2002/437/EC: Commission Decision of 20 November 2001 approving the single programming document for Community structural assistance under Objective 1 to technical assistance in France (notified under document number C(2001) 2842)
Date: 2001-11-20
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: France, Structural Funds, development plan, financing plan, less-favoured region, regional aid, technical cooperation

14.6.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

L 156/59

COMMISSION DECISION

of 20 November 2001

approving the single programming document for Community structural assistance under
Objective 1 to technical assistance in France

(notified under document number C(2001) 2842)

(Only the French text is authentic)

(2002/437/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

(5)

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Com-
munity,

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 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 estab-
lished 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.

The French Government submitted to the Commission
on 9 April 2001 an acceptable draft single programming
document for technical assistance fulfilling the con-
ditions 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 prior-
ities selected and an indication of the financial contri-
bution from the European Regional Development Fund
(ERDF).

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

(6)

(7)

(8)

(9)

The date of submission 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 the Regulation, it is necessary to lay down
the final date for the eligibility of expenditure.

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.

the single
that
is in accordance with the

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 financial contribution from the Community avail-
able over the entire period and its year-by-year break-
down are expressed in euro. The annual breakdown
should be consistent with the relevant financial perspec-
tive. 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 156/60

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

14.6.2002

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

The single programming document for technical assistance
under Objective 1 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 strategy and priorities for the joint action of the
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.

2.

3.

expanding capacity to manage, monitor, check and
evaluate programmes;

promoting exchanges of experience and networking;

promoting national and Community priorities;

4. monitoring, promotion and coordination;

(b)

(c)

a summary description of
implement the priorities;

the measures planned to

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 total amounts of
eligible public or equivalent expenditure and estimated
private funding in the Member State. The total contri-
bution from the Funds planned for each year for the
single programming document is consistent with the
relevant financial perspective;

(d)

the provisions for implementing the single programming
document including designation of the managing auth-
ority, 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 monitor-

ing and evaluation, including the role of the Monitoring
Committee and the arrangements for the participation of
the partners in that Committee;

(e)

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

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 1 916 000 for the whole period and
the financial contribution from the ERDF at EUR 1 437 000.

Article 3

the

single programming document amounts

1.
The total assistance from the Structural Funds granted
to
under
EUR 1 437 000. The procedure for granting the 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.

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 throughout the programme period,
up to a maximum of EUR 60 million, without altering the
total Community contribution referred to in paragraph 1.

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