description of the arrangements for managing the single
programming document and the use to be made of global
grants, a description of the systems for monitoring and
evaluation,
the Monitoring
Committee, and the arrangements for the participation of
the partners in that Committee;

including

role

the

of

(e)

(f)

ex

the
transparency of financial flows;

verification and

ante

information on the

information on the resources
and
monitoring
document.

evaluating

required for preparing,
single programming

the

The indicative financing plan puts the total cost of the
2.
priorities selected for the joint action by the Community and
the Member State at EUR 1 253 192 000 for the whole period
and the financial contribution from the Structural Funds at
EUR 626 596 000.

for national

The resulting requirement
resources of EUR
626 596 000 from the public sector and EUR 1 305 368 000
from the private sector can be partly met by Community loans
from the European Investment Bank and other
lending
instruments.

The priorities are as follows:

1. business development;

2. development of know-how and employment;

3.

rural development;

4. development of infrastructure;

5.

technical assistance;

Article 3

1.
The total assistance from the Structural Funds granted
under the single programming document amounts to EUR
626 596 000.

The procedure for granting the financial assistance, including
the financial contribution from the Funds for the various
priorities included in the single programming document, is set
out in the financing plan annexed to this Decision.

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Official Journal of the European Communities

9.9.2002

2.
The indicative initial estimated breakdown among the
Structural Funds of the total Community assistance available is
as follows:

ERDF

ESF

EAGGF, Guidance Section

FIFG

EUR 311 176 000,

EUR 183 592 000,

EUR 127 621 000,

EUR 4 207 000.

Consequently,
the Commission will not accept requests for
interim and final payments under Article 32 of the Regulation
for measures being part-financed with new or altered aid, as
defined in the procedural regulation for State aid, granted
under aid schemes or in individual cases, until such aid has
been notified to and formally approved by the Commission.

By way of derogation from the preceding paragraphs, Articles
51 and 52 of Regulation (EC) No 1257/1999 shall apply in
the context of rural development part-financed by the ERDF.

Article 5

The date from which expenditure shall be eligible is 12
October 1999. The
eligibility of
closing date
expenditure shall be 31 December 2008. This date is extended
to 30 April 2009 for expenditure incurred by bodies granting
assistance under Article 9(l) of Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999.

the

for

Article 6

This Decision is addressed to the Republic of Finland.

Done at Brussels, 31 March 2000.

For the Commission

Michel BARNIER

Member of the Commission

Article 4

This Decision is without prejudice to the Commission’s
position on aid schemes falling within Article 87(1) of the
Treaty that are included in this assistance and which have not
yet been approved by the Commission. Submission of
the
application for assistance, the programme complement or a
request for payment by the Member State does not replace the
notification required by Article 88(3) of the Treaty.

Community financing of State aid falling within Article 87(1)
of the Treaty, granted under aid schemes or in individual cases,
requires prior approval by the Commission under Article 88 of
the Treaty, except where the aid falls within the de minimis rule
or is exempted under an exemption regulation adopted by the
Commission under Council Regulation (EC) No 994/98 of 7
May 1998 on the application of Articles 92 and 93 [now
Articles 87 and 88] of the Treaty establishing the European
Community to certain categories of horizontal State aid (3). In
the absence of such exemption or approval, aid is illegal and
subject
in the procedural
regulation for State aid, and its part-financing would be treated
as an irregularity within the meaning of Article 38(5) of
Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999.

to the consequences

set out

(3) OJ L 142, 14.5.1998, p. 1.