2002/502/EC: Commission Decision of 28 July 2000 approving the Community Support Framework for Community structural assistance in the Border, Midland and Western region under Objective 1 and the Southern and Eastern region qualifying for transitional support under Objective 1 in Ireland (notified under document number C(2000) 1783)
Date: 2000-07-28
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Community support framework, Ireland, Structural Funds, development aid, development plan, financing plan, regional aid

4.7.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

L 175/1

II

(Acts whose publication is not obligatory)

COMMISSION

COMMISSION DECISION

of 28 July 2000

approving the Community Support Framework for Community structural assistance in the
Border, Midland and Western region under Objective 1 and the Southern and Eastern region
qualifying for transitional support under Objective 1 in Ireland

(notified under document number C(2000) 1783)

(Only the English text is authentic)

(2002/502/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community,

partnership established in accordance with Article 8 of
that Regulation, the Commission shall take a decision
on Community Support Frameworks for Community
structural assistance in agreement with the Member
State concerned.

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(4) thereof,

(4)

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)

Articles 13 et seq. of Title II of Regulation (EC) No
1260/1999 lay down the procedure for preparing and
implementing Community Support Frameworks.

Article 15(1) and (2) of Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999
provides
that, after consultation with the partners
referred to in Article 8 of the Regulation, the Member
a development plan to the
State
Commission containing the information referred to in
Article 16 of the Regulation.

to submit

is

Under Article 15(4) of Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999,
on the basis of
regional development plans
submitted by the Member States and within the

the

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

Southern and

Eastern region qualifying

The Irish Government submitted to the Commission on
15 November 1999 a valid development plan for the
Border, Midland and Western region fulfilling the
conditions for Objective 1 pursuant to Article 3(1) and
for
the
transitional support under Objective 1 pursuant to the
first subparagraph of Article 6(1) of Regulation (EC) No
1260/1999. The plan contains the information listed in
Article 16 of
that Regulation, and in particular a
description of the priorities selected and an indication of
the financial contribution from the European Regional
Development Fund (ERDF), the European Social Fund
(ESF),
and
Guarantee Fund (EAGGF), the Financial Instrument for
Fisheries Guidance (FIFG), the Cohesion Fund, and the
other financial instruments proposed for implementing
the plan.

European Agricultural Guidance

the

(5)

(6)

(7)

The Community Support Framework has been drawn
up in agreement with the Member State concerned and
within the partnership framework.

The Commission has satisfied itself
the present
Community Support Framework is in accordance with
the principle of additionality.

that

Under Article 10 of Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999, the
Commission and the Member State are required to
in a manner consistent with the principle of
ensure,

L 175/2

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

4.7.2002

partnership, coordination between assistance from the
Funds and from the EIB and other existing financial
instruments.

The EIB has been involved in drawing up the
Community Support Framework in accordance with the
provisions of Article 15(4) of Regulation (EC) No
1260/1999.

4. Balanced regional development (BMW and SE regions);

5. Rural development;

6. Social inclusion

In addition to the above priorities, there will be separate
operational
technical
for
assistance;

programmes

PEACE

and

(8)

(9)

in

are

financial

expressed

euro. The
consistent with the

contribution from the Community
The
available over the entire period and its year-by-year
annual
breakdown
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
Article 7(7) and Article 44(2) of the Regulation, the
Community contribution may be reviewed at mid-term,
and not later than 31 March 2004, to take account of
the effective level of inflation and the allocation of the
performance reserve.

(10)

Provision must be made for adapting the financial
allocations of the priorities of this Community Support
Framework within certain limits to actual requirements
reflected by the pattern of
implementation on the
ground, in agreement with the Member State concerned,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

(b) an overview of
implemented,
priorities selected;

the operational programmes

including their

specific

aims

to be
and the

(c)

the indicative financing plan specifying, for each priority
and each year, the financial allocation envisaged for the
contribution of each Fund, the EIB where appropriate, and
the other financial instruments, and the amount of eligible
public or equivalent and estimated private funding from
indicate separately the
Ireland. The financing plan shall
funding planned for
receiving transitional
the regions
support in respect of Objective 1.

The total contribution from the Funds planned for each
year for the Community Support Framework is consistent
with the relevant financial perspective;

(d) the provisions for implementing the Community Support
Framework including the designation of
the managing
authority and the provision made for involvement of the
partners in the Monitoring Committees;

Article 1

(e)

the ex ante verification of additionality and information
concerning the transparency of financial flows;

The Community Support Framework for Community structural
assistance in the Border, Midland and Western (BMW) region
under Objective 1 and the Southern and Eastern (S & E) region
benefiting from transitional support under Objective 1 in
Ireland for the period 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2006 is
hereby approved.

Article 2

1.
In accordance with Article 17 of Regulation (EC) No
1260/1999, the Community Support Framework includes the
following elements:

(a) A statement of

for

the priorities

the joint action of
Community Structural Funds and the Member State, their
specific quantified targets, the ex ante evaluation of the
expected impact and the consistency of the priorities with
and the
the
employment strategy of Ireland.

and regional policies

economic,

social

(f)

information on the appropriations required for preparing,
monitoring
Support
and evaluating
Framework and the operational programmes.

the Community

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 5 442 million for the whole period
and the financial allocation from the Structural Funds at EUR
3 172 million.

The resulting requirement for national resources of EUR 2 270
million from the public sector and EUR 1 560 million from
the private sector can be partly met by Community loans from
the European Investment Bank and other lending instruments.

indicative

The
total
Community assistance available between the Structural Funds
is as follows:

estimated breakdown of

initial

the

The priorities are as follows:

1. Development of economic infrastructure;

ERDF

ESF

EUR 1 862 913 000,

EUR 1 056 587 000,

2. Employment and human resource development;

EAGGF, Guidance section

EUR 182 000 000,

3. Productive sector investment;

FIFG

EUR 70 500 000.

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Official Journal of the European Communities

L 175/3

In addition to the contribution from the Structural Funds,
assistance from the Cohesion Fund will amount to EUR 567
million for the period 2000 to 2006.

Article 3

This Decision is addressed to Ireland.

During implementation of the financing plan, the total
3.
cost or Community financing of a given priority can be
adjusted in agreement with the Member State by up to 25 % of
the total Community contribution to the Single Programming
Document throughout the programme period or by up to EUR
60 million, whichever is the greater, without altering the total
Community contribution referred to in paragraph 1.

Done at Brussels, 28 July 2000.

For the Commission

Michel BARNIER

Member of the Commission