Resolution of the Committee of the Regions on "The partnership principle and its implementation in the reform of the Structural Funds 2000-2006"
Date: 2000-04-12
Institutions: European Committee of the Regions
Subjects: Structural Funds, development aid, regional aid, social situation

C 226/20

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

8.8.2000

Resolution of the Committee of the Regions on ‘The partnership principle and its implementation
in the reform of the Structural Funds 2000-2006’

(2000/C 226/08)

THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS,

having regard to its Bureau decision of 17 November 1999 instructing Commission 1 to draw up a
resolution on the partnership principle and its implementation in the reform of the Structural Funds;

having regard to the draft resolution adopted by Commission 1 at its meeting of 1 December 1999 (CdR
434/99 rev. 1; rapporteur: Mr Tindemans, NL/PSE);

whereas it has adopted an opinion on the role of the regional and local authorities in the partnership
principle of the Structural Funds (CdR 234/95(1) — July 1995); an opinion on the views of the regions
and local authorities on arrangements for European Structural Policy after 1999 (CdR 131/97 fin (2) —
November 1997); an opinion on the Proposal for a Council Regulation (EC) laying down general
provisions on the Structural Funds (CdR 167/98 fin (3) — September 1998); and a resolution on the
reform of the Structural Funds and the Cohesion Fund in the context of the political debate on the
Agenda 2000 package (CdR 1/99 fin (4)) and an opinion on developing a genuine culture of subsidiarity.
An appeal by the Committee of the Regions (CdR 302/98 fin (5) — both March 1999);

whereas the Council adopted Regulation (EC) No. 1260/1999 on 21 June 1999 laying down general
provisions on the Structural Funds;

whereas the Tavistock Institute has published the report ‘The Thematic Evaluation of the Partnership
Principle’ (London, February 1999);

whereas the Committee of the Regions has already expressed its views in the declaration on the
partnership principle presented at the final conference of a series of COR seminars on the implementation
of the reform of the Structural Funds, 2000-2006 — the contribution of local and regional authorities,
organised by the Committee of the Regions at the invitation of the Autonomous Region of Madeira on
10 January 2000,

adopted the following resolution at its 33rd plenary session of 12 and 13 April 2000 (meeting of
12 April).

The Committee of the Regions:

provisions are required in the regulations to put the
principle into practice;

1. emphasises the importance of the partnership principle for

efficient implementation of the Structural Funds;

2.

states that the partnership, as described in the COR’s
opinions, should be essentially broad, involved throughout
the aid allocation procedure and should provide a key role
for regional and local authorities; and notes that only a few

(1) OJ C 100, 2.4.1996, p. 72.
(2) OJ C 64, 27.2.1998, p. 5.
(3) OJ C 373, 2.12.1998, p. 1.
(4) OJ C 198, 14.7.1999, p. 1.
(5) OJ C 198, 14.7.1999, p. 73.

3. notes Council Regulation (EC) No. 1260/1999, which
provides general provisions for putting the partnership
principle into practice and seems to ensure the full
participation of regional and local authorities;

4.

states that Council Regulation (EC) No. 1260/1999
expresses in Article 8(1) the wish for broad partnership
and in Article 8(2)
the wish for involvement of the
partnership in all stages of programming, but that it is up
to the Member States to decide how to put this into
practice and what role the local and regional authorities
can play;

8.8.2000

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 226/21

5.

stresses that in Council Regulation (EC) No. 1260/1999
the provisions for putting the partnership principle into
practice have not essentially changed compared with
Council Regulation (EEC) No. 2081/93. However, it could
be inferred that the intention is to give regional and local
authorities a key role despite the fact that the Member
States are still explicitly responsible for the implementation
of partnership and of Community assistance at the appro-
priate territorial level;

6. notes that the plans submitted by the Member States are
required to include an account of arrangements made to
consult the partners, but that in spite of this it is not
known if or how this matter shall or can be reviewed since
there does not seem to be a clear and transparent
Community responsibility;

7. agrees in general with the conclusions laid down in
the Tavistock report ‘The Thematic Evaluation of the
Partnership Principle’, especially as regards the effective-
ness of partnership, and agrees that the development of
the partnership principle is uneven across Member States
and across programmes, giving scope for substantial
improvement in many countries;

8. calls the attention of the European Commission and the

Member States to the following important aspects:

— the vertical partnership within the European Union
between the European Commission and the Member
States should consequently be extended to regional
and local authorities, permitting a wider and more
even division of power;

Brussels, 12 April 2000.

— the desire for a key role for regional and local
authorities in regional programming and also their
involvement in horizontal programming;

— the inclusiveness of the horizontal territorial partner-
ship and a clear division of decision-making power
between financing and non-financing partners;

— the integration, or at least co-ordination, of the vertical

and horizontal partnerships;

— better opportunities for regional and local authorities

as managing and paying authorities;

— in principle, one programming document and one
partnership per territory to simplify management and
control and to restrict bureaucracy;

— adequate technical support for the partnership to allow

all the partners to fully participate;

— formalisation of the partnership’s constitution without
loopholes, ensuring transparency over
roles and
responsibilities, working arrangements and delegated
powers and management resources.

9. calls on the European Commission, with regard to the
subsidiarity principle, to help Member States and regional
and local authorities improve the implementation of the
partnership principle by drawing up, in co-operation with
the Committee of the Regions, a working document giving
examples of good practice and clear models of partnership
and consequently providing the requisite information
about the various partners’ financial contributions.

The President

of the Committee of the Regions

Jos CHABERT