2002/325/EC: Commission Decision of 31 May 2001 approving the single programming document for Community structural assistance under Objective 2 in the Kustgebied-Westhoek in the province of West Flanders in Belgium (notified under document number C(2001) 868)
Date: 2001-05-31
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Belgium, Province of East Flanders, Structural Funds, regional aid

L 122/14

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

8.5.2002

COMMISSION DECISION

of 31 May 2001

approving the single programming document

for Community structural assistance under

Objective 2 in the Kustgebied-Westhoek in the province of West Flanders in Belgium

(notified under document number C(2001) 868)

(Only the French and Dutch texts are authentic)

(2002/325/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 consulting the Committee on the Development and
Conversion of Regions and the Committee pursuant to Article
147 of the Treaty,

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 single programming documents.

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
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,
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 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.

an

draft

2000

31 May

acceptable

The Flemish Government submitted to the Commission
on
single
programming document for the regions of the province
of West Flanders fulfilling the conditions for Objective 2
pursuant
to Article 4(1) of Regulation (EC) No
1260/1999 and the regions of that province qualifying
for transitional support under Objective 5(b) pursuant
to Article 6(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999. The
draft contains the information listed in Article 16 of the
Regulation, and in particular a description of
the
the financial
priorities selected and an indication of

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

(5)

(6)

(7)

(8)

(9)

contribution from the European Regional Development
Fund (ERDF) and the European Social Fund (ESF) for
implementing the plan.

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
is
necessary to lay down the final date for the eligibility of
expenditure.

the Regulation,

it

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.

in

are

financial

expressed

euro. The

The
contribution from the Community
available over the entire period and its year-by-year
breakdown
annual
breakdown should be consistent with the 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 should be made for adapting the financial
allocations of the priorities of this single programming
document within certain limits to actual requirements
reflected by the pattern of
implementation on the
ground, in agreement with the Member State concerned,

8.5.2002

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Official Journal of the European Communities

L 122/15

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

grants, a description of the systems for monitoring and
evaluation, including the role of the Monitoring Committee
and the arrangements for the participation of the partners
in that Committee;

The single programming document for Community structural
assistance in the regions of the province of West Flanders
eligible under Objective 2 and those qualifying for transitional
support under Objective 5(b) for the period 1 January 2000 to
31 December 2006 is hereby approved.

(e)

(f)

ex

the
transparency of financial flows;

verification

ante

and

information

on

the

information on the resources
monitoring and evaluating the assistance.

required for preparing,

Article 2

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

(a)

the
the strategy and priorities for the joint action of
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 Flanders
(Belgium). The priorities are as follows:

1.

support for the development of tourism;

2.

strengthening the economic fabric;

3. cross-sector

sustainable

qualitative improvement of
living and working;

development
the
the area as a place for

and

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 117 364 043 for the whole period
and the financial contribution from the Structural Funds at
EUR 33 052 000.

The resulting requirement
resources of EUR
70 592 608 from the public sector and EUR 13 719 435 from
the private sector can be partly met by Community loans from
the European Investment Bank and other lending instruments.

for national

Article 3

1.
The total assistance from the Structural Funds granted
under the single programming document amounts to EUR
33 052 000. The procedure
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.

granting

the

for

4.

training and the labour market;

5.

technical assistance;

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

(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;

ERDF

ESF

EUR 30 533 000

EUR 2 519 000

(c)

the indicative financing plan specifying for each priority
and each year the financial allocation envisaged for the
contribution from each Fund,
including, for information,
the total amount from the EAGGF Guarantee Section and
indicating separately the funding planned for the regions
receiving transitional support in respect of Objective 5(b)
and the total amounts of eligible public or equivalent
expenditure and estimated private funding in the Member
State. The total contribution from the Funds planned for
each year
is
consistent with the relevant financial perspective;

the single programming document

for

3.
During implementation of the financing plan, the total
cost or Community financing of a given priority may be
adjusted in agreement with the Member State by up to 25 % of
the total Community contribution to the single programming
document
the programme period, up to a
maximum of EUR 30 million, without altering the total
Community contribution referred to in paragraph 1.

throughout

Article 4

(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

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 it has not
yet approved. Submission of the application for assistance, the

L 122/16

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

8.5.2002

programme complement or a request
for payment by the
Member State does not replace the notification required by
Article 88(3) of the Treaty.

under aid schemes or in individual cases, until such aid has
been notified to and formally approved by the Commission.

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 under 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 87 and 88 to certain
categories of horizontal State aid (2). In the absence of such
exemption or approval, aid is
to the
consequences set out in the procedural regulation for State aid,
and its part-financing would be treated as an irregularity
within the meaning of Articles 38(5) of Regulation (EC) No
1260/1999.

illegal and subject

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

Article 5

The date from which expenditure shall be eligible is 31 May
2000. The closing date for the eligibility of 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.

Article 6

This Decision is addressed to the Kingdom of Belgium.

Done at Brussels, 31. May 2001.

For the Commission

Michel BARNIER

Member of the Commission

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