2002/323/EC: Commission Decision of 20 December 2000 approving the Community support framework for Community structural assistance in the region of Northern Ireland qualifying for transitional support under Objective 1 in the United Kingdom (notified under document number C(2000) 4284)
Date: 2000-12-20
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Community support framework, Northern Ireland, Structural Funds, United Kingdom, regional aid

8.5.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

L 122/9

COMMISSION DECISION

of 20 December 2000

approving the Community support framework for Community structural assistance in the region
of Northern Ireland qualifying for transitional support under Objective 1 in the United Kingdom

(notified under document number C(2000) 4284)

(Only the English text is authentic)

(2002/323/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(4) 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)

Articles 13 and Following 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
that, after consultation with the partners
provides
referred to in Article 8 of the Regulation, the Member
State
a development plan to the
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 the regional development plan submitted
by the Member State and within the partnership
that
established in accordance with Article 8 of
Regulation, the Commission shall take a decision on the
Community Support Framework in agreement with the
Member State concerned.

a

valid

support under Objective 1 pursuant

The United Kingdom Government submitted to the
Commission on 15 November
regional
development plan for Northern Ireland qualifying for
transitional
to
Article 6(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999. The plan
was completed on 3 March. It contains the information
listed in Article 16 of that Regulation, and in particular
a description of the priorities selected and an indication
of
contribution from the European
the European
Regional Development Fund (ERDF),
Social Fund (ESF), the European Agricultural Guidance
and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF), Guidance Section, and

financial

the

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

(5)

(6)

(7)

(8)

(9)

the Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance (FIFG)
and the other
instruments proposed for
implementing the plan.

financial

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
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.

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.

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,

L 122/10

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

8.5.2002

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

The Community Support Framework for Community structural
assistance benefiting from transitional support under Objective
1 in the region of Northern Ireland in the United Kingdom 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
the
and the
employment strategy of the United Kingdom.

and regional policies

economic,

social

(e)

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

(f)

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

the Community

2.
The indicative financing plan puts the total cost of the
priorities selected for the joint action by the Community and
the Member State at EUR 2 109,503 million for the whole
period and the financial allocation from the Structural Funds at
EUR 1 315,495 million.

for national

The resulting requirement
resources of EUR
588,308 million from the public sector and EUR 205,700
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:

(cid:151) peace and reconciliation,

(cid:151) economic growth and renewal,

ERDF

ESF

EUR 745,919 million

EUR 429,586 million

(cid:151) employment, human resource development and social

EAGGF Guidance section

EUR 110,230 million

inclusion,

(cid:151) balanced regional urban and rural development,

FIFG

EUR 29,760 million

(cid:151) north-south and wider cooperation;

(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
the United Kingdom. The financing plan shall
indicate
separately the funding planned for the region receiving
transitional 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;

3.
During implementation of the financing plan, the total
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 Community Support
Framework 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.

Article 3

This Decision is addressed to the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Northern Ireland.

Done at Brussels, 20 December 2000.

For the Commission

Michel BARNIER

Member of the Commission