2002/522/EC: Commission Decision of 20 November 2001 approving the Single Programming Document for Community structural assistance under Objective 2 to technical assistance in France (notified under document number C(2001) 2842/2)
Date: 2001-11-20
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: France, Structural Funds, development plan, financing plan, project evaluation, regional aid, technical cooperation

4.7.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

L 175/61

COMMISSION DECISION

of 20 November 2001

approving the Single Programming Document

for Community structural assistance under

Objective 2 to technical assistance in France

(notified under document number C(2001) 2842/2)

(Only the French text is authentic)

(2002/522/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

(5)

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,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

Articles 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,
on the basis of the regional development plan submitted
by the Member State and within the partnership
established in accordance with Article 8 of
that
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.

draft

2001

technical

9 April

acceptable
for

The French Government submitted to the Commission
on
Single
an
assistance
Programming Document
fulfilling the conditions for Objectives 1 and 2 pursuant
to Articles 3(1) and 4(1) 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 priorities selected and an indication of
the financial contribution from the European Regional
Development Fund (ERDF).

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

(6)

(7)

(8)

(9)

submission of

the draft which was
The date of
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 satisfied itself
Programming Document
principle of additionality.

is

the Single
in accordance with the

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.

in

are

financial

expressed

euro. The

contribution from the Community
The
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,

L 175/62

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

4.7.2002

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

The Single Programming Document
for technical assistance
under Objective 2 in France 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
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 France.

The priorities are as follows:

1. expanding capacity to manage, monitor, check and

evaluate programmes;

2. promoting exchanges of experience and networking;

3. promoting national and Community priorities;

4. monitoring, promotion and coordination;

(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 the European Regional Development
Fund and indicating separately the funding planned for the
regions
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 for the
Single Programming Document
is consistent with the
relevant financial perspective;

receiving transitional

and the

support

(d) the provisions for implementing the Single Programming
Document
the managing
designation
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

including

of

monitoring and evaluation,
Monitoring Committee and the arrangements
participation of the partners in that Committee;

including the role of
for

the
the

(e)

the ex ante verification of compliance with additionality
and information on the transparency of financial flows.

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 22 000 000 for the whole period
and the financial contribution from the ERDF at EUR
11 000 000.

Article 3

1.
The total assistance from the Structural Funds granted
under the Single Programming Document amounts to EUR
11 000 000. 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

2.
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

The date from which expenditure shall be eligible is 9 April
2001. The closing date for the eligibility of expenditure shall
be 31 December 2008.

Article 5

This Decision is addressed to the French Republic.

Done at Brussels, 20 November 2001.

For the Commission

Michel BARNIER

Member of the Commission