Council Regulation (EC) No 1083/2006 of  11 July 2006  laying down general provisions on the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund and the Cohesion Fund and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999
Date: 2006-07-11
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: Cohesion Fund, European Regional Development Fund, European Social Fund, competitiveness, cross-border cooperation, economic and social cohesion, financial management, powers of the institutions (EU)

31.7.2006

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Official Journal of the European Union

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COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 1083/2006

of 11 July 2006

laying down general provisions on the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social
Fund and the Cohesion Fund and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

(6)

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Com-
munity, and in particular Article 161 thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,

Having regard to the assent of the European Parliament (1),

Having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and
Social Committee (2),

Having regard to the opinion of
Regions (3),

the Committee of

the

Having regard to the opinion of the Court of Auditors (4),

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

Article 158 of the Treaty provides that,
in order to
strengthen its economic and social cohesion, the Com-
munity is to aim at reducing disparities between the
levels of development of the various regions and the
backwardness of the least favoured regions or islands,
including rural areas. Article 159 of the Treaty requires
this action to be supported by the Structural Funds, the
European Investment Bank (EIB) and the other existing
Financial Instruments.

Cohesion policy should contribute to increasing growth,
competitiveness and employment by incorporating the
Community's priorities for sustainable development as
defined at
the Lisbon European Council of 23 and
24 March 2000 and at the Göteborg European Council
of 15 and 16 June 2001.

social and territorial disparities at both
Economic,
level have increased in the
regional and national
enlarged European Union. Actions
for convergence,
competitiveness and employment should therefore be
increased throughout the Community.

The increase in the number of the Community's land
and sea borders and the extension of its territory mean
that the value added of cross-border, transnational and
interregional cooperation in the Community should be
increased.

The Cohesion Fund should be integrated into the
programming of structural assistance in the interest of
greater coherence in the intervention of
the various
Funds.

The role of the instruments providing aid for rural devel-
opment, namely the European Agricultural Fund for
Rural Development pursuant to Council Regulation (EC)
No 1698/2005 of 20 September 2005 on support for
rural development by the European Agricultural Fund
for Rural Development (EARDF) (5), and for the fisheries
sector, namely a European Fisheries Fund (EFF), should
be specified. Those instruments should be integrated into
the instruments under the common agricultural policy
and the common fisheries policy and coordinated with
those under the cohesion policy.

The Funds providing assistance under the cohesion policy
are therefore limited to the European Regional Develop-
ment Fund (ERDF), the European Social Fund (ESF) and
the Cohesion Fund. The rules applicable to each Fund
are to be specified in implementing regulations adopted
under Articles 148, 161 and 162 of the Treaty.

Under Article 55 of Council Regulation (EC) No 1260/
1999 of 21 June 1999 laying down general provisions
on the Structural Funds (6), the Council is to review that
Regulation on the basis of a proposal from the Commis-
sion by 31 December 2006 at the latest. In order to
implement the reform of the Funds proposed by this
Regulation, Regulation (EC) No 1260/99 should be
repealed.

To increase the value added of Community cohesion
policy, the work of the Structural Funds and of the
Cohesion Fund should be concentrated and simplified
and the objectives set out in Regulation (EC) No 1260/
1999 redefined accordingly as seeking the convergence
of the Member States and the regions, regional competi-
tiveness and employment and European territorial coop-
eration.

(7)

(8)

(9)

(10) Within those three objectives, both economic and social
characteristics and territorial characteristics should be
taken into account in an appropriate fashion.

(11)

The outermost
from specific
regions should benefit
measures and additional funding to offset the handicaps
resulting from the factors referred to in Article 299(2) of
the Treaty.

(1) Assent of 4 July 2006 (not yet published in the Official Journal).
(2) OJ C 255, 14.10.2005, p. 79.
(3) OJ C 231, 20.9.2005, p. 1.
(4) OJ C 121, 20.5.2005, p. 14.

(5) OJ L 277, 21.10.2005, p. 1.
(6) OJ L 161, 26.6.1999, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Regu-

lation (EC) No 173/2005 (OJ L 29, 2.2.2005, p. 3).

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(12)

(13)

The problems of accessibility and remoteness from large
markets confronting areas with an extremely low popu-
lation density, as referred to in Protocol 6 on special
the
provisions for Objective 6 in the framework of
Structural Funds in Finland and Sweden to the 1994 Act
of Accession, require appropriate financial treatment to
offset the effects of these handicaps.

In view of the importance of sustainable urban develop-
ment and the contribution of towns and cities, particu-
larly medium-sized ones,
to regional development,
greater account should be taken of them by developing
their role in programming to promote urban regenera-
tion.

(14)

should take special and complementary
The Funds
action over and above that of the EAFRD and of the EFF
to promote the economic diversification of rural areas
and of areas dependent on fisheries.

(15) Action for areas with a natural handicap,

i.e. certain
islands, mountainous areas and areas with a low popula-
tion density, as well as for certain border areas of the
Community following enlargement, should be strength-
ened to cope with their particular development difficul-
ties.

(16) Objective criteria for designating eligible regions and
areas should be fixed. To this end, the identification of
the priority regions and areas at Community level
should be based on the common system of classification
of the regions established by Regulation (EC) No 1059/
2003 of the European Parliament and the Council of
26 May 2003 on the establishment of a common classi-
fication of territorial units for statistics (NUTS) (1).

capita

gross domestic product

(17) A Convergence objective is to cover the Member States
and regions whose development is lagging behind. The
regions targeted by the Convergence objective are those
whose per
(GDP)
measured in purchasing power parities is less than 75 %
of the Community average. The regions suffering from
the statistical effect linked to the reduction in the Com-
munity average following the enlargement of the Euro-
pean Union are to benefit for that reason from substan-
tial transitional aid in order to complete their conver-
gence process. This aid is to end in 2013 and is not to
be followed by a further
transitional period. The
Member States targeted by the Convergence objective
whose per capita gross national
is less
than 90 % of the Community average are to benefit
under the Cohesion Fund.

income (GNI)

(18) A Regional competitiveness and employment objective is
to cover the territory of the Community outside the
Convergence objective. The regions eligible are those
under Objective 1 in the 2000 to 2006 programming
period which no longer satisfy the regional eligibility
criteria of the Convergence objective and which there-

fore benefit from a transitional aid, as well as all the
other regions of the Community.

(19) A European territorial cooperation objective is to cover
regions having land or sea frontiers, the areas for trans-
national cooperation being defined with regard to
actions promoting integrated territorial development and
support for interregional cooperation and exchange of
experience.

(20)

(21)

(22)

the instruments of

The improvement and simplification of cooperation
along the external borders of the Community entail the
use of
the Community's external
assistance, in particular a European Neighbourhood and
Partnership Instrument and the Instrument for Pre-Ac-
cession Assistance established by Council Regulation
(EC) No 1085/2006 (2).

The contribution from the ERDF to such cooperation
along the external borders of the Community assists in
redressing the main regional
imbalances in the Com-
munity and thus in strengthening its economic and
social cohesion.

The activities of the Funds and the operations which
they help to finance should be consistent with the other
Community policies and comply with Community legis-
lation.

(23) Action by the Community should be complementary to
that carried out by Member States or seek to contribute
to it. The partnership should be strengthened through
arrangements for the participation of various types of
partner, in particular regional and local authorities, with
full
the
regard to the institutional arrangements of
Member States.

(24) Multiannual programming should be directed towards
achieving the Funds' objectives by ensuring the avail-
resources and the
ability of
consistency and continuity of joint action by the Com-
munity and the Member States.

the necessary financial

(25)

Since the Convergence, Regional competitiveness and
employment, and European territorial cooperation objec-
tives cannot be sufficiently achieved by the Member
States by reason of the extent of the disparities and the
limit on the financial resources of the Member States
and regions eligible under the Convergence objective
and can therefore be better achieved at Community level
through the multiannual guarantee of Community
finance which allows cohesion policy to be concentrated
the Community may
on the Community's priorities,
in accordance with the principle of
adopt measures,
subsidiarity as set out in Article 5 of the Treaty.
In
accordance with the principle of proportionality, as set
out in that Article, this Regulation does not go beyond
what is necessary in order to achieve those objectives.

(1) OJ L 154, 21.6.2003, p. 1. Regulation as amended by Regulation

(EC) No 1888/2005 (OJ L 309, 25.11.2005, p. 1).

(2) See page 82 of this Official Journal.

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(26)

It is appropriate to set measurable targets for Member
States of the European Union as constituted before 1 May
2004 to aim to achieve through expenditure under the
Convergence and Regional competitiveness and employ-
ment objectives with a view to promoting competitive-
ness and creating jobs. It is necessary to identify appro-
priate ways to measure and report the attainment of
those targets.

(27)

is appropriate to strengthen the subsidiarity and
the Structural
the intervention of

It
proportionality of
Funds and of the Cohesion Fund.

(28) Under Article 274 of the Treaty, in the context of shared
management, the conditions allowing the Commission
to exercise its responsibilities for implementation of the
general budget of the European Union should be speci-
fied and the responsibilities of cooperation by the
Member States clarified. Applying these conditions
that
should enable the Commission to satisfy itself
Member States are using the Funds in a legal and regular
manner and in accordance with the principle of sound
financial management within the meaning of the Finan-
cial Regulation.

(29)

(30)

(31)

In order to ensure a genuine economic impact, contribu-
tions from the Structural Funds should not replace
public expenditure by Member States under the terms of
this Regulation. Verification, through partnership, of the
principle of additionality should concentrate on the
regions under the Convergence objective because of the
extent of the financial resources allocated to them and
may result in a financial correction if additionality is not
observed.

In the context of its effort in favour of economic and
social cohesion, the Community, at all stages of imple-
mentation of the Funds, has as its goals to eliminate
inequalities and to promote equality between men and
women as enshrined in Articles 2 and 3 of the Treaty, as
well as combating discrimination based on sex, racial or
ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual
orientation.

The Commission should establish the indicative annual
breakdown of available commitment appropriations
using an objective and transparent method, taking into
account the Commission's proposal, the conclusions of
the European Council of 15 and 16 December 2005 and
the Interinstitutional Agreement of 17 May 2006
between the European Parliament, the Council and the
Commission on budgetary discipline and sound financial
management (1) with a view to achieving a significant
concentration on the regions whose development
is
including those receiving transitional
lagging behind,
support because of the statistical effect.

(32)

Financial concentration on the Convergence objective
should be increased because of the greater disparities

(1) OJ C 139, 14.6.2006, p. 1.

within the enlarged European Union, the effort in favour
of the Regional competitiveness and employment objec-
tive to improve competitiveness and employment in the
rest of the Community should be maintained and the
resources for European territorial cooperation objective
should be increased in view of its particular value added.

The annual appropriations allocated to a Member State
under the Funds should be limited to a ceiling fixed with
regard to its capacity for absorption.

Three per cent of the Structural Funds appropriations
allocated to Member States under the Convergence and
Regional competitiveness and employment objectives
may be placed in a national reserve for rewarding perfor-
mance.

(33)

(34)

(35)

The appropriations available under the Funds should be
indexed on a flat-rate basis for use in programming.

(36)

To increase the strategic content and promote the trans-
parency of cohesion policy through integration with the
Community's priorities, the Council should adopt stra-
tegic guidelines on a proposal from the Commission.
The Council should examine the implementation of
those guidelines by Member States on the basis of stra-
tegic reporting by the Commission.

(37) On the basis of the strategic guidelines adopted by the
Council,
is appropriate that each Member State
it
in dialogue with the Commission, a national
prepare,
reference document on its development strategy, which
should constitute the framework for preparing opera-
tional programmes. On the basis of the national strategy,
the Commission should take note of the national stra-
tegic reference framework and take a decision on certain
of its elements.

(38)

features

The programming and management of the Structural
should be simplified having regard to their
Funds
specific
operational
providing
programmes to be financed by either the ERDF or the
ESF, with each being able to finance in a complementary
and limited fashion actions which fall under the scope of
the other Fund.

for

by

(39) With a view to improving complementarities and simpli-
fying execution, the assistance of the Cohesion Fund and
the ERDF should be jointly programmed in the case of
operational programmes on transport and the environ-
ment and should have a national geographical coverage.

(40)

Programming should ensure coordination of the Funds
between themselves and with the other existing financial
the EIB and the European Investment
instruments,
Fund (EIF). Such coordination should also cover the
preparation
and
complex
public-private partnerships.

financial

schemes

of

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(41)

is appropriate to ensure that

It
improved access to
finance and innovative financial engineering are available
primarily to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises
and for investing in public-private partnerships and
other projects included in an integrated plan for sustain-
able urban development. Member States may decide to
set up a holding fund through the award of public
contracts pursuant to public procurement law, including
any derogation in national law compatible with Com-
munity law. In other cases, where Member States are
satisfied that public procurement law is not applicable,
the definition of tasks of the EIF and the EIB justifies
that Member States award them a grant that is a direct
financial contribution from operational programmes by
way of donation. Under the same conditions, national
law may provide for the possibility of awarding a grant
to other financial institutions without a call for proposal.

(42) When appraising major productive investment projects,
the Commission should have all necessary information
to consider whether the financial contribution from the
Funds does not result in a substantial
loss of jobs in
existing locations within the European Union, in order
to ensure that Community funding does not support
relocation within the European Union

(43)

The programming period is to last for a single period of
seven years in order to maintain the simplification of the
management system defined in Regulation (EC) No 1260/
1999.

(44) Member States and managing authorities may organise
within the operational programmes co-financed by the
ERDF the arrangements for interregional cooperation
and may take account of the special features of areas
with natural handicaps.

(45)

In order to address the need for simplification and
decentralisation, programming and financial manage-
ment should be carried out at the level of the operational
programmes and priority axes alone; the Community
support
framework and the programme complement
provided for in Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999 should
be discontinued.

(48)

(49)

There should be separate arrangements for implementa-
tion of the European territorial cooperation objective
financed by the ERDF.

The Commission should be able to approve major
projects included in operational programmes, if neces-
sary in consultation with the EIB, in order to evaluate
their purpose and impact, as well as the arrangements
for the planned use of Community resources.

(50)

It is useful to specify the types of action which the
Funds should support as technical assistance.

(51)

(52)

(53)

(54)

There is a need to ensure that sufficient resources are
devoted to assist Member States in project preparation
and appraisal. The EIB has a role to play in providing
such assistance and could be awarded a grant by the
Commission to this end.

Similarly it is appropriate to provide that the EIF could
be awarded a grant from the Commission to undertake
an evaluation of the needs of innovative financial engi-
neering instruments available for micro,
small and
medium-sized enterprises.

For the same reasons as mentioned above, the EIB and
the EIF could be awarded a grant by the Commission to
undertake technical assistance actions in the area of
sustainable urban development or to support restruc-
turing measures for sustainable economic activity in
regions significantly affected by economic crisis.

The effectiveness of assistance from the Funds also
depends on the incorporation of a reliable evaluation
into programming and monitoring. The responsibilities
of Member States and the Commission in this regard
should be specified.

(55) Within their national envelope under the Convergence
and Regional competitiveness and employment objec-
tives, Member States may provide for a small reserve to
respond swiftly to unexpected sectoral or local shocks
resulting from socio-economic restructuring or
the
effects of trade agreements.

(46) Within the operational programmes co-financed by the
ERDF under the Convergence and the Regional competi-
tiveness and employment objectives, Member States,
regions and managing authorities may organise sub-dele-
in respect of priorities
gation to urban authorities
concerning the regeneration of towns and cities.

(56)

(47)

The additional allocation to offset the additional costs
faced by the outermost regions should be integrated into
the operational programmes financed by the ERDF in
those regions.

to this end it

It is appropriate to define what expenditure in a Member
State can be assimilated to public expenditure for the
purpose of calculating the total national public contribu-
is
tion to an operational programme;
appropriate to refer to the contribution of the ‘bodies
governed by public law’ as defined in the Community
public
bodies
directives
comprise several types of public or private body estab-
lished for the specific purpose of meeting needs in the
general interest not having an industrial or commercial
character and which are controlled by the State, or
regional and local authorities.

procurement

since

such

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(57)

(58)

(59)

(60)

(61)

Funds

in particular,

contribution from the

It is necessary to determine the elements for modulating
the
to operational
programmes,
to increase the multiplier
effect of Community resources. It is also appropriate to
establish the maximum ceilings which contributions
from the Funds cannot exceed on the basis of the type
of Fund and objective.

It is also necessary to define the notion of a revenue-ge-
nerating project and to identify the community princi-
ples and rules for calculating the contribution from the
Funds; for some investments it is objectively not possible
to estimate the revenue in advance and it is therefore
necessary to define the methodology for ensuring that
this revenue is excluded from public funding.

The starting and closing dates for the eligibility of expen-
diture should be defined so as to provide a uniform and
equitable rule applying to the implementation of the
Funds across the Community. In order to facilitate the
execution of operational programmes, it is appropriate
to establish that the starting date for the eligibility of
expenditure may be prior to 1 January 2007 if the
Member
an operational
concerned
State
programme before that date.

submits

In accordance with the principle of subsidiarity and
subject to exceptions provided for in Regulation (EC)
No 1080/2006 of the European Parliament and of the
Council of 5 July 2006 on the European Regional Devel-
opment Fund (1), Regulation (EC) No 1081/2006 of the
European Parliament and of the Council of 5 July 2006
on
and Council
Regulation (EC) No 1084/2006 of 11 July 2006 on the
Cohesion Fund (3), there should be national rules on the
eligibility of expenditure.

European

Fund (2)

Social

the

To ensure the effectiveness,
fairness and sustainable
impact of the intervention of the Funds, there should be
provisions guaranteeing that investments in businesses
are long-lasting and preventing the Funds from being
used to introduce undue advantage. It is necessary to
ensure that investments which benefit from assistance
under the Funds can be written off over a sufficiently
long period.

It

authority.
is also necessary to guarantee uniform
quality standards for the certification of expenditures
and of payment requests before they are sent to the
Commission. It is necessary to clarify the nature and
quality of the information on which these requests are
based and, to this end, to establish the functions of the
certifying authority.

(64) Monitoring of operational programmes is necessary to
ensure the quality of their implementation. To this end,
monitoring committees should be set up and their
responsibilities defined, together with the information to
be transmitted to the Commission and the framework
for examining that information. In order to improve the
exchange of
information on the implementation of
operational programmes, the principle of exchange of
data by electronic means should be established.

(65)

In accordance with the principles of subsidiarity and
proportionality, Member States should have the primary
responsibility for the implementation and control of the
interventions.

(66)

The obligations on the Member States as
regards
management and control systems, the certification of
expenditure, and the prevention, detection and correc-
tion of irregularities and infringements of Community
law should be specified to guarantee the efficient and
correct implementation of operational programmes. In
is
particular, concerning management and control,
necessary to establish the procedures by which Member
States give the assurance that the systems are in place
and function satisfactorily.

it

control,

financial

(67) Without prejudice to the Commission's powers as
regards
cooperation between the
Member States and the Commission in this field should
be increased and criteria should be established which
allow the Commission to determine, in the context of its
strategy of control of national systems, the level of assur-
ance it can obtain from national audit bodies.

(62) Member States should adopt adequate measures to guar-
antee the proper functioning of their management and
control systems. To this end, it is necessary to establish
the general principles and the necessary functions which
the control systems of all operational programmes are to
fulfil on the basis of the body of Community law in
force for the programming period 2000 to 2006.

(68)

(63)

It is therefore necessary to designate a single managing
authority for each operational programme and to clarify
its responsibilities as well as the functions of the audit

(1) See page 1 of this Official Journal.
(2) See page 12 of this Official Journal.
(3) See page 79 of this Official Journal.

The extent and intensity of Community controls should
the Community's
be proportionate to the extent of
contribution. Where a Member State is
the main
provider of the financing for a programme, it is appro-
priate that there should be an option for that Member
State to organise certain elements of the control arrange-
ments according to national rules. In these same circum-
stances, it is necessary to establish that the Commission
differentiates the means by which Member States should
fulfil the functions of certification of expenditures and of
verification of the management and control system and
to establish the conditions under which the Commission
is entitled to limit its own audit and rely on the assur-
ances provided by national bodies.

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(69)

(70)

(71)

The payment on account at the start of operational
programmes ensures a regular cash flow which facilitate
payments to beneficiaries in the implementation of the
operational programme. Therefore, provisions should be
made for payments on account for the Structural Funds
of 5 % (for Member States of the European Union as
constituted before 1 May 2004) and of 7 % (for Member
States that acceded to the European Union on or after
1 May 2004), and for the Cohesion Fund of 7,5 % (for
Member States of the European Union as constituted
before 1 May 2004) and of 10,5 % (for Member States
that acceded to the European Union on or after 1 May
2004), to help speed up implementation of operational
programmes.

(72)

(73)

In addition to the suspension of payments where a
serious deficiency is detected in the management and
control systems, there should be measures allowing the
authorising officer by delegation to interrupt payments
where there is evidence to suggest a significant defi-
ciency in the sound operation of these systems.

The rules on automatic decommitment will speed up the
implementation of programmes. To this end, it is appro-
priate to define the arrangements for their application
and the parts of the budgetary commitment which may
be excluded from them, notably when delays in imple-
mentation result from circumstances which are indepen-
dent of the party concerned, abnormal or unforeseeable
and whose consequences cannot be avoided despite the
diligence shown.

The procedures for closure should be simplified by
offering the possibility to those Member States which so
wish, in accordance with the schedule which they select,
to partially close an operational programme in respect
of completed operations; the appropriate framework for
doing so should be provided.

The measures necessary for the implementation of this
Regulation should be adopted in accordance with
Council Decision 1999/468/EC of 28 June 1999 laying
down the procedures for the exercise of implementing
powers conferred on the Commission (1). The Commis-
sion is to adopt the measures implementing this Regu-
lation for ensuring the transparency and clarifying the
provisions applicable to the management of operational
programmes as regards the categorisation of expendi-
ture,
financial engineering, management and control,
electronic exchange of data and publicity after obtaining
the opinion of the Coordination Committee of the Funds
acting as a management committee.
It is appropriate
that the Commission publishes the list of eligible areas
for the European territorial cooperation objective in
application of the criteria set out in this Regulation, the
indicative guidelines on the cost-benefit analysis neces-
sary for
the preparation and submission of major
projects and for revenue generating projects, the indica-
tive guidelines on evaluation and the list of actions
eligible under technical assistance at the initiative of the
Commission after consultation of
the Coordination
Committee of
the Funds acting as a consultative
committee,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

(1) OJ L 184, 17.7.1999, p. 23.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

TITLE I

OBJECTIVES AND GENERAL RULES ON ASSISTANCE ..............................

CHAPTER I

SCOPE AND DEFINITIONS ...................................................................

Article 1

Article 2

Subject matter ...................................................................................

Definitions ........................................................................................

CHAPTER II

OBJECTIVES AND MISSIONS ................................................................

Article 3

Article 4

Objectives .........................................................................................

Instruments and missions .....................................................................

CHAPTER III

GEOGRAPHICAL ELIGIBILITy ...............................................................

Article 5

Article 6

Article 7

Article 8

Convergence .....................................................................................

Regional competitiveness and employment ...............................................

European Territorial Cooperation ...........................................................

Transitional support ............................................................................

CHAPTER IV

PRINCIPLES OF ASSISTANCE ...............................................................

Article 9

Article 10

Article 11

Article 12

Article 13

Article 14

Article 15

Article 16

Article 17

Complementarity, consistency, coordination and compliance ........................

Programming ....................................................................................

Partnership .......................................................................................

Territorial level of implementation .........................................................

Proportional intervention .....................................................................

Shared management ............................................................................

Additionality .....................................................................................

Equality between men and women and non-discrimination ..........................

Sustainable development ......................................................................

CHAPTER V

FINANCIAL FRAMEWORK ...................................................................

Article 18

Article 19

Article 20

Article 21

Article 22

Article 23

Article 24

Global resources ................................................................................

Resources for the Convergence objective ..................................................

Resources for the Regional competitiveness and employment objective ...........

Resources for the European territorial cooperation objective .........................

Non transferability of resources .............................................................

Resources for the performance reserve ....................................................

Resources for technical assistance ...........................................................

TITLE II

STRATEGIC APPROACH TO COHESION ................................................

CHAPTER I

COMMUNITY STRATEGIC GUIDELINES ON COHESION ............................

Article 25

Article 26

Content ............................................................................................

Adoption and review ...........................................................................

CHAPTER II

NATIONAL STRATEGIC REFERENCE FRAMEWORK .................................

Article 27

Article 28

Content ............................................................................................

Preparation and adoption .....................................................................

36

36

36

36

36

36

37

37

37

38

38

38

38

38

39

39

39

39

39

40

40

40

40

40

41

41

41

42

42

42

42

42

42

42

43

43

43

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CHAPTER III

STRATEGIC FOLLOW UP ....................................................................

Article 29

Strategic reporting by the Member States .................................................

Article 30

Strategic reporting by the Commission and debate on cohesion policy ...........

Article 31

Cohesion report .................................................................................

TITLE III

PROGRAMMING ...............................................................................

CHAPTER I

GENERAL PROVISIONS ON THE STRUCTURAL FUNDS AND THE COHESION
FUND ..............................................................................................

Article 32

Preparation and approval of operational programmes .................................

Article 33

Revision of operational programmes .......................................................

Article 34

Specific character of the Funds ..............................................................

Article 35

Geographical scope .............................................................................

Article 36

Participation by the European Investment Bank and the European Investment
Fund ...............................................................................................

CHAPTER II

PROGRAMMING CONTENT .................................................................

SECTION 1

OPERATIONAL PROGRAMMES ............................................................

Article 37

Operational programmes for the Convergence and Regional competitiveness
and employment objectives ..................................................................

Article 38

Operational programmes for the European territorial cooperation objective .....

SECTION 2

MAJOR PROJECTS .............................................................................

Article 39

Content ............................................................................................

Article 40

Information submitted to the Commission ...............................................

Article 41

Decision of the Commission .................................................................

SECTION 3

GLOBAL GRANTS .............................................................................

Article 42

General provisions ..............................................................................

Article 43

Implementing rules .............................................................................

SECTION 4

FINANCIAL ENGINEERING ..................................................................

Article 44

Financial engineering instruments ..........................................................

SECTION 5

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ...................................................................

Article 45

Technical assistance at the initiative of the Commission ..............................

Article 46

Technical assistance of the Member States ................................................

TITLE IV

EFFECTIVENESS .................................................................................

CHAPTER I

EVALUATION ...................................................................................

Article 47

General provisions ..............................................................................

Article 48

Responsibility of Member States ............................................................

Article 49

Responsibility of the Commission ..........................................................

CHAPTER II

RESERVES ........................................................................................

Article 50

National performance reserve ................................................................

Article 51

National contingency reserve ................................................................

44

44

44

44

45

45

45

45

45

45

46

46

46

46

47

47

47

47

48

48

48

48

48

48

49

49

49

50

50

50

50

50

51

51

51

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TITLE V

FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTION FROM THE FUNDS .....................................

CHAPTER I

CONTRIBUTION FROM THE FUNDS .....................................................

Article 52

Article 53

Article 54

Modulation of the contribution rates .......................................................

Contribution from the Funds .................................................................

Other provisions ................................................................................

CHAPTER II

REVENUE-GENERATING PROJECTS .......................................................

Article 55

Revenue-generating projects .................................................................

CHAPTER III

ELIGIBILITY OF EXPENDITURE .............................................................

Article 56

Eligibility of expenditure ......................................................................

CHAPTER IV

DURABILITY OF OPERATIONS .............................................................

Article 57

Durability of operations .......................................................................

TITLE VI

MANAGEMENT, MONITORING AND CONTROLS ....................................

CHAPTER I

MANAGEMENT AND CONTROL SYSTEMS .............................................

Article 58

Article 59

Article 60

Article 61

Article 62

General principles of the management and control systems ..........................

Designation of authorities ....................................................................

Functions of the managing authority .......................................................

Functions of the certifying authority .......................................................

Functions of the audit authority .............................................................

CHAPTER II

MONITORING ...................................................................................

Article 63

Article 64

Article 65

Article 66

Article 67

Article 68

Monitoring committee .........................................................................

Composition .....................................................................................

Tasks ...............................................................................................

Arrangements for monitoring ................................................................

Annual report and final report on implementation .....................................

Annual examination of programmes .......................................................

CHAPTER III

INFORMATION AND PUBLICITY ..........................................................

Article 69

Information and publicity .....................................................................

CHAPTER IV

RESPONSIBILITIES OF MEMBER STATES AND OF THE COMMISSION ..........

SECTION 1

RESPONSIBILITIES OF MEMBER STATES ................................................

Article 70

Article 71

Management and control

.....................................................................

Setting up of management and control systems .........................................

SECTION 2

RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE COMMISSION ..............................................

Article 72

Article 73

Responsibilities of the Commission .........................................................

Cooperation with the audit authorities of the Member States ........................

SECTION 3

PROPORTIONALITY IN THE CONTROL OF OPERATIONAL PROGRAMMES

Article 74

Proportional control arrangements .........................................................

TITLE VII

FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT .................................................................

CHAPTER I

FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT .................................................................

SECTION 1

BUDGET COMMITMENTS ....................................................................

Article 75

Budget commitments ..........................................................................

51

51

51

51

52

52

52

53

53

53

53

53

53

53

54

54

55

55

56

56

56

56

56

56

57

58

58

58

58

58

58

59

59

59

59

59

60

60

60

60

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SECTION 2

COMMON RULES FOR PAYMENTS .......................................................

Article 76

Article 77

Article 78

Article 79

Article 80

Article 81

Common rules for payments .................................................................

Common rules for calculating interim payments and payments of the final
balance ............................................................................................

Statement of expenditure .....................................................................

Accumulation of pre-financing and of interim payments .............................

Wholeness of payment to beneficiaries ....................................................

Use of the euro ..................................................................................

SECTION 3

PRE-FINANCING ................................................................................

Article 82

Article 83

Article 84

Payment ...........................................................................................

Interest ............................................................................................

Clearance .........................................................................................

SECTION 4

INTERIM PAYMENTS ..........................................................................

Article 85

Article 86

Article 87

Interim payments ...............................................................................

Acceptability of applications for payment ................................................

Date of presentation of applications for payment and payment delays ............

SECTION 5

PROGRAMME CLOSURE AND PAYMENT OF FINAL BALANCE ...................

Article 88

Article 89

Article 90

SECTION 6

Article 91

Article 92

Partial closure ....................................................................................

Conditions for the payment of the final balance ........................................

Availability of documents .....................................................................

INTERRUPTION OF THE PAYMENT DEADLINE AND SUSPENSION OF
PAYMENTS .......................................................................................

Interruption of the payment deadline ......................................................

Suspension of payments .......................................................................

SECTION 7

AUTOMATIC DECOMMITMENT ...........................................................

Article 93

Article 94

Article 95

Article 96

Article 97

Principles .........................................................................................

Period for interruption for major projects and aid schemes ..........................

Period of interruption for legal proceedings and administrative appeals ...........

Exceptions to the automatic decommitment .............................................

Procedure .........................................................................................

CHAPTER II

FINANCIAL CORRECTIONS .................................................................

SECTION 1

FINANCIAL CORRECTION BY MEMBER STATES ......................................

Article 98

Financial corrections by Member States ...................................................

SECTION 2

FINANCIAL CORRECTIONS BY THE COMMISSION ..................................

Article 99

Criteria for the corrections ...................................................................

Article 100

Procedure .........................................................................................

Article 101

Obligations of Member States ................................................................

Article 102

Repayment .......................................................................................

TITLE VIII

COMMITTEES ...................................................................................

CHAPTER I

COORDINATION COMMITTEE OF THE FUNDS .......................................

Article 103

Committee procedure ..........................................................................

CHAPTER II

COMMITTEE UNDER ARTICLE 147 OF THE TREATY ................................

Article 104

Committee under Article 147 of the Treaty ..............................................

60

60

60

61

61

62

62

62

62

62

62

63

63

63

63

63

63

63

64

64

64

64

65

65

65

65

65

65

66

66

66

66

66

66

67

67

67

67

67

67

67

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TITLE IX

FINAL PROVISIONS ...........................................................................

Article 105

Article 106

Article 107

Article 108

ANNEX I

ANNEX II

ANNEX III

ANNEX IV

Transitional provisions ........................................................................

Review clause ....................................................................................

Repeal .............................................................................................

Entry into force .................................................................................

Annual breakdown of commitment appropriations for 2007 to 2013 ............

Financial framework ...........................................................................

Ceilings applicable to co-financing rates ..................................................

Categories of expenditure .....................................................................

68

68

68

68

68

70

71

75

76

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TITLE I

OBJECTIVES AND GENERAL RULES ON ASSISTANCE

CHAPTER I

Scope and definitions

Article 1

Subject matter

This Regulation lays down the general rules governing the
European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the European
Social Fund (ESF)
(hereinafter referred to as the Structural
Funds) and the Cohesion Fund, without prejudice of the specific
provisions laid down in Regulations (EC) No 1080/2006, (EC)
No 1081/2006 and (EC) No 1084/2006.

This Regulation defines the objectives to which the Structural
Funds and the Cohesion Fund (hereinafter referred to as the
Funds) are to contribute, the criteria for Member States and
regions to be eligible under those Funds, the financial resources
available and the criteria for their allocation.

This Regulation defines
for cohesion policy,
including the method for establishing the Community strategic
guidelines on cohesion, the national strategic reference frame-
work and the process for examination at Community level.

the context

(4) ‘beneficiary’: an operator, body or firm, whether public or
private, responsible for initiating or initiating and imple-
menting operations. In the context of aid schemes under
Article 87 of the Treaty, beneficiaries are public or private
firms carrying out an individual project and receiving
public aid;

(5) ‘public expenditure’: any public contribution to the finan-
cing of operations whose origin is the budget of the State,
of regional and local authorities, of the European Commu-
nities related to the Structural Funds and the Cohesion
Fund and any similar expenditure. Any contribution to the
financing of operations whose origin is the budget of
public law bodies or associations of one or more regional
or local authorities or public law bodies acting in accord-
ance with Directive 2004/18/EC of the European Parlia-
ment and of the Council of 31 March 2004 on the coordi-
the award of public works
nation of procedures
contracts, public supply contracts and public service
contracts (1) shall be regarded as similar expenditure;

for

(6) ‘intermediate body’: any public or private body or service
which acts under the responsibility of a managing or certi-
fying authority, or which carries out duties on behalf of
such an authority vis-à-vis beneficiaries
implementing
operations;

(7) ‘irregularity’: any infringement of a provision of Com-
munity law resulting from an act or omission by an
economic operator which has, or would have, the effect of
prejudicing the general budget of the European Union by
charging an unjustified item of expenditure to the general
budget.

partnership,

To this end, this Regulation lays down the principles and rules
on
evaluation, management,
including financial management, monitoring and control on
the basis of responsibilities shared between the Member States
and the Commission.

programming,

Article 2

Definitions

For the purposes of this Regulation, the following terms shall
have the meanings assigned to them here:

(1) ‘operational programme’: document

a
Member State and adopted by the Commission setting out
a development strategy with a coherent set of priorities to
be carried out with the aid of a Fund, or, in the case of the
Convergence objective, with the aid of the Cohesion Fund
and the ERDF;

submitted by

(2) ‘priority axis’: one of the priorities of the strategy in an
operational programme comprising a group of operations
which are related and have specific measurable goals;

authority

(3) ‘operation’: a project or group of projects selected by the
managing
operational programme
the
concerned or under its responsibility according to criteria
laid down by the monitoring committee and implemented
by one or more beneficiaries allowing achievement of the
goals of the priority axis to which it relates;

of

CHAPTER II

Objectives and missions

Article 3

Objectives

1.
The action taken by the Community under Article 158 of
the Treaty shall be designed to strengthen the economic and
social cohesion of the enlarged European Union in order to
promote the harmonious, balanced and sustainable develop-
ment of the Community. This action shall be taken with the
aid of the Funds, the European Investment Bank (EIB) and
other existing financial instruments. It shall be aimed at redu-
cing the economic, social and territorial disparities which have
arisen particularly in countries and regions whose development
is lagging behind and in connection with economic and social
restructuring and the ageing of the population.

The action taken under the Funds shall incorporate, at national
and regional
level, the Community's priorities in favour of
sustainable development by strengthening growth, competitive-
ness, employment and social inclusion and by protecting and
improving the quality of the environment.

(1) OJ L 134, 30.04.2004, p. 114.

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To that end, the ERDF, the ESF, the Cohesion Fund, the
2.
EIB and the other existing Community financial
instruments
shall each contribute in an appropriate way towards achieving
the following three objectives:

(a)

the

the Convergence objective, which shall be aimed at
speeding up the
least-developed
convergence of
Member States and regions by improving conditions for
growth and employment
through the increasing and
improvement of the quality of investment in physical and
human capital, the development of innovation and of the
knowledge society, adaptability to economic and social
changes, the protection and improvement of the environ-
ment, and administrative efficiency. This objective shall
constitute the priority of the Funds;

(b) the Regional competitiveness and employment objective,
which shall, outside the least-developed regions, be aimed
at strengthening regions' competitiveness and attractiveness
as well as employment by anticipating economic and social
including those linked to the opening of trade,
changes,
through the increasing and improvement of the quality of
investment in human capital, innovation and the promo-
tion of the knowledge society, entrepreneurship, the protec-
tion and improvement of
the environment, and the
improvement of accessibility, adaptability of workers and
businesses as well as the development of
inclusive job
markets; and

(c)

aimed at

strengthening

the European territorial cooperation objective, which shall
be
cooperation
through joint local and regional
initiatives, strengthening
transnational cooperation by means of actions conducive to
integrated territorial development linked to the Community
priorities, and strengthening interregional cooperation and
exchange of experience at the appropriate territorial level.

cross-border

3.
Under the three objectives referred to in paragraph 2,
assistance from the Funds shall, according to their nature, take
into account specific economic and social features, on the one
hand, and specific territorial features, on the other. The assis-
tance shall,
in an appropriate manner, support sustainable
urban development particularly as part of regional development
and the renewal of rural areas and of areas dependent on fish-
eries through economic diversification. The assistance shall also
support areas affected by geographical or natural handicaps
which aggravate the problems of development, particularly in
the outermost regions as referred to in Article 299(2) of the
Treaty as well as the northern areas with very low population
density, certain islands and island Member States, and mountai-
nous areas.

Article 4

Instruments and missions

(a) the Convergence objective:

the ERDF,

the ESF and the

Cohesion Fund;

(b) the Regional competitiveness and employment objective:

the ERDF and the ESF; and

(c)

the European territorial cooperation objective: the ERDF.

2.
The Cohesion Fund shall also intervene in those regions
not eligible for support from the Convergence objective under
the criteria set out in Article 5(1) which belong to:

(a) a Member State eligible for support from the Cohesion

Fund under the criteria set out in Article 5(2); and

(b) a Member State eligible for support from the Cohesion

Fund under the criteria set out in Article 8(3).

3.
The Funds shall contribute towards the financing of tech-
nical assistance on the initiative of the Member States and the
Commission.

CHAPTER III

Geographical eligibility

Article 5

Convergence

for

statistics

The regions eligible for funding from the Structural Funds
1.
under
the Convergence objective shall be regions corre-
sponding to level 2 of the common classification of territorial
units
(hereinafter NUTS level 2) within the
meaning of Regulation (EC) No 1059/2003 whose gross
domestic product (GDP) per capita, measured in purchasing
power parities and calculated on the basis of Community
figures for the period 2000 to 2002, is less than 75 % of the
average GDP of the EU-25 for the same reference period.

The Member States eligible for funding from the Cohe-
2.
sion Fund shall be those whose gross national income (GNI)
per capita, measured in purchasing power parities and calcu-
lated on the basis of Community figures for the period 2001 to
2003, is less than 90 % of the average GNI of the EU-25 and
which have a programme for meeting the economic conver-
gence conditions referred to in Article 104 of the Treaty.

3.
Immediately following the entry into force of this Regu-
lation, the Commission shall adopt the list of regions fulfilling
the criteria under paragraph 1 and of Member States fulfilling
the criteria under paragraph 2. This list shall be valid from
1 January 2007 to 31 December 2013.

1.
The Funds shall contribute, each in accordance with the
specific provisions governing it, towards achieving the three
objectives referred to in Article 3(2) as follows:

The eligibility of Member States for the Cohesion Fund shall be
reviewed in 2010 on the basis of Community GNI figures for
the EU-25.

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Article 6

Regional competitiveness and employment

The regions eligible for funding from the Structural Funds
under the Regional competitiveness and employment objective
shall be those not covered by Article 5(1) and Article 8(1) and
(2).

When presenting the national strategic reference framework
referred to in Article 27, each Member State concerned shall
indicate the NUTS level 1 or NUTS level 2 regions for which it
will present a programme for financing by the ERDF.

Article 7

European Territorial Cooperation

1.
For the purpose of cross-border cooperation, the NUTS
level 3 regions of the Community along all internal and certain
external land borders and all NUTS level 3 regions of the Com-
munity along maritime borders separated, as a general rule, by
a maximum of 150 kilometres shall be eligible for financing
taking into account potential adjustments needed to ensure the
coherence and continuity of the cooperation action.

Immediately following the entry into force of this Regulation,
the Commission shall adopt, in accordance with the procedure
referred to in Article 103(2), the list of the eligible regions.
This list shall be valid from 1 January 2007 to 31 December
2013.

For

transnational

the purpose of

the
2.
Commission, in accordance with the procedure referred to in
Article 103(2), shall adopt the list of the eligible transnational
areas broken down by programme. This list shall be valid from
1 January 2007 to 31 December 2013.

cooperation,

3.
For the purpose of interregional cooperation, cooperation
networks and exchange of experience, the entire territory of
the Community shall be eligible.

Article 8

Transitional support

1.
The NUTS level 2 regions which would have been eligible
for Convergence objective status under Article 5(1) had the
eligibility threshold remained at 75 % of the average GDP of
the EU-15, but which lose eligibility because their nominal
GDP per capita level will exceed 75 % of the average GDP of
the EU-25, measured and calculated according to Article 5(1),
shall be eligible, on a transitional and specific basis, for finan-
cing by the Structural Funds under the Convergence objective.

2.
The NUTS level 2 regions totally covered by Objective 1
in 2006 under Article 3 of Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999
whose nominal GDP level per capita, measured and calculated
according to Article 5(1), will exceed 75 % of the average GDP
of the EU15 shall be eligible, on a transitional and specific
basis, for financing by the Structural Funds under the Regional
competitiveness and employment objective.

Recognising that, on the basis of revised figures for the period
1997 to 1999, Cyprus should have been eligible for Objective 1
in 2004 to 2006, Cyprus shall benefit in 2007 to 2013 from
the transitional financing applicable to the regions referred to
in the first subparagraph.

eligibility threshold remained at 90 % of

3.
The Member States eligible for funding from the Cohe-
sion Fund in 2006 which would have continued to be eligible
had the
the
average GNI of the EU-15, but which lose eligibility because
their nominal per capita GNI will exceed 90 % of the average
GNI of
the EU-25 measured and calculated according to
Article 5(2), shall be eligible, on a transitional and specific
basis, for financing by the Cohesion Fund under the Conver-
gence objective.

Immediately following the entry into force of this Regu-
4.
lation, the Commission shall adopt the list of regions fulfilling
the criteria under paragraphs 1 and 2 and of Member States
fulfilling the criteria under paragraph 3. This list shall be valid
from 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2013.

CHAPTER IV

Principles of assistance

Article 9

Complementarity, consistency, coordination and compli-
ance

The Funds shall provide assistance which complements
including actions at the regional and local

1.
national actions,
levels, integrating into them the priorities of the Community.

2.
The Commission and the Member States shall ensure that
assistance from the Funds is consistent with the activities, poli-
cies and priorities of the Community and complementary to
other financial instruments of the Community. This consistency
and complementarity shall be indicated in particular in Com-
munity strategic guidelines on cohesion, in the national stra-
tegic reference framework and in the operational programmes.

3.
The assistance co-financed by the Funds shall target the
European Union priorities of promoting competitiveness and
creating jobs, including meeting the objectives of the Integrated
Guidelines for Growth and Jobs (2005 to 2008) as set out by
Council Decision 2005/600/EC of 12 July 2005 (1). To this
end,
in accordance with their respective responsibilities, the
Commission and the Member States shall ensure that 60 % of
expenditure for the Convergence objective and 75 % of expen-
diture for the Regional competitiveness and employment objec-
tive for all the Member States of the European Union as consti-
tuted before 1 May 2004 is set for the abovementioned priori-
ties. These targets, based on the categories of expenditure in
Annex IV, shall apply as an average over the entire program-
ming period.

(1) OJ L 205, 6.8.2005, p. 21.

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With a view to ensuring that specific national circumstances,
including the priorities
reform
programme of each Member State concerned, are taken into
account, the Commission and that Member State may decide to
complement in an appropriate manner the list of categories of
Annex IV.

identified in the national

Each Member State concerned shall contribute to these targets.

At their own initiative, Member States that acceded to the Euro-
pean Union on or after 1 May 2004 may decide to apply these
provisions.

4.
In accordance with their respective responsibilities, the
Commission and the Member States shall ensure the coordina-
tion between the assistance from the Funds, the EAFRD, the
EFF and the interventions of the EIB and of other existing finan-
cial instruments.

Operations financed by the Funds shall comply with the

5.
provisions of the Treaty and of acts adopted under it.

implementation,
The partnership shall cover the preparation,
and evaluation of operational programmes.
monitoring
Member States shall
involve, where appropriate, each of the
relevant partners, and particularly the regions, in the different
stages of programming within the time limit set for each stage.

3.
Each year the Commission shall consult the organisations
representing the economic and social partners at European
level on assistance from the Funds.

Article 12

Territorial level of implementation

Implementation of operational programmes referred to in
Article 32 shall be the responsibility of Member States at the
appropriate territorial level, in accordance with the institutional
system specific to each Member State. That responsibility shall
be exercised in accordance with this Regulation.

Article 10

Programming

The objectives of the Funds shall be pursued in the framework
of a multiannual programming system organised in several
stages comprising the identification of the priorities, the finan-
cing, and a system of management and control.

Article 11

Partnership

1.
The objectives of the Funds shall be pursued in the frame-
work of close cooperation, (hereinafter referred to as partner-
ship), between the Commission and each Member State. Each
Member State shall organise, where appropriate and in accord-
ance with current national rules and practices, a partnership
with authorities and bodies such as:

(a)

the competent regional,
authorities;

local, urban and other public

(b) the economic and social partners;

(c) any other appropriate body representing civil society, envir-
onmental partners, non-governmental organisations, and
bodies responsible for promoting equality between men
and women.

Each Member State shall designate the most representative part-
ners at national, regional and local level and in the economic,
social, environmental or other spheres (hereinafter referred to
as partners), in accordance with national rules and practices,
taking account of the need to promote equality between men
and women and sustainable development through the integra-
tion of environmental protection and improvement require-
ments.

2.
The partnership shall be conducted in full compliance
with the respective institutional, legal and financial powers of
each partner category as defined in paragraph 1.

Article 13

Proportional intervention

1.
The financial and administrative resources employed by
the Commission and Member States in the implementation of
the Funds in relation to:

(a) the choice of indicators provided for in Article 37(1)(c);

(b) the evaluation under Articles 47 and 48;

(c)

the general principles of management and control systems
referred to in Article 58(e) and (f);

(d) the reporting as referred to in Article 67,

shall be proportional to the total amount of expenditure allo-
cated to an operational programme.

2.
In addition, specific provisions relating to proportionality
in relation to controls are set out in Article 74 of this Regu-
lation.

Article 14

Shared management

1.
The budget of the European Union allocated to the Funds
shall be implemented within the framework of shared manage-
ment between the Member States and the Commission,
in
accordance with Article 53(1)(b) of Council Regulation (EC,
Euratom) No 1605/2002 of 25 June 2002 on the Financial
Regulation applicable to the general budget of the European
Communities (1), with the exception of the technical assistance
referred to in Article 45 of this Regulation.

The principle of sound financial management shall be applied
in accordance with Article 48(2) of Regulation (EC, Euratom)
No 1605/2002.

(1) OJ L 248, 16.9.2002, p. 1.

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The Commission shall exercise its

2.
responsibility for
implementing the general budget of the European Union in the
following ways:

(a)

the Commission shall check the existence and proper func-
tioning of management and control systems in the Member
States in accordance with the procedures described in Arti-
cles 71, 72 and 73;

(b) the Commission shall

interrupt the payment deadline or
suspend all or part of payments in accordance with Arti-
cles 91 and 92 if the national management and control
systems fail, and shall apply any other financial correction
required,
in accordance with the procedures described in
Articles 100 and 101;

(c)

the Commission shall check reimbursements of payments
on account and automatically decommit budget commit-
ments in accordance with the procedures laid down in
Article 82(2) and Articles 93 to 97.

Article 15

Additionality

1.
Contributions from the Structural Funds shall not replace
public or equivalent structural expenditure by a Member State.

For regions covered by the Convergence objective, the
2.
Commission and the Member State shall determine the level of
public or equivalent structural expenditure which the Member
State shall maintain in all the regions concerned during the
programming period.

The level of expenditure by a Member State shall be one of the
the Commission on the
items covered by the decision of
national
in
referred
Article 28(3). The methodological paper of the Commission,
adopted in accordance with the procedure referred to in
Article 103(3), shall provide guidance.

framework

reference

strategic

to

As a general rule, the level of the expenditure referred to
3.
in paragraph 2 shall be at least equal to the amount of average
annual expenditure in real terms attained during the previous
programming period.

Furthermore, the level of expenditure shall be determined with
reference to the general macroeconomic conditions in which
the financing is carried out and taking into account certain
specific or exceptional economic situations, such as privatisa-
level of public or equivalent
tions as well as an exceptional
structural expenditure by the Member State during the previous
programming period.

this mid-term verification,

The Commission shall, in cooperation with each Member
4.
State, verify additionality mid-term in 2011 for the Conver-
gence objective. As part of
the
Commission,
in consultation with the Member State, may
decide to modify the required level of structural expenditure if
the economic situation in the Member State concerned has
significantly changed from the one existing at the moment of
the determination of the level of public or equivalent structural
expenditure referred to in paragraph 2. The decision of the

Commission referred to in Article 28(3) shall be amended to
reflect this adjustment.

The Commission shall, in cooperation with each Member State,
verify additionality ex post on 31 December 2016 for the
Convergence objective.

The Member State shall transmit to the Commission the infor-
mation required to enable the verification of compliance with
the level of public or equivalent structural expenditure deter-
mined ex ante. Where necessary, methods of statistical estima-
tion should be used.

The Commission shall publish the results by Member State of
the verification of the additionality, including the methodology
and sources of information, after the conclusion of each of the
three stages of verification.

Article 16

Equality between men and women and non-discrimination

The Member States and the Commission shall ensure that
equality between men and women and the integration of the
gender perspective is promoted during the various stages of
implementation of the Funds.

The Member States and the Commission shall take appropriate
steps to prevent any discrimination based on sex, racial or
ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orienta-
tion during the various stages of implementation of the Funds
and, in particular, in the access to them. In particular, accessi-
bility for disabled persons shall be one of the criteria to be
observed in defining operations co-financed by the Funds and
to be taken into account during the various stages of imple-
mentation.

Article 17

Sustainable development

The objectives of the Funds shall be pursued in the framework
of sustainable development and the Community promotion of
the goal of protecting and improving the environment as set
out in Article 6 of the Treaty.

CHAPTER V

Financial framework

Article 18

Global resources

1.
The resources available for commitment from the Funds
for the period 2007 to 2013 shall be EUR 308 041 000 000 at
2004 prices in accordance with the annual breakdown shown
in Annex I.

For the purpose of programming and subsequent inclusion in
the general budget of the European Union, the amount referred
to in the first subparagraph shall be indexed at 2 % per year.

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The breakdown of budgetary resources by the objectives
defined in Article 3(2) shall be such as to achieve a significant
concentration on the regions of the Convergence objective.

2.
The Commission shall make indicative annual break-
downs by Member States in accordance with the criteria and
methodology set out in Annex II without prejudice to the
provisions referred to in Articles 23 and 24.

3.
The amounts referred to in paragraphs 12 to 30 of
Annex II shall be included in the amounts referred to in Arti-
cles 19, 20 and 21 and shall be clearly identified in the
programming documents.

Article 19

Resources for the Convergence objective

Overall resources for the Convergence objective shall amount
to 81,54 % of the resources referred to in Article 18(1) (i.e. a
total of EUR 251 163 134 221) and shall be distributed
between the different components as follows:

(a) 70,51 % (i.e. a total of EUR 177 083 601 004)

for the
financing referred to in Article 5(1), using eligible popula-
tion, regional prosperity, national prosperity and unem-
ployment rate as the criteria for calculating the indicative
breakdowns by Member State;

(b) 4,99 % (i.e. a total of EUR 12 521 289 405) for the transi-
tional and specific support referred to in Article 8(1), using
eligible population, regional prosperity, national prosperity
and unemployment rate as the criteria for calculating the
indicative breakdowns by Member State;

(c) 23,22 % (i.e. a total of EUR 58 308 243 811) for the finan-
cing referred to in Article 5(2), using population, national
prosperity, and surface area as the criteria for calculating
the indicative breakdowns by Member State;

(d) 1,29 % (i.e. a total of EUR 3 250 000 000) for the transi-

tional and specific support referred to in Article 8(3).

Article 20

Resources for the Regional competitiveness and employ-
ment objective

Overall resources for the Regional competitiveness and employ-
ment objective shall amount
the resources
referred to in Article 18(1) (i.e. a total of EUR 49 127 784 318)
and shall be distributed between the different components as
follows:

to 15,95 % of

(b) 21,14 % (i.e. a total of EUR 10 385 306 630) for the transi-
tional and specific support referred to in Article 8(2), using
eligible population, regional prosperity, national prosperity
and unemployment rate as the criteria for calculating the
indicative breakdowns by Member State.

Article 21

Resources for the European territorial cooperation objec-
tive

Overall resources for the European territorial cooperation
1.
objective shall amount to 2,52 % of the resources referred to in
Article 18(1) (i.e. a total of EUR 7 750 081 461) and, excluding
the amount referred to in paragraph 22 of Annex II, shall be
distributed between the different components as follows:

(a) 73,86 % (i.e. a total of EUR 5 576 358 149) for the finan-
cing of cross-border cooperation referred to in Article 7(1),
using eligible population as the criterion for calculating the
indicative breakdowns by Member State;

(b) 20,95 % (i.e. a total of EUR 1 581 720 322) for the finan-
cing of transnational cooperation referred to in Article 7(2),
using eligible population as the criterion for calculating the
indicative breakdowns by Member State;

(c) 5,19 % (i.e. a total of EUR 392 002 991) for the financing
interregional cooperation, cooperation networks and

of
exchange of experience referred to in Article 7(3).

2.
The contribution from the ERDF to the cross-border and
sea-basin programmes under the European Neighbourhood and
Partnership Instrument and to the cross-border programmes
under the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance pursuant to
Regulation (EC) No 1085/2006 shall be EUR 813 966 000, as
a result of the indication of each Member State concerned,
deducted from their allocations under paragraph 1(a). These
ERDF contributions shall not be subject to reallocation between
the Member States concerned.

3.
The contribution from the ERDF to each cross-border and
sea-basin programme under the instruments referred to in para-
graph 2 shall be granted provided that the contribution from
such instruments to each such programme is at least equivalent
to the contribution from the ERDF. However, this equivalence
shall be subject to a maximum amount of EUR 465 690 000
under the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instru-
ment and of EUR 243 782 000 under the Instrument
for
Pre-Accession Assistance.

(a) 78,86 % (i.e. a total of EUR 38 742 477 688) for the finan-
cing referred to in Article 6, using eligible population,
regional prosperity, unemployment rate, employment rate
and population density as the criteria for calculating the
indicative breakdowns by Member State; and

4.
The annual appropriations corresponding to the contribu-
tion from the ERDF mentioned in paragraph 2 shall be entered
in the relevant budget lines of the cross-border strand of the
instruments
referred to in paragraph 2 with the 2007
budgetary exercise.

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5.
In 2008 and in 2009, the annual contribution from the
ERDF mentioned in paragraph 2 for which no operational
programme has been submitted to the Commission by 30 June
at the latest under the cross-border and sea-basin strands of the
instruments referred to in paragraph 2 shall then be made
available to the Member State concerned for the financing of
cross-border cooperation under paragraph 1(a), including coop-
eration on external borders.

If by 30 June 2010 at the latest, there are still operational
programmes under the cross-border and sea-basin strands of
the instruments referred to in paragraph 2 which have not
been submitted to the Commission, the entire contribution
from the ERDF mentioned in paragraph 2 for the remaining
years up to 2013 shall then be made available to the Member
States concerned for financing cross-border cooperation under
paragraph 1(a), including cooperation on external borders.

If,

6.
following the adoption by the Commission of the
cross-border and sea basin programmes mentioned in para-
graph 2, such programmes need to be discontinued on the
grounds that:

(a)

the partner country does not sign the financing agreement
by the end of
the
programme; or

the year following the adoption of

(b) the programme cannot be implemented owing to problems
arising in relations between the participating countries,

the contribution from the ERDF mentioned in paragraph 2
corresponding to the annual
instalments not yet committed
shall be made available to the Member States concerned, at
for the financing of cross-border cooperation
their request,
including cooperation on external
under paragraph 1(a),
borders.

Article 22

Non transferability of resources

The total appropriations allocated by Member State under each
of the objectives of the Funds and their components shall not
be transferable between them.

By way of derogation from the first subparagraph, each
Member State under the European territorial cooperation objec-
tive may transfer up to 15 % of the financial allocation of one
of the components referred to in Article 21(1)(a) and (b) to the
other.

Article 23

Resources for the performance reserve

Article 24

Resources for technical assistance

Of the resources referred to in Article 18(1), 0,25 % shall be
devoted to technical assistance for the Commission as defined
in Article 45.

TITLE II

STRATEGIC APPROACH TO COHESION

CHAPTER I

Community strategic guidelines on cohesion

Article 25

Content

The Council shall establish at Community level concise strategic
guidelines on economic, social and territorial cohesion defining
an indicative framework for the intervention of the Funds,
taking account of other relevant Community policies.

For each of the objectives of the Funds, those guidelines shall
in particular give effect to the priorities of the Community with
a view to promoting the harmonious, balanced and sustainable
development of the Community referred to in Article 3(1).

Those guidelines shall be established taking into account the
integrated guidelines, comprising broad economic policy guide-
lines and employment guidelines, adopted by the Council in
accordance with the procedures laid down in Articles 99 and
128 of the Treaty.

Article 26

Adoption and review

The Commission shall propose, following close cooperation
with Member States, the Community strategic guidelines on
this Regulation. By
cohesion referred to in Article 25 of
1 February 2007 the Community strategic guidelines on cohe-
sion shall be adopted in accordance with the procedure laid
down in Article 161 of the Treaty. The Community strategic
guidelines on cohesion shall be published in the Official Journal
of the European Union.

The Community strategic guidelines on cohesion may be
subject, following close cooperation with Member States, to
mid-term review in accordance with the procedure laid down
in the first subparagraph if required in order to take account of
any major changes in the priorities of the Community.

Three per cent of the resources referred to in Article 19(a) and
(b) and Article 20 may be allocated in accordance with
Article 50.

The mid-term review of the Community strategic guidelines on
cohesion shall not impose an obligation on Member States to
revise either the operational programmes or their respective
national strategic reference frameworks.

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CHAPTER II

National strategic reference framework

Article 27

Content

The Member State shall present a national strategic refer-
1.
ence framework which ensures that assistance from the Funds
is consistent with the Community strategic guidelines on cohe-
sion, and which identifies the link between Community priori-
ties, on the one hand, and its national reform programme, on
the other.

2.
Each national strategic reference framework shall consti-
tute a reference instrument for preparing the programming of
the Funds.

3.
The national strategic reference framework shall apply to
the Convergence objective and the Regional competitiveness
and employment objective. It may also, if a Member State so
decides, apply to the European territorial cooperation objective,
without prejudice to the future choices of other Member States
concerned.

The national strategic reference framework shall contain

4.
the following elements:

(a) an analysis of development disparities, weaknesses and
potential, taking into account trends in the European and
world economy;

(b) the strategy chosen on the basis of that analysis, including
the thematic and territorial priorities. Where appropriate
these priorities shall include actions relating to sustainable
urban development, the diversification of rural economies
and areas dependent on fisheries;

(c)

the list of operational programmes for the Convergence
and Regional competitiveness and employment objectives;

(d) a description of how the expenditure for the Convergence
and Regional competitiveness and employment objectives
to the European Union priorities of
will contribute
promoting competitiveness and creating jobs,
including
the Integrated Guidelines for
meeting the objectives of
laid down in
Growth and Jobs
Article 9(3).

(2005 to 2008) as

(e)

the indicative annual allocation from each Fund by
programme;

(f)

for regions of the Convergence objective only:

(i)

the action envisaged for reinforcing the Member State's
administrative efficiency;

(ii) the amount of the total annual appropriation provided

for under the EAFRD and the EFF;

(ii) the information required for ex ante verification of
compliance with the additionality principle referred to
in Article 15;

(g) for Member States eligible for the Cohesion Fund under
Articles 5(2) and 8(3), information on the mechanisms for
ensuring coordination between operational programmes
themselves and between these and the EAFRD, the EFF and,
where appropriate,
the interventions of the EIB and of
other existing financial instruments.

In addition, the national strategic reference framework

5.
may also contain, where relevant, the following elements:

(a) the procedure for coordination between Community cohe-
sion policy and the relevant national, sectoral and regional
policies of the Member State concerned;

(b) for Member States other

information on the mechanisms

than those referred to in
for
paragraph 4(g),
ensuring coordination between operational programmes
themselves and between these and the EAFRD, the EFF and
the interventions of the EIB and of other existing financial
instruments.

6.
The information contained in the national strategic refer-
ence framework shall take account of the specific institutional
arrangements of each Member State.

Article 28

Preparation and adoption

The national

1.
strategic reference framework shall be
prepared by the Member State, after consultation with relevant
partners as referred to in Article 11, in accordance with the
procedure that it considers most appropriate and with its insti-
tutional structure. It shall cover the period 1 January 2007 to
31 December 2013.

The Member State shall prepare the national strategic reference
framework in dialogue with the Commission, with a view to
ensuring a common approach.

2.
Each Member State shall transmit the national strategic
reference framework to the Commission within five months
following the adoption of the Community strategic guidelines
on cohesion. The Commission shall take note of the national
strategy and the priority themes chosen for assistance from the
Funds, and make such observations as it considers appropriate
within three months from the date of receipt of the framework.

The Member State may present at the same time the national
strategic reference framework and the operational programmes
referred to in Article 32.

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3.
Before or at the same time as the adoption of the opera-
tional programmes referred to in Article 32(5), the Commis-
sion, following consultation with the Member State, shall take a
decision covering:

4.
References to the national reform programme in this
Article shall relate to the Integrated Guidelines for Growth and
Jobs (2005 to 2008) and shall equally apply to any equivalent
guidelines defined by the European Council.

(a)

list of operational programmes

the
Article 27(4)(c);

referred to in

(b) the indicative annual allocation from each Fund by

programme referred to in Article 27(4)(e); and

(c)

for the Convergence objective only, the level of expenditure
guaranteeing compliance with the additionality principle
referred to in Article 15 and the action envisaged for rein-
forcing
in
efficiency
Article 27(4)(f)(i).

administrative

referred

to

as

CHAPTER III

Strategic follow-up

Article 29

Strategic reporting by the Member States

Article 30

Strategic reporting by the Commission and debate on
cohesion policy

1.
For the first time in 2008, and annually thereafter, the
Commission shall include in its Annual Progress Report to the
Spring European Council a section summarising the reports of
in particular
the Member States referred to in Article 29(1),
progress towards achieving the European Union priorities of
promoting
including
meeting the objectives of the Integrated Guidelines for Growth
and Jobs (2005 to 2008) as laid down in Article 9(3).

competitiveness

and creating

jobs,

2.
In the years 2010 and 2013, and at the latest by 1 April,
the Commission shall prepare a strategic report summarising
the reports of the Member States referred to in Article 29(2).
As appropriate, this report shall be incorporated as a specific
section in the report referred to in Article 159 of the Treaty.

time in 2007, each Member State shall
For the first
1.
include in the annual
implementation report on its national
reform programme a concise section on the contribution of the
operational programmes co-financed by the Funds towards the
implementation of the national reform programme.

The Council shall examine the strategic report referred to
3.
in paragraph 2 as soon as possible after its publication. It shall
be submitted to the European Parliament,
the European
Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the
Regions, and these institutions shall be invited to hold a debate
on it.

2.
At the latest by the end of 2009 and 2012, the Member
States shall provide a concise report containing information on
the contribution of the programmes co-financed by the Funds:

(a)

towards implementing the objectives of cohesion policy as
established by the Treaty;

(b) towards fulfilling the tasks of the Funds as set out in this

Regulation;

(c)

towards implementing the priorities detailed in the Com-
munity strategic guidelines on cohesion referred to in
Article 25 and specified in the priorities set by the national
strategic reference framework referred to in Article 27; and

(d) towards achieving the objective of promoting competitive-
ness and job creation and working towards meeting the
objectives of the Integrated Guidelines for Growth and Jobs
(2005 to 2008) as laid down in Article 9(3).

Article 31

Cohesion report

The report of the Commission referred to in Article 159

1.
of the Treaty shall include in particular:

(a) a record of the progress made on economic and social
cohesion, including the socio-economic situation and devel-
opment of the regions, as well as the integration of Com-
munity priorities;

(b) a record of the role of the Funds, the EIB and the other
financial instruments, as well as the effect of other Com-
munity and national policies on the progress made.

Each Member State shall define the content of the reports

3.
referred to in paragraph 2, with a view to identifying:

2.

The report shall also contain, if necessary:

(a)

the socio-economic situation and trends;

(b) achievements, challenges and future prospects in relation to

implementation of the agreed strategy; and

(c) examples of good practice.

(a) any proposals on Community measures and policies which
should be adopted in order to strengthen economic and
social cohesion;

(b) any proposed adjustments to the Community strategic
guidelines on cohesion needed to reflect changes in Com-
munity policy.

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TITLE III

PROGRAMMING

CHAPTER I

General provisions on the structural funds and the cohesion
fund

Article 32

Preparation and approval of operational programmes

1.
The activities of the Funds in the Member States shall
take the form of operational programmes within the national
strategic reference framework. Each operational programme
shall cover a period between 1 January 2007 and 31 December
2013. An operational programme shall cover only one of the
three objectives referred to in Article 3, save as otherwise
agreed between the Commission and the Member State.

2.
Each operational programme shall be drawn up by the
Member State or any authority designated by the Member
State, in cooperation with the partners referred to in Article 11.

The Member State shall submit a proposal for an opera-
3.
tional programme to the Commission containing all
the
components referred to in Article 37 as soon as possible but
no later than five months following the adoption of the Com-
munity strategic guidelines on cohesion, as referred to in
Article 26.

4.
The Commission shall appraise the proposed operational
programme to determine whether it contributes to the goals
and priorities of the national strategic reference framework and
the Community strategic guidelines on cohesion. Where the
Commission, within two months following the receipt of the
operational
operational
programme does not contribute to the achievement of the
objectives of the national strategic reference framework and the
Community strategic guidelines on cohesion, it may invite the
Member State to provide all necessary additional information
and, where appropriate, to revise the proposed programme
accordingly.

programme,

considers

that

an

The Commission shall adopt each operational programme
5.
as soon as possible but no later than four months following its
formal submission by the Member State and not before
1 January 2007.

Article 33

Revision of operational programmes

1.
At the initiative of the Member State or the Commission
in agreement with the Member State concerned, operational
programmes may be re-examined and,
the
remainder of the programme revised, in one or more of the
following cases:

if necessary,

(a)

following significant socio-economic changes;

(b) in order to take greater or different account of major
changes in Community, national or regional priorities;

(c)

in the light of the evaluation referred to in Article 48(3); or

(d) following implementation difficulties.

Operational programmes
revised
shall,
following allocation of the reserves referred to in Articles 50
and 51.

if necessary, be

2.
The Commission shall adopt a decision on a request for
revision of operational programmes as soon as possible but no
later than three months after its formal submission by the
Member State.

The revision of operational programmes shall not require
the Commission referred to in

the decision of

3.
revision of
Article 28(3).

Article 34

Specific character of the Funds

Operational programmes shall receive financing from

1.
only one Fund, save as otherwise provided in paragraph 3.

2. Without prejudice to the derogations laid down in the
specific regulations of the Funds, the ERDF and the ESF may
finance,
in a complementary manner and subject to a limit
of 10 % of Community funding for each priority axis of an
operational programme, actions falling within the scope of
assistance from the other Fund, provided that they are neces-
sary for the satisfactory implementation of the operation and
are directly linked to it.

In the Member States receiving support from the Cohe-
3.
sion Fund,
jointly
the ERDF and the Cohesion Fund shall
provide assistance for operational programmes on transport
infrastructure and the
including for major
environment,
projects.

Article 35

Geographical scope

1.
Operational programmes submitted under the Conver-
gence objective shall be drawn up at the appropriate geogra-
phical level and at least at NUTS level 2.

Operational programmes submitted under the Convergence
objective with a contribution from the Cohesion Fund shall be
drawn up at national level.

2.
Operational programmes submitted under the Regional
competitiveness and employment objective shall be drawn up
at NUTS level 1 or NUTS level 2, in accordance with the insti-
tutional system specific to the Member State, for regions bene-
fiting from financing by the ERDF, save as otherwise agreed
between the Commission and the Member State. They shall be
drawn up by the Member State at the appropriate level if they
are financed by the ESF.

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3.
Operational programmes submitted under the European
territorial cooperation objective for cross-border cooperation
shall be drawn up, as a general rule, for each border or group
of borders by an appropriate grouping at NUTS level 3,
including enclaves. Operational programmes submitted under
the European territorial cooperation objective for transnational
cooperation shall be drawn up at the level of each transnational
cooperation area. Interregional cooperation and exchange of
experience programmes shall relate to the whole territory of
the Community.

Article 36

Participation by the European Investment Bank and the
European Investment Fund

The EIB and the EIF may participate, in accordance with
1.
the modalities laid down in their statutes, in the programming
of assistance from the Funds.

The EIB and the EIF may, at the request of Member
2.
States, participate in the preparation of national strategic refer-
ence frameworks and operational programmes, as well as in
activities relating to the preparation of projects, in particular
major projects, the arrangement of finance, and public-private
partnerships. The Member State, in agreement with the EIB and
the EIF, may concentrate the loans granted on one or more
priorities of an operational programme,
in particular in the
spheres of innovation and the knowledge economy, human
capital, the environment and basic infrastructure projects.

3.
The Commission may consult the EIB and the EIF before
adoption of the decision referred to in Article 28(3) and of the
operational programmes. That consultation shall relate in par-
ticular to operational programmes containing an indicative list
of major projects or programmes which, by the nature of their
priorities, are suitable for mobilising loans or other types of
market-based financing.

The Commission may, if it considers it appropriate for
4.
the appraisal of major projects, request the EIB to examine the
technical quality and economic and financial viability of the
projects concerned, in particular as regards the financial engi-
neering instruments to be implemented or developed.

The Commission, in implementing the provisions of this

5.
Article, may award a grant to the EIB or the EIF.

CHAPTER II

Programming content

S e c ti on 1

Op erati onal p rogramme s

Article 37

Operational programmes

for
Regional competitiveness and employment objectives

the Convergence

and

(a) an analysis of the situation of the eligible area or sector in
terms of strengths and weaknesses and the strategy chosen
in response;

(b) a justification of the priorities chosen having regard to the
Community strategic guidelines on cohesion, the national
strategic reference framework, as well as the results of the
ex ante evaluation referred to in Article 48;

(c)

information on the priority axes and their specific targets.
Those targets shall be quantified using a limited number of
indicators for output and results, taking into account the
proportionality principle. The indicators
shall make it
possible to measure the progress in relation to the baseline
situation and the achievement of the targets of the priority
axis;

(d) for information purposes, an indicative breakdown by cate-
gory of the programmed use of the contribution from the
Funds to the operational programme in accordance with
the implementing rules of this Regulation adopted by the
Commission in accordance with the procedure referred to
in Article 103(3);

(e) a financing plan containing two tables:

(i) a table breaking down for each year,

in accordance
with Articles 52, 53 and 54, the amount of the total
financial appropriation envisaged for the contribution
from each Fund. The financing plan shall show sepa-
rately within the total annual contribution from the
Structural
appropriations provided for
regions receiving transitional support. The total contri-
bution from the Funds provided for annually shall be
compatible with the applicable financial
framework
taking into account the phased reduction laid down in
paragraph 6 of Annex II;

Funds

the

(ii) a table specifying, for the whole programming period,
for the operational programme and for each priority
axis, the amount of the total financial appropriation of
the Community contribution and the national counter-
parts and the rate of contribution from the Funds.
Where in accordance with Article 53,
the national
counterpart is made up of public and private expendi-
ture,
the table shall give the indicative breakdown
between the public and the private components. Where
in accordance with Article 53, the national counterpart
is made up of public expenditure, the table shall indi-
cate the amount of the national public contribution. It
shall show, for information, the contribution from the
EIB and the other existing financial instruments;

Operational programmes relating to the Convergence and
shall

1.
Regional competitiveness and employment objectives
contain:

(f)

information on complementarity with measures financed
by the EAFRD and those financed by the EFF, where rele-
vant;

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(g) the

implementing

provisions

for

the

operational

programme, including:

(i)

designation by the Member State of all the entities
referred to in Article 59 or, if the Member State exer-
cises the option provided for in Article 74, the designa-
tion of other bodies and procedures in accordance
with the rules laid down in Article 74;

(ii) a description of

the monitoring and evaluation

systems;

(iii)

information about the competent body for receiving
the payments made by the Commission and the body
or bodies responsible for making payments to the
beneficiaries;

(iv) a definition of the procedures for the mobilisation and
circulation of financial flows in order to ensure their
transparency;

(v)

the elements aiming at ensuring the publicity and the
information of the operational programme as referred
to in Article 69;

(vi) a description of the procedures agreed between the
Commission and the Member State for the exchange of
computerised data to meet the payment, monitoring
and evaluation requirements laid down by this Regu-
lation;

(h) an indicative list of major projects within the meaning of
Article 39, which are expected to be submitted within the
programming period for Commission approval.

2.
Operational programmes financed jointly by the ERDF
and the Cohesion Fund with respect to transport and the envir-
onment shall contain priority axis specific to each Fund and a
specific commitment by Fund.

(EC) No

1080/2006,

3. Without prejudice to the second subparagraph of Article 5
of Regulation
operational
programme under the Regional competitiveness and employ-
include a justification for the thematic,
ment objective shall
geographical and financial concentration on the priorities as
laid down respectively in Article 5 of that Regulation and in
Article 4 of Regulation (EC) No 1081/2006.

each

6.
At the initiative of the Member State, the operational
programmes financed by the ERDF may also contain for the
Convergence and Regional competitiveness and employment
objectives:

(a) the list of cities chosen for addressing urban issues and the
procedures for sub-delegation to urban authorities, possibly
by means of a global grant;

(b) actions for interregional cooperation with, at least, one

regional or local authority of another Member State.

At

the initiative of

the Member State concerned,

the
7.
operational programmes for the ESF may also contain for the
Convergence and Regional Competitiveness and Employment
objectives a horizontal approach or a dedicated priority axis for
interregional and transnational actions involving the national,
regional or local authorities of at least one other Member State.

Article 38

Operational programmes

the European territorial

for
cooperation objective

Specific rules on operational programmes are laid down in the
Regulation (EC) No 1080/2006 as
regards operational
programmes under the European territorial cooperation objec-
tive.

Se c ti on 2

Maj or p roj e c t s

Article 39

Content

As part of an operational programme, the ERDF and the Cohe-
sion Fund may finance expenditure in respect of an operation
comprising a series of works, activities or services intended in
itself to accomplish an indivisible task of a precise economic or
technical nature, which has clearly identified goals and whose
total cost exceeds EUR 25 million in the case of the environ-
ment and EUR 50 million in other fields (hereinafter referred to
as major projects).

4.
Operational programmes financed by the ERDF shall
contain in addition for the Convergence and Regional competi-
tiveness and employment objectives:

Article 40

(a)

information on the approach to the sustainable urban
development where appropriate;

Information submitted to the Commission

(b) Specific priority axis for the measures financed under the
additional allocation referred to in paragraph 20 of Annex II
in operational programmes providing assistance in outer-
most regions;

Operational programmes affected by one or more specific
5.
allocations referred to in the additional provisions in Annex II
shall contain information on the procedures foreseen to allo-
cate and ensure the monitoring of these specific allocations.

The Member State or the managing authority shall provide the
Commission with the following information on major projects:

(a)

information on the body to be responsible for implementa-
tion;

(b)

information on the nature of the investment and a descrip-
tion of it, its financial volume and location;

(c)

the results of the feasibility studies;

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(d) a timetable for implementing the project and, where the
implementation period for
the operation concerned is
expected to be longer than the programming period, the
phases for which Community co-financing is requested
during the 2007 to 2013 programming period;

(e) a cost-benefit analysis, including a risk assessment and the
foreseeable impact on the sector concerned and on the
socio-economic situation of the Member State and/or the
region and, when possible and where appropriate, of other
regions of the Community;

tional programme to one or more intermediate bodies, desig-
nated by the Member State or
the managing authority,
including local authorities, regional development bodies or
non-governmental organisations, in accordance with the provi-
sions of an agreement concluded between the Member State or
the managing authority and that body.

Such delegation shall be without prejudice to the financial
responsibility of the managing authority and of the Member
States.

(f) an analysis of the environmental impact;

(g) a justification for the public contribution;

(h) the financing plan showing the total planned financial
resources and the planned contribution from the Funds, the
EIB, the EIF and all other sources of Community financing,
including the indicative annual plan of the financial contri-
bution from the ERDF or the Cohesion Fund for the major
project.

The Commission shall provide indicative guidance on the
methodology to be used in carrying out
the cost-benefit
analysis in (e) above in accordance with the procedure referred
to in Article 103(2).

Article 41

The intermediate body responsible for managing the
2.
global grant shall provide guarantees of
its solvency and
competence in the domain concerned as well as in administra-
tive and financial management. It shall as a general rule be
established or represented in the region or regions covered by
the operational programme at the moment of its designation.

Article 43

Implementing rules

The agreement
Article 42(1) shall detail in particular:

referred to in the first

subparagraph of

(a) the types of operation to be covered by the global grant;

Decision of the Commission

(b) the criteria for selecting beneficiaries;

The Commission shall appraise the major project,

1.
if
necessary consulting outside experts, including the EIB, in the
its consistency
light of the factors referred to in Article 40,
with the priorities of the operational programme, its contribu-
tion to achieving the goals of those priorities and its consis-
tency with other Community policies.

The Commission shall adopt a decision as soon as
2.
possible but no later than three months after the submission by
the Member State or the managing authority of a major
project, provided that the submission is in accordance with
Article 40. That decision shall define the physical object, the
amount to which the co-financing rate for the priority axis
applies, and the annual plan of financial contribution from the
ERDF or the Cohesion Fund.

3. Where the Commission refuses to make a financial contri-
bution from the Funds to a major project, it shall notify the
Member State of its reasons within the period and the related
conditions laid down in paragraph 2.

S e c ti on 3

Gl ob al grant s

Article 42

General provisions

1.
The Member State or the managing authority may entrust
the management and implementation of a part of an opera-

(c)

the rates of assistance from the Funds and the rules
governing that assistance, including as regards the use of
any interest accruing;

(d) the arrangements for monitoring, evaluating and ensuring
the financial control of the global grant referred to in
Article 59(1) vis-à-vis the managing authority,
including
the arrangements for recovering amounts unduly paid and
the presentation of accounts;

(e) where applicable, any use of a financial guarantee or
equivalent facility, unless the Member State or the mana-
ging authority provides such guarantee according to the
institutional arrangements of each Member State.

Se c ti on 4

F i n an ci al e n gi n e e ri n g

Article 44

Financial engineering instruments

As part of an operational programme, the Structural Funds
may finance expenditure in respect of an operation comprising
contributions to support financial engineering instruments for
enterprises, primarily small and medium-sized ones, such as
venture capital funds, guarantee funds and loan funds, and for
urban development funds, that is, funds investing in public-pri-
vate partnerships and other projects included in an integrated
plan for sustainable urban development.

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When such operations are organised through holding funds,
that is, funds set up to invest in several venture capital funds,
guarantee funds, loan funds and urban development funds, the
Member State or the managing authority shall implement them
through one or more of the following forms:

(a)

the award of a public contract in accordance with applic-
able public procurement law;

(b) in other cases, where the agreement is not a public service
contract within the meaning of public procurement law,
the award of a grant, defined for this purpose as a direct
financial contribution by way of a donation:

(f)

the installation, operation and interconnection of compu-
terised systems for management, monitoring,
inspection
and evaluation;

(g)

improvements in evaluation methods and the exchange of
information on practices in this field.

The Commission shall adopt a decision concerning the
2.
types of action listed under paragraph 1 of this Article,
in
accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 103(2),
when a contribution from the ERDF or the Cohesion Fund is
foreseen.

(i)

to the EIB or to the EIF; or

(ii) to a financial institution without a call for proposal, if
this is pursuant to a national law compatible with the
Treaty.

The implementing rules of this Article shall be adopted by the
Commission in accordance with the procedure referred to in
Article 103(3).

S e c ti on 5

Techni cal assistance

Article 45

Technical assistance at the initiative of the Commission

1.
At the initiative of and/or on behalf of the Commission,
subject to a ceiling of 0,25 % of their respective annual alloca-
tion,
the Funds may finance the preparatory, monitoring,
administrative and technical support, evaluation, audit and
inspection measures necessary for implementing this Regu-
lation.

Those actions shall include, in particular:

(a) assistance for project preparation and appraisal, including
with the EIB through a grant or other forms of cooperation,
as appropriate;

(b) studies linked to the drawing up of the Community stra-
tegic guidelines on cohesion, the Commission's reporting
on cohesion policy and the three-yearly cohesion report;

3.
The Commission shall adopt a decision concerning the
types of action listed under paragraph 1 of this Article, after
consulting the committee referred to in Article 104, in accord-
ance with the procedure referred to in Article 103(2), when a
contribution from the ESF is foreseen.

Article 46

Technical assistance of the Member States

1.
At the initiative of the Member State, the Funds may
finance the preparatory, management, monitoring, evaluation,
information and control activities of operational programmes
together with activities to reinforce the administrative capacity
for implementing the Funds within the following limits:

(a) 4 % of the total amount allocated under the Convergence
and Regional competitiveness and employment objectives;

(b) 6 % of the total amount allocated under the European terri-

torial cooperation objective.

For each of

technical assistance
the three objectives,
2.
actions, within the limits set in paragraph 1, shall, in principle,
be undertaken within the framework of each operational
programme. On a complementary basis, however, such actions
may be undertaken partially and subject to the overall limits
for technical assistance set in paragraph 1, in the form of a
specific operational programme.

(c) evaluations, expert reports, statistics and studies, including
those of a general nature concerning the operation of the
Funds, which may be carried out where appropriate by the
EIB or the EIF through a grant or other forms of coopera-
tion;

If the Member State decides to undertake technical assis-
3.
tance actions in the framework of each operational programme,
the proportion of the total amount of expenditure for technical
assistance in respect of each operational programme shall not
exceed the limits set in paragraph 1.

(d) measures aimed at the partners, the beneficiaries of assis-
including

tance from the Funds and the general public,
information measures;

(e) measures to disseminate information, networking,

raise
awareness, promote cooperation and exchange experiences
throughout the Community;

In this case, where technical assistance actions are also under-
taken in the form of a specific operational programme, the
total amount of expenditure for technical assistance in such a
specific programme shall not cause the total proportion of
Funds allocated to technical assistance to exceed the limits set
in paragraph 1.

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TITLE IV

EFFECTIVENESS

CHAPTER I

Evaluation

Article 47

General provisions

Evaluations shall aim to improve the quality, effectiveness
1.
the assistance from the Funds and the
and consistency of
strategy and implementation of operational programmes with
respect
to the specific structural problems affecting the
Member States and regions concerned, while taking account of
the objective of sustainable development and of the relevant
Community legislation concerning environmental impact and
strategic environmental assessment.

the

evolution of

Evaluations may be of a strategic nature in order to
2.
a programme or group of
examine
programmes in relation to Community and national priorities,
or of an operational nature in order to support the monitoring
of an operational programme. Evaluations shall be carried out
before, during and after the programming period.

Evaluations shall be carried out under the responsibility
3.
of the Member State or the Commission, as appropriate,
in
accordance with the principle of proportionality laid down in
Article 13.

Evaluations shall be carried out by experts or bodies, internal
or external, functionally independent of the authorities referred
to in Article 59(b) and (c). The results shall be published
according to the applicable rules on access to documents.

Evaluations shall be financed from the budget for tech-

4.
nical assistance.

5.
The Commission shall provide indicative guidance on
evaluation methods, including quality standards, in accordance
with the procedure laid down in Article 103(2).

In duly justified cases,

2. Member States shall carry out an ex ante evaluation for
each operational programme separately under the Convergence
objective.
the
proportionality principle as set out in Article 13 and as agreed
between the Commission and the Member State, Member
States may carry out a single ex ante evaluation covering more
than one operational programme.

taking into account

For the Regional competitiveness and employment objective,
Member States shall carry out either an ex ante evaluation
covering all the operational programmes or an evaluation for
each Fund or an evaluation for each priority or an evaluation
for each operational programme.

For the European territorial cooperation objective, the Member
jointly carry out an ex ante evaluation covering
States shall
either each operational programme or several operational
programmes.

Ex ante evaluations shall be carried out under the responsibility
of the authority responsible for the preparation of the program-
ming documents.

resources under operational programmes

Ex ante evaluations shall aim to optimise the allocation of
budgetary
and
improve programming quality. They shall identify and appraise
the disparities, gaps and potential for development, the goals to
be achieved, the results expected, the quantified targets, the
coherence, if necessary, of the strategy proposed for the region,
the Community value-added, the extent to which the Commu-
the lessons
nity's priorities have been taken into account,
the
drawn from previous programming and the quality of
procedures for implementation, monitoring, evaluation and
financial management.

During the programming period, Member States shall
3.
carry out evaluations linked to the monitoring of operational
programmes in particular where that monitoring reveals a
significant departure from the goals initially set or where
proposals are made for the revision of operational programmes,
as referred to in Article 33. The results shall be sent to the
monitoring committee for the operational programme and to
the Commission.

Article 48

Article 49

Responsibility of Member States

Responsibility of the Commission

1.
The Member States shall provide the resources necessary
for carrying out evaluations, organise the production and gath-
ering of the necessary data and use the various types of infor-
mation provided by the monitoring system.

They may also draw up, where appropriate, under the Conver-
gence objective, in accordance with the principle of proportion-
ality set out in Article 13, an evaluation plan presenting the
indicative evaluation activities which the Member State intends
to carry out in the different phases of the implementation.

1.

The Commission may carry out strategic evaluations.

2.
The Commission may carry out, at its initiative and in
partnership with the Member State concerned, evaluations
linked to the monitoring of operational programmes where the
monitoring of programmes reveals a significant departure from
the goals initially set. The results shall be sent to the moni-
toring committee for the operational programme.

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3.
The Commission shall carry out an ex post evaluation for
each objective in close cooperation with the Member State and
managing authorities.

TITLE V

FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTION FROM THE FUNDS

Ex post evaluation shall cover all the operational programmes
under each objective and examine the extent
to which
resources were used, the effectiveness and efficiency of Fund
programming and the socio-economic impact.

It shall be carried out for each of the objectives and shall aim
to draw conclusions for the policy on economic and social
cohesion.

It shall identify the factors contributing to the success or failure
of the implementation of operational programmes and identify
good practice.

Ex post evaluation shall be completed by 31 December 2015.

CHAPTER II

Reserves

Article 50

National performance reserve

1.
At its own initiative, a Member State may decide to estab-
lish a national performance reserve for the Convergence objec-
tive and/or the Regional competitiveness and employment
objective, consisting of 3 % of its total allocation for each one.

2. Where a Member State has decided to establish such a
it shall assess under each of the objectives not later
reserve,
than 30 June 2011 the performance of
its operational
programmes.

Not later than 31 December 2011, on the basis of propo-
3.
sals from and in close consultation with each Member State
concerned, the Commission shall allocate the national perfor-
mance reserve.

Article 51

National contingency reserve

CHAPTER I

Contribution from the funds

Article 52

Modulation of the contribution rates

The contribution from the Funds may be modulated in the
light of the following:

(a) the gravity of the specific problems,
economic, social or territorial nature;

in particular of an

(b) the importance of each priority axis for the Community's
priorities as set out in the Community strategic guidelines
on cohesion, as well as for national and regional priorities;

(c) protection and improvement of the environment, princi-
pally through the application of the precautionary prin-
ciple, the principle of preventive action, and the pollute-
r-pays principle;

(d) the rate of mobilisation of private financing, in particular
under public-private partnerships, in the fields concerned;

(e)

the inclusion of interregional cooperation as referred to in
the Convergence and Regional
Article 37(6)(b) under
competitiveness and employment objectives;

(f) under the Regional competitiveness and employment objec-
tive, the coverage of areas with a geographical or natural
handicap defined as follows:

(i)

island Member States eligible under
the Cohesion
Fund, and other islands except those on which the
capital of a Member State is situated or which have a
fixed link to the mainland;

(ii) mountainous areas as defined by the national legisla-

tion of the Member State;

(iii) sparsely (less than 50 inhabitants per square kilometre)
and very sparsely (less than 8 inhabitants per square
kilometre) populated areas;

(iv) the areas which were external borders of the Com-
munity on 30 April 2004 and which ceased to be so
on the day after that date.

Article 53

Contribution from the Funds

At its own initiative, a Member State may reserve an amount of
1 % of the annual Structural Fund contribution to the Conver-
gence objective and 3 % of the annual Structural Fund contri-
bution to the Regional competitiveness and employment objec-
tive to cover unforeseen local or sectoral crises linked to
economic and social restructuring or to the consequences of
the opening up of trade.

The Member State may allocate the reserve for each objective
to a specific national programme or within operational
programmes.

The contribution from the Funds, at the level of opera-

1.
tional programmes, shall be calculated with reference to:

(a) either the total eligible expenditure including public and

private expenditure;

(b) or the public eligible expenditure.

The contribution from the Funds at the level of opera-
2.
tional programmes under
the Convergence and Regional
competitiveness and employment objectives shall be subject to
the ceilings set out in Annex III.

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3.
For operational programmes under the European terri-
torial cooperation objective in which at least one participant
belongs to a Member State whose average GDP per capita for
the EU-25
the period 2001 to 2003 was below 85 % of
average during the same period, the contribution from the
ERDF shall not be higher than 85 % of the eligible expenditure.
For all other operational programmes, the contribution from
the ERDF shall not be higher than 75 % of the eligible expendi-
ture co-financed by the ERDF.

4.
The contribution from the Funds at the priority axis level
shall not be subject to the ceilings set out in paragraph 3 and
in Annex III. However, it shall be fixed so as to ensure compli-
ance with the maximum amount of contribution from the
Funds and the maximum contribution rate per Fund fixed at
the level of the operational programme.

4.
For State aid to enterprises within the meaning of
Article 87 of the Treaty, public aid granted under operational
programmes shall observe the ceilings on State aid.

5.
An expenditure co-financed by the Funds
receive assistance from another Community financial
ment.

shall not
instru-

CHAPTER II

Revenue-generating projects

5.

For operational programmes co-financed jointly:

Article 55

(a) by the ERDF and the Cohesion Fund; or

Revenue-generating projects

(b) by the additional allocation for the outermost regions
provided for in Annex II, the ERDF and/or the Cohesion
Fund,

the decision adopting the operational programme shall fix the
maximum rate and the maximum amount of the contribution
for each Fund and allocation separately.

6.
The Commission's decision adopting an operational
programme shall fix the maximum rate and the maximum
amount of the contribution from Fund for each operational
programme and for each priority axis. The decision shall show
separately the appropriations for regions receiving transitional
support.

Article 54

Other provisions

The contribution from the Funds for each priority axis

1.
shall not be less than 20 % of the eligible public expenditure.

2.
Technical assistance measures implemented at the initia-
tive of or on behalf of the Commission may be financed at the
rate of 100 %.

3.

During the period of eligibility referred to in Article 56(1):

(a) a priority axis may receive assistance from only one Fund

and one objective at a time;

(b) an operation may receive assistance from a Fund under

only one operational programme at a time;

(c) an operation shall not receive an assistance from a Fund

higher than the total public expenditure allocated.

1.
For the purposes of this Regulation, a revenue-generating
project means any operation involving an investment in infra-
structure the use of which is subject to charges borne directly
by users or any operation involving the sale or rent of land or
buildings or any other provision of services against payment.

Eligible expenditure on revenue-generating projects shall
2.
not exceed the current value of the investment cost less the
current value of the net revenue from the investment over a
specific reference period for:

(a)

investments in infrastructure; or

(b) other projects where it is possible to objectively estimate

the revenues in advance.

Where not all the investment cost is eligible for co-financing,
the net revenue shall be allocated pro rata to the eligible and
non-eligible parts of the investment cost.

In the calculation, the managing authority shall take account of
the reference period appropriate to the category of investment
concerned, the category of project, the profitability normally
expected of the category of investment concerned, the applica-
tion of the polluter-pays principle, and, if appropriate, consid-
the
erations of equity linked to the relative prosperity of
Member State concerned.

3. Where it
is objectively not possible to estimate the
revenue in advance, the revenue generated within five years of
the completion of an operation shall be deducted from the
expenditure declared to the Commission. The deduction shall
be made by the certifying authority at the latest at partial or at
final closure of the operational programme. The application for
payment of the final balance shall be corrected accordingly.

4. Where, at the latest three years after closure of the opera-
tional programme, it is established that an operation has gener-
ated revenue that has not been taken into account under para-
graphs 2 and 3, such revenue shall be refunded to the general
budget of the European Union in proportion to the contribu-
tion from the Funds.

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5. Without prejudice to their obligations under Article 70(1),
Member States may adopt procedures proportionate to the
amounts concerned for monitoring revenues generated by
operations whose total cost is below EUR 200 000.

6.
This Article shall not apply to projects subject to the
rules on State aid within the meaning of Article 87 of the
Treaty.

CHAPTER IV

Durability of operations

Article 57

Durability of operations

CHAPTER III

Eligibility of expenditure

Article 56

Eligibility of expenditure

1.
Expenditure, including for major projects, shall be eligible
for a contribution from the Funds if it has actually been paid
between the date of submission of the operational programmes
to the Commission or from 1 January 2007, whichever is
earlier, and 31 December 2015. Operations must not have
been completed before the starting date for eligibility.

2.
By way of derogation from paragraph 1, in-kind contribu-
tions, depreciation costs and overheads may be treated as
expenditure paid by beneficiaries in implementing operations
under the following conditions:

(a)

the eligibility rules laid down under paragraph 4 provide
for the eligibility of such expenditure;

(b) the amount of the expenditure is justified by accounting
documents having a probative value equivalent to invoices;

(c)

in the case of in-kind contributions, the co-financing from
the Funds does not exceed the total eligible expenditure
excluding the value of such contributions.

3.
Expenditure shall be eligible for a contribution from the
Funds only where incurred for operations decided on by the
managing authority of the operational programme concerned
or under its responsibility, in accordance with criteria fixed by
the monitoring committee.

New expenditure, added at the moment of the revision of an
operational programme referred to in Article 33, shall be
eligible from the date of the submission to the Commission of
the request for revision of the operational programme.

The rules on the eligibility of expenditure shall be laid
4.
down at national level subject to the exceptions provided for in
the specific Regulations for each Fund. They shall cover the
entirety of
the expenditure declared under the operational
programme.

1.
The Member State or managing authority shall ensure
that an operation retains the contribution from the Funds only
if that operation does not, within five years from the comple-
tion of the operation or three years from the completion of the
operation in Member States which have exercised the option of
reducing that time limit for the maintenance of an investment
or jobs created by SMEs, undergo a substantial modification:

(a) affecting its nature or its implementation conditions or

giving to a firm or a public body an undue advantage; and

(b) resulting either from a change in the nature of ownership
of an item of infrastructure or the cessation of a productive
activity.

The Member State and the managing authority shall
2.
inform the Commission in the annual implementation report
referred to in Article 67 of any modification referred to in
paragraph 1. The Commission shall inform the other Member
States.

Sums unduly paid shall be recovered in accordance with

3.
Articles 98 to 102.

4.
The Member States and the Commission shall ensure that
undertakings which are or have been subject to a procedure of
recovery in accordance with paragraph 3 following the transfer
of a productive activity within a Member State or to another
Member State do not benefit from a contribution from the
Funds.

TITLE VI

MANAGEMENT, MONITORING AND CONTROLS

CHAPTER I

Management and control systems

Article 58

General principles of the management and control systems

The management
programmes set up by Member States shall provide for:

systems of

control

and

operational

This Article shall be without prejudice to the expenditure

5.
referred to in Article 45.

(a)

the definition of the functions of the bodies concerned in
management and control and the allocation of functions
within each body;

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(b) compliance with the principle of separation of functions

between and within such bodies;

Subject to Article 58(b), some or all of the authorities

4.
referred to in paragraph 1 may be part of the same body.

(c) procedures for ensuring the correctness and regularity of
expenditure declared under the operational programme;

(d) reliable accounting, monitoring and financial

reporting

systems in computerised form;

(e) a system of reporting and monitoring where the respon-

sible body entrusts the execution of tasks to another body;

(f) arrangements for auditing the functioning of the systems;

(g) systems and procedures to ensure an adequate audit trail;

5.
Specific rules on management and control are laid down
in the Regulation (EC) No 1080/2006 for operational
programmes under the European territorial cooperation objec-
tive.

6.
The Commission shall adopt implementing rules of Arti-
cles 60, 61 and 62 in accordance with the procedure referred
to in Article 103(3).

(h) reporting and monitoring procedures for irregularities and

for the recovery of amounts unduly paid.

Article 60

Article 59

Designation of authorities

For each operational programme the Member State shall

1.
designate the following:

(a) a managing authority: a national, regional or local public
authority or a public or private body designated by the
Member State to manage the operational programme;

(b) a certifying authority: a national, regional or local public
authority or body designated by the Member State to
certify statement of expenditure and applications
for
payment before they are sent to the Commission;

(c) an audit authority: a national, regional or local public
authority or body, functionally independent of the mana-
ging authority and the certifying authority, designated by
the Member State for each operational programme and
responsible for verifying the effective functioning of the
management and control system.

The same authority may be designated for more than one
operational programme.

2.
The Member State may designate one or more inter-
mediate bodies to carry out some or all of the tasks of the
managing or certifying authority under the responsibility of
that authority.

3.
The Member State shall lay down rules governing its rela-
tions with the authorities referred to in paragraph 1 and their
relations with the Commission.

Functions of the managing authority

The managing authority shall be responsible for managing and
implementing the operational programme in accordance with
the principle of sound financial management and in particular
for:

(a) ensuring that operations are selected for funding in accord-
to the operational
ance with the
programme and that they comply with applicable Com-
munity and national rules for the whole of their implemen-
tation period;

applicable

criteria

(b) verifying that the co-financed products and services are
delivered and that the expenditure declared by the benefici-
aries
for operations has actually been incurred and
complies with Community and national rules; verifications
on-the-spot of individual operations may be carried out on
a sample basis in accordance with the detailed rules to be
adopted by the Commission in accordance with the proce-
dure referred to in Article 103(3);

(c) ensuring that there is a system for recording and storing in
computerised form accounting records for each operation
under the operational programme and that the data on
implementation necessary for financial management, moni-
toring, verifications, audits and evaluation are collected;

(d) ensuring that beneficiaries and other bodies involved in the
implementation of operations maintain either a separate
accounting system or an adequate accounting code for all
transactions relating to the operation without prejudice to
national accounting rules;

(e) ensuring that the evaluations of operational programmes
referred to in Article 48(3) are carried out in accordance
with Article 47;

Without prejudice to this Regulation, the Member State shall
lay down the mutual relations between the authorities referred
to in paragraph 1, which shall carry out their tasks in full
accordance with the institutional, legal and financial systems of
the Member State concerned.

(f)

that all documents
setting up procedures
regarding expenditure and audits required to ensure an
adequate audit trail are held in accordance with the require-
ments of Article 90;

to ensure

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(g) ensuring that the certifying authority receives all necessary
information on the procedures and verifications carried out
in relation to expenditure for the purpose of certification;

(a) ensuring that audits are carried out to verify the effective
functioning of the management and control system of the
operational programme;

(h) guiding the work of

the monitoring committee and
providing it with the documents required to permit the
quality
operational
programme to be monitored in the light of its specific
goals;

implementation

the

the

of

of

(i) drawing up and,

approval by the monitoring
committee, submitting to the Commission the annual and
final reports on implementation;

after

(j) ensuring compliance with the information and publicity

requirements laid down in Article 69;

(k) providing the Commission with information to allow it to

appraise major projects.

(b) ensuring that audits are carried out on operations on the
basis of an appropriate sample to verify expenditure
declared;

(c) presenting to the Commission within nine months of the
approval of the operational programme an audit strategy
covering the bodies which will perform the audits referred
to under points (a) and (b), the method to be used, the
sampling method for audits on operations and the indica-
tive planning of audits to ensure that the main bodies are
audited and that audits are spread evenly throughout the
programming period.

Article 61

Where a common system applies to several operational
programmes, a single audit strategy may be submitted.;

Functions of the certifying authority

(d) by 31 December each year from 2008 to 2015:

The certifying authority of an operational programme shall be
responsible in particular for:

(i)

(a) drawing up and submitting to the Commission certified
statements of expenditure and applications for payment;

(b) certifying that:

(i)

the statement of expenditure is accurate, results from
reliable accounting systems and is based on verifiable
supporting documents;

(ii) the expenditure declared complies with applicable Com-
munity and national rules and has been incurred in
respect of operations selected for funding in accordance
with the criteria applicable to the programme and
complying with Community and national rules;

(c) ensuring for

the purposes of certification that

it has
received adequate information from the managing authority
on the procedures and verifications carried out in relation
to expenditure included in statements of expenditure;

(d) taking account for certification purposes of the results of all
audits carried out by or under the responsibility of the
audit authority;

(e) maintaining accounting records in computerised form of

expenditure declared to the Commission;

(f) keeping an account of amounts

recoverable and of
amounts withdrawn following cancellation of all or part of
the contribution for an operation. Amounts recovered shall
be repaid to the general budget of the European Union
prior to the closure of
the operational programme by
deducting them from the next statement of expenditure.

strategy of

submitting to the Commission an annual control
report setting out the findings of the audits carried out
during the previous 12 month-period ending on
30 June of the year concerned in accordance with the
audit
the operational programme and
reporting any shortcomings found in the systems for
the management and control of the programme. The
first report to be submitted by 31 December 2008
shall cover the period from 1 January 2007 to 30 June
2008. The information concerning the audits carried
out after 1 July 2015 shall be included in the final
control
supporting the closure declaration
report
referred to in point (e);

(ii)

issuing an opinion, on the basis of the controls and
audits that have been carried out under its responsi-
bility, as to whether the management and control
system functions effectively, so as to provide a reason-
able assurance that statements of expenditure presented
to the Commission are correct and as a consequence
reasonable assurance that the underlying transactions
are legal and regular;

(iii) submitting, where applicable under Article 88, a
declaration for partial closure assessing the legality and
regularity of the expenditure concerned.

When a common system applies to several operational
programmes, the information referred to in point (i) may
be grouped in a single report, and the opinion and declara-
tion issued under points (ii) and (iii) may cover all the
operational programmes concerned;

Article 62

Functions of the audit authority

The audit authority of an operational programme shall be

1.
responsible in particular for:

(e) submitting to the Commission at the latest by 31 March
2017 a closure declaration assessing the validity of the
application for payment of the final balance and the legality
and regularity of the underlying transactions covered by the
final statement of expenditure, which shall be supported by
a final control report.

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The audit authority shall ensure that the audit work takes

2.
account of internationally accepted audit standards.

the operational programme and approve any revision of
those criteria in accordance with programming needs;

the

audits

in
and
3. Where
paragraph 1(a) and (b) are carried out by a body other than the
audit authority,
the audit authority shall ensure that such
bodies have the necessary functional independence.

controls

referred

to

4.
The Commission shall provide its comments on the audit
strategy presented under paragraph 1(c) no later than three
months from receipt
In the absence of comments
thereof.
within this period it shall be considered to be accepted.

CHAPTER II

Monitoring

Article 63

Monitoring committee

1.
The Member State shall set up a monitoring committee
for each operational programme, in agreement with the mana-
ging authority, within three months from the date of the notifi-
cation to the Member State of the decision approving the
operational programme. A single monitoring committee may
be set up for several operational programmes.

Each monitoring committee shall draw up its rules of
2.
procedure within the institutional,
legal and financial frame-
work of the Member State concerned and adopt them in agree-
ment with the managing authority in order to exercise its
missions in accordance with this Regulation.

Article 64

Composition

The monitoring committee shall be chaired by a represen-

1.
tative of the Member State or the managing authority.

Its composition shall be decided by the Member State in agree-
ment with the managing authority.

At its own initiative or at the request of the monitoring
2.
committee, a representative of the Commission shall participate
in the work of the monitoring committee in an advisory capa-
city. A representative of the EIB and the EIF may participate in
an advisory capacity for those operational programmes to
which the EIB or the EIF makes a contribution.

(b) it shall periodically review progress made towards achieving
the specific targets of the operational programme on the
basis of documents submitted by the managing authority;

(c)

it shall examine the results of implementation, particularly
the achievement of the targets set for each priority axis and
the evaluations referred to in Article 48(3);

(d) it shall consider and approve the annual and final reports

on implementation referred to in Article 67;

(e)

(f)

it shall be informed of the annual control report, or of the
part of the report referring to the operational programme
concerned, and of any relevant comments the Commission
may make after examining that report or relating to that
part of the report;

it may propose to the managing authority any revision or
examination of the operational programme likely to make
possible the attainment of the Funds' objectives referred to
in Article 3 or to improve its management, including its
financial management;

(g)

it shall consider and approve any proposal to amend the
content of the Commission decision on the contribution
from the Funds.

Article 66

Arrangements for monitoring

1.
The managing authority and the monitoring committee
shall ensure the quality of the implementation of the opera-
tional programme.

The managing authority and the monitoring committee
2.
shall carry out monitoring by reference to financial indicators
and the indicators referred to in Article 37(1)(c) specified in the
operational programme.

Where the nature of the assistance permits, statistics shall be
broken down by sex and by the size of the recipient undertak-
ings.

Data exchange between the Commission and the Member
3.
in
States for this purpose shall be carried out electronically,
accordance with the implementing rules of
this Regulation
adopted by the Commission in accordance with the procedure
referred to in Article 103(3).

Article 65

Tasks

Article 67

The monitoring committee shall satisfy itself as to the effective-
ness and quality of
the operational
programme, in accordance with the following provisions:

the implementation of

(a)

it shall consider and approve the criteria for selecting the
operations financed within six months of the approval of

Annual report and final report on implementation

For the first time in 2008 and by 30 June each year, the
1.
managing authority shall send the Commission an annual
report and by 31 March 2017 a final report on the implemen-
tation of the operational programme.

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2.
The reports referred to in paragraph 1 shall include the
following information in order to obtain a clear view of the
implementation of the operational programme:

to another public authority during the period of implemen-
tation of the operational programme;

(a)

the progress made
in implementing the operational
programme and priority axes in relation to their specific,
verifiable targets, with a quantification, wherever and
whenever they lend themselves to quantification, using the
indicators referred to in Article 37(1)(c) at the level of the
priority axis;

(b) the

financial

implementation

of

the

operational

programme, detailing for each priority axis:

(i)

(ii)

the expenditure paid out by the beneficiaries included
in applications for payment sent
to the managing
authority and the corresponding public contribution;

the total payments received from the Commission and
quantification of the financial indicators referred to in
Article 66(2); and

(iii) the expenditure paid out by the body responsible for

making payments to the beneficiaries,

Where appropriate,
implementation in areas
receiving transitional support shall be presented separately
within each operational programme;

financial

(c)

for information purposes only, the indicative breakdown of
the allocation of Funds by categories, in accordance with
the implementation rules adopted by the Commission in
accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 103(3);

(d) the steps taken by the managing authority or the moni-
toring committee to ensure the quality and effectiveness of
implementation, in particular:

(i) monitoring and evaluation measures,

including data

collection arrangements;

(ii) a summary of any significant problems encountered in
implementing the operational programme and any
measures taken, including the response to comments
made under Article 68(2) where appropriate;

(iii) the use made of technical assistance;

(e)

the measures taken to provide information on and publicise
the operational programme;

(f)

information about significant problems relating to compli-
ance with Community law which have been encountered in
the implementation of the operational programme and the
measures taken to deal with them;

(g) where appropriate, the progress and financing of major

projects;

(h) the use made of assistance released following cancellation
as referred to in Article 98(2) to the managing authority or

(i) cases where a substantial modification has been detected

under Article 57.

The breadth of information transmitted to the Commission
shall be proportional to the total amount of expenditure of the
operational programme concerned. Where appropriate, such
information may be provided in summary form.

Information referred to in points (d), (g), (h) and (i) shall not be
included if there has been no significant modification since the
previous report.

The reports referred to in paragraph 1 shall be judged
3.
admissible where they contain all the appropriate information
listed in paragraph 2. The Commission shall
inform the
Member State on the admissibility of the annual report within
10 working days from the date of its receipt.

The Commission shall

4.
inform the Member State of its
opinion on the content of an admissible annual report on
implementation submitted by the managing authority within
two months from the date of receipt. For the final report on an
operational programme, the time limit shall be a maximum of
five months from the date of receipt of an admissible report. If
the Commission does not respond within the time limit laid
down, the report shall be deemed to be accepted.

Article 68

Annual examination of programmes

1.
Every year, when the annual report on implementation
referred to in Article 67 is submitted, the Commission and the
managing authority shall examine the progress made in imple-
results
menting the operational programme,
achieved over the previous year, the financial implementation
and other factors with a view to improving implementation.

the principal

Any aspects of the operation of the management and control
system raised in the last annual control report, referred to in
Article 62(1)(d)(i), may also be examined.

2.
After the examination referred to in paragraph 1, the
Commission may make comments to the Member State and
inform the monitoring
the managing authority, which shall
inform the
committee
to those
Commission of
comments.

the action taken in response

thereof. The Member State

shall

3. When the ex post evaluations of assistance granted over
the 2000 to 2006 programming period, where appropriate, are
available,
the overall results may be examined in the next
annual examination.

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CHAPTER III

Information and publicity

Article 69

Information and publicity

1.
The Member State and the managing authority for the
operational programme shall provide information on and
publicise operations and co-financed programmes. The infor-
mation shall be addressed to European Union citizens and
beneficiaries with the aim of highlighting the role of the Com-
munity and ensure that assistance from the Funds is trans-
parent.

The Commission shall adopt
this
Article in accordance with the procedure referred to in
Article 103(3).

implementing rules

for

2.
The managing authority for the operational programme
shall be responsible for publicity in accordance with the imple-
menting rules of this Regulation adopted by the Commission
in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 103(3).

CHAPTER IV

Responsibilities of Member States and of the Commission

S e c ti on 1

R e s p o n s i b i l i t i e s o f M e m b e r S t a t e s

Article 70

Management and control

1. Member States shall be responsible for the management
and control of operational programmes, in particular through
the following measures:

(a) ensuring that management and control systems for opera-
tional programmes are set up in accordance with Articles 58
to 62 and function effectively;

Article 71

Setting up of management and control systems

1.
Before the submission of the first interim application for
payment or at the latest within twelve months of the approval
the Member States shall
of each operational programme,
submit
the systems,
to the Commission a description of
covering in particular the organisation and procedures of:

(a) the managing and certifying authorities and intermediate

bodies;

(b) the audit authority and any other bodies carrying out

audits under its responsibility.

2.
The description referred to in paragraph 1 shall be
accompanied by a report setting out the results of an assess-
ment of the systems set up and giving an opinion on their
compliance with Articles 58 to 62. If the opinion contains
indicate the seriousness of the
reservations, the report shall
shortcomings and, where the shortcomings do not concern the
whole programme, the priority axis or axes concerned. The
Member State shall inform the Commission of the corrective
measures to be taken and the timetable for their implementa-
tion and subsequently provide confirmation of the implementa-
tion of the measures and the withdrawal of the corresponding
reservations.

The report referred to in the first subparagraph shall be
deemed to be accepted, and the first interim payment shall be
made, in the following circumstances:

(a) within two months of the date of receipt of the report
when the opinion referred to in the first subparagraph is
without reservations and in the absence of observations by
the Commission;

(b) if the opinion contains reservations, upon confirmation to
the Commission that corrective measures concerning key
elements of the systems have been implemented, and the
corresponding reservations withdrawn, and in the absence
of observations by the Commission within two months of
the date of confirmation.

Where the reservations concern only a single priority axis, the
first
interim payment shall be made as regards the other
priority axes of the operational programme for which there is
no reservation.

(b) preventing, detecting and correcting irregularities and reco-
vering amounts unduly paid together with interest on late
payments where appropriate. They shall notify these to the
Commission and keep the Commission informed of the
progress of administrative and legal proceedings.

3.
The report and the opinion referred to in paragraph 2
shall be drawn up by the audit authority or by a public or
private body functionally independent of the managing and
certifying authorities, which shall carry out its work taking
account of internationally accepted audit standards.

2. When amounts unduly paid to a beneficiary cannot be
recovered, the Member State shall be responsible for reimbur-
sing the
the
European Union, when it is established that the loss has been
incurred as a result of fault or negligence on its part.

to the general budget of

amounts

lost

4. Where a common system applies to several operational
programmes, a description of the common system may be noti-
fied under paragraph 1 accompanied by a single report and
opinion under paragraph 2.

3.
The implementing rules for paragraphs 1 and 2 shall be
adopted by the Commission in accordance with the procedure
referred to in Article 103(3).

5.
The implementing rules for paragraphs 1 to 4 shall be
adopted by the Commission in accordance with the procedure
referred to in Article 103(3).

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S e c ti on 2

Re spon si b i l i t i e s of t he Commi ssio n

Article 72

Responsibilities of the Commission

1.
The Commission shall satisfy itself in accordance with the
procedure laid down in Article 71 that the Member States have
set up management and control systems that comply with Arti-
cles 58 to 62 and, on the basis of the annual control reports
and annual opinion of the audit authority and its own audits,
that
the systems function effectively during the periods of
implementation of operational programmes.

2. Without prejudice to audits carried out by Member
States, Commission officials or authorised Commission repre-
sentatives may carry out on-the-spot audits to verify the effec-
tive functioning of
the management and control systems,
which may include audits on operations included in operational
programmes, with a minimum of 10 working days' notice,
except in urgent cases. Officials or authorised representatives of
the Member State may take part in such audits. The imple-
menting rules of this Regulation concerning the use of data
collected during audits shall be adopted by the Commission in
accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 103(3).

Commission officials or authorised Commission representatives,
duly empowered to carry out on-the-spot audits, shall have
access to the books and all other documents, including docu-
ments and metadata drawn up or received and recorded on an
electronic medium, relating to expenditure financed by the
Funds.

The aforementioned powers of audit shall not affect the appli-
cation of national provisions which reserve certain acts for
agents specifically designated by national legislation. Authorised
Commission representatives shall not take part,
in
home visits or the formal questioning of persons within the
legislation of the Member State
framework of the national
concerned. However, they shall have access to information thus
obtained.

inter alia,

The Commission may require a Member State to carry
3.
out an on-the-spot audit to verify the effective functioning of
systems or
the correctness of one or more transactions.
Commission officials or authorised Commission representatives
may take part in such audits.

the results of audits carried out on management and control
systems in order to make the best possible use of resources and
to avoid unjustified duplication of work.

In order to facilitate this cooperation in cases where a Member
State designates several audit authorities,
the Member State
may designate a coordination body.

The Commission and the audit authorities, and the coordina-
tion body, where such a body has been designated, shall meet
on a regular basis and at least once a year unless otherwise
agreed between them in order to examine together the annual
control report and opinion presented under Article 62 and to
exchange views on other issues relating to the improvement of
the management and control of operational programmes.

In determining its own audit strategy, the Commission
2.
shall
identify those operational programmes for which the
opinion on the compliance of systems under Article 71(2) is
without reservations, or where reservations have been with-
drawn following corrective measures, where the audit strategy
of the audit authority is satisfactory and where reasonable
assurance has been obtained that the management and control
systems function effectively on the basis of the results of audits
by the Commission and the Member State.

For those programmes, the Commission may conclude
3.
that
it can rely principally on the opinion referred to in
Article 62(1)(d)(ii) with regard to the effective functioning of
the systems and that it will carry out its own on-the-spot audits
only if there is evidence to suggest shortcomings in the system
affecting expenditure certified to the Commission in a year for
which an opinion under Article 62(1)(d)(ii) has been provided
which contains no reservation in respect of such shortcomings.

Where the Commission reaches such a conclusion,
it shall
inform the Member State concerned accordingly. Where there
it may require the
is evidence to suggest
in accordance with
Member State
Article 72(3) or
its own audits under
Article 72(2).

shortcomings,
audits

it may carry out

to carry out

Se c ti on 3

Pro p o rt i on ali t y i n t h e co n t r ol o f o p e r at i on al
programmes

Article 74

Article 73

Proportional control arrangements

Cooperation with the audit authorities of the Member
States

1.
The Commission shall cooperate with the audit authori-
ties of operational programmes to coordinate their respective
audit plans and audit methods and shall immediately exchange

1.
For operational programmes for which the total eligible
public expenditure does not exceed EUR 750 million and for
which the level of Community co-financing does not exceed
40 % of the total public expenditure:

(a) the audit authority is not required to present
Commission an audit strategy under Article 62(1)(c);

to the

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(b) where the opinion on the compliance of systems under
Article 71(2) is without reservations, or where reservations
have been withdrawn following corrective measures, the
Commission may conclude that it can rely principally on
the opinion referred to in Article 62(1)(d)(ii) with regard to
the effective functioning of the systems and that it will
carry out
there is
its own on-the-spot audits only if
evidence to suggest shortcomings in the system affecting
expenditure certified to the Commission in a year for
which an opinion under Article 62(1)(d)(ii) has been
provided which contains no reservation in respect of such
shortcomings.

Where the Commission reaches such a conclusion, it shall
inform the Member State concerned accordingly. Where
there is evidence to suggest shortcomings it may require
the Member State to carry out audits in accordance with
Article 72(3) or it may carry out its own audits under
Article 72(2).

2.
For the operational programmes referred to in para-
graph 1, a Member State may in addition exercise the option to
establish according to national rules the bodies and procedures
for carrying out:

(a)

the functions of the managing authority in relation to the
verification of the co-financed products and services and
expenditure declared under Article 60(b);

(b) the functions of the certifying authority under Article 61;

and

(c)

the functions of the audit authority under Article 62.

Where a Member State exercises this option it need not desig-
nate a certifying authority and an audit authority under
Article 59(1) (b) and (c).

Article 71 shall apply mutatis mutandis.

When the Commission adopts implementing rules for Arti-
cles 60, 61 and 62, it shall specify the provisions which shall
not apply to operational programmes for which the option in
this paragraph has been exercised by the Member State
concerned.

TITLE VII

FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT

CHAPTER I

Financial management

S e c ti on 1

B u d g e t c om m i t m e n t s

Article 75

Budget commitments

The Community budget commitments

in respect of
1.
operational programmes
(hereinafter budget commitments)
shall be effected annually for each Fund and objective during

the period between 1 January 2007 and 31 December 2013.
The first budget commitment shall be made before the adop-
tion by the Commission of the decision approving the opera-
tional programme. Each subsequent commitment shall be
made, as a general rule, by 30 April each year by the Commis-
sion on the basis of the decision to grant a contribution from
the Funds referred to in Article 32.

2. Where no payment has been made, the Member State
may request, by 30 September of the year n at the latest, the
transfer of any commitments
in respect of operational
programmes
related to the national contingency reserve
referred to in Article 51 to other operational programmes. The
Member State shall specify in its request
the operational
programmes benefiting from that transfer.

Se c ti on 2

Com m o n ru l e s f o r p a y m e n t s

Article 76

Common rules for payments

1.
Payments by the Commission of the contribution from
the Funds shall be made in accordance with the budget appro-
priations. Each payment shall be posted to the earliest open
budget commitments of the Fund concerned.

Payments shall take the form of pre-financing,

2.
interim
payments and payment of the final balance. They shall be made
to the body designated by the Member State.

At the latest by 30 April each year, Member States shall
3.
send the Commission a provisional
their likely
applications for payment for the current financial year and the
subsequent financial year.

forecast of

4.
All exchanges concerning financial transactions between
the Commission and the authorities and bodies designated by
in
the Member States shall be made by electronic means,
accordance with the implementing rules of
this Regulation
adopted by the Commission in accordance with the procedure
referred to in Article 103(3). In cases of force majeure, and in
particular of malfunction of the common computerised system
or a lack of a lasting connection, Member States may forward
statements of expenditure and applications for payment in hard
copy.

Article 77

Common rules for calculating interim payments and
payments of the final balance

Interim payments and payments of the final balance shall be
calculated by applying the co-financing rate laid down in the
decision on the operational programme concerned for each
priority axis to the eligible expenditure mentioned under that
priority axis in each statement of expenditure certified by the
certifying authority.

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However the Community contribution through the interim
payments and payments of the final balance shall not be higher
than the public contribution and the maximum amount of
assistance from the Funds for each priority axis as laid down in
the decision of
the Commission approving the operational
programme.

Article 78

Statement of expenditure

include,

All statements of expenditure shall

the total amount of eligible expenditure,

1.
for each
in
priority axis,
accordance with Article 56, paid by beneficiaries in imple-
menting the operations and the corresponding public contribu-
tion paid or due to be paid to the beneficiaries according to the
conditions governing the public contribution. Expenditure paid
by beneficiaries shall be supported by receipted invoices or
accounting documents of equivalent probative value.

in the previous subparagraph,

However, as regards aid schemes within the meaning of
Article 87 of the Treaty only, in addition to the conditions set
out
the public contribution
corresponding to the expenditure included in a statement of
expenditure shall have been paid to the beneficiaries by the
body granting the aid.

2.
By way of derogation from paragraph 1, as regards State
aid within the meaning of Article 87 of the Treaty, the state-
ment of expenditure may include advances paid to the benefici-
aries by the body granting the aid, under the following cumula-
tive conditions:

(a)

they shall be subject to a bank guarantee or a financial
public facility having an equivalent effect;

(b) they shall not exceed 35 % of the total amount of the aid

to be granted to a beneficiary for a given project;

(c)

they shall be covered by expenditure paid by beneficiaries
in implementing the project and supported by receipted
invoices or accounting documents of equivalent probative
value at the latest three years after the year of the payment
of
the advance or on 31 December 2015, whichever
earlier; if they are not, the next statement of expenditure
shall be corrected accordingly.

3.
Statements of expenditure shall identify, for each opera-
tional programme, the elements referred to in paragraph 1
relating to regions receiving transitional assistance.

4.
In the case of major projects as defined in Article 39,
only expenditure related to major projects already adopted by
the Commission may be included in statements of expenditure.

5. Where the contribution from the Funds is calculated with
reference to public expenditure as provided for in Article 53(1),

any information on expenditure other than public expenditure
shall not affect the amount due as calculated on the basis of
the payment request.

6.
By way of derogation from paragraph 1, as regards finan-
cial engineering instruments as defined in Article 44, the state-
ment of expenditure shall include the total expenditure paid in
establishing or contributing to such funds or holding funds.

However, at
programme, eligible expenditure shall be the total of:

the partial or final closure of the operational

(a) any payments from urban development funds for invest-
in public private partnerships or other projects

ment
included in an integrated plan for urban development; or

(b) any payments for investment in enterprises from each of

the abovementioned funds; or

(c) any guarantees provided including amounts committed as

guarantees by guarantee funds; and

(d) eligible management costs.

The co-financing rate shall be applied to the eligible expendi-
ture paid by the beneficiary.

The corresponding statement of expenditure shall be corrected
accordingly.

by

Interest

generated

payments

7.
from operational
programmes to funds as defined in Article 44, shall be used to
finance urban development projects in the case of urban devel-
opment funds or financial engineering instruments for small
and medium-sized enterprises in other cases.

Resources returned to the operation from investments under-
taken by funds as defined in Article 44 or left over after all
guarantees have been honoured shall be reused by the compe-
tent authorities of the Member States concerned for the benefit
of urban development projects or of small and medium-sized
enterprises.

Article 79

Accumulation of pre-financing and of interim payments

The

cumulative

1.
total of pre-financing and interim
payments made shall not exceed 95 % of the contribution from
the Funds to the operational programme.

2. When this ceiling is reached, the certifying authority shall
continue transmitting to the Commission any certified state-
ment of expenditure on 31 December of year n, as well as the
amounts recovered during the year for each Fund, at the latest
by the end of February of year n+1.

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Article 80

Wholeness of payment to beneficiaries

Member States shall satisfy themselves that the bodies respon-
sible for making the payments ensure that the beneficiaries
receive the total amount of the public contribution as quickly
as possible and in full. No amount shall be deducted or with-
held and no specific charge or other charge with equivalent
effect shall be levied that would reduce these amounts for the
beneficiaries.

Article 81

Use of the euro

1.
Amounts set out in operational programmes submitted
by Member States, certified statements of expenditure, applica-
tions for payment and expenditure mentioned in the annual
and final report of implementation shall be denominated in
euro.

2.
Commission decisions on operational programmes and
Commission commitments and payments, shall be denomi-
nated and carried out in euro.

3. Member States which have not adopted the euro as their
currency on the date of an application for payment shall
into euro the amounts of expenditure incurred in
convert
national currency. This amount shall be converted into euro
using the monthly accounting exchange rate of the Commis-
sion in the month during which the expenditure was registered
in the accounts of the certifying authority of the operational
programme concerned. This rate shall be published electroni-
cally by the Commission each month.

4. When the euro becomes the currency of a Member State,
the conversion procedure set out in paragraph 3 shall continue
to apply to all expenditure recorded in the accounts by the
certifying authority before the date of entry into force of the
fixed conversion rate between the national currency and the
euro.

S e c ti on 3

P re -f i n an c i n g

Article 82

Payment

1.
Following the Commission decision approving a contribu-
tion from the Funds to an operational programme, a single
pre-financing amount for the 2007 to 2013 period shall be
paid by the Commission to the body designated by the
Member State.

The pre-financing amount shall be paid in different instalments
as follows:

in 2008 3 % of the contribution from the Structural Funds
to the operational programme;

(b) for Member States that acceded to the European Union on
or after 1 May 2004, in 2007 2 % of the contribution from
the Structural Funds to the operational programme,
in
2008 3 % of the contribution from the Structural Funds to
the operational programme, and in 2009 2 % of the contri-
to the operational
bution from the Structural Funds
programme;

(c)

if
the operational programme falls under the European
territorial cooperation objective and at least one of the
participants is a Member State that acceded to the European
Union on or after 1 May 2004, in 2007 2 % of the contri-
bution from the ERDF to the operational programme, in
2008 3 % of the contribution from the ERDF to the opera-
tional programme, and in 2009 2 % of the contribution
from the ERDF to the operational programme;

(d) for Member States of the European Union as constituted
before 1 May 2004, in 2007 2 % of the contribution from
the Cohesion Fund to the operational programme, in 2008
3 % of the contribution from the Cohesion Fund to the
operational programme, and in 2009 2,5 % of the contri-
bution from the Cohesion Fund to the operational
programme;

(e)

for Member States that acceded to the European Union on
or after 1 May 2004, in 2007 2,5 % of the contribution
from the Cohesion Fund to the operational programme, in
2008 4 % of the contribution from the Cohesion Fund to
the operational programme, and in 2009 4 % of the contri-
bution from the Cohesion Fund to the operational
programme.

The total amount paid as pre-financing shall be reim-
2.
bursed to the Commission by the body designated by the
Member State if no application for payment under the opera-
tional programme is sent within 24 months from the date on
which the Commission pays the first instalment of the pre-fi-
nancing amount.

The total contribution from the Funds to the operational
programme shall not be affected by such reimbursement.

Article 83

Interest

Any interest generated by the pre-financing shall be posted to
the operational programme concerned, being regarded as a
resource for the Member State in the form of a national public
contribution, and shall be declared to the Commission at the
time of the final closure of the operational programme.

Article 84

Clearance

(a)

for Member States of the European Union as constituted
before 1 May 2004, in 2007 2 % of the contribution from
the Structural Funds to the operational programme, and

The amount paid as pre-financing shall be totally cleared from
the Commission accounts when the operational programme is
closed in accordance with Article 89.

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S e c ti on 4

In t e ri m p aym e n t s

Article 85

Interim payments

Interim payments
each operational
programme. The first interim payment shall be made in accord-
ance with Article 71(2).

shall be made

for

Article 86

Acceptability of applications for payment

Each interim payment made by the Commission shall be

1.
subject to the following conditions being met:

(a)

the Commission must have been sent a application for
payment and a statement of expenditure in accordance
with Article 78;

(b) no more than the maximum amount of assistance from the
Funds as laid down in the decision of the Commission
approving the operational programme has been paid by the
Commission during the whole period for each priority axis;

(c)

the managing authority must have sent the Commission
the most recent annual implementation report in accord-
ance with Article 67(1) and (3);

Se c ti on 5

Programme c l osu re an d p ayme n t of f i n al b al an c e

Article 88

Partial closure

Partial closure of operational programmes may be made

1.
at periods to be determined by the Member State.

Partial closure shall relate to operations completed during the
period up to 31 December of
the previous year. For the
purposes of this Regulation, an operation shall be deemed
completed where the activities under it have been actually
carried out and for which all expenditure by the beneficiaries
and the corresponding public contribution have been paid.

2.
Partial closure shall be made on the condition that the
Member State sends the following to the Commission by 31
December of a given year:

(a) a statement of expenditure relating to the operations

referred to in paragraph 1;

(b) a declaration for partial closure in accordance with

Article 62(1)(d)(iii).

3.
Any financial corrections made in accordance with Arti-
cles 98 and 99 concerning operations subject to partial closure
shall be net financial corrections.

Article 89

(d) there is no reasoned opinion by the Commission in respect
of an infringement under Article 226 of the Treaty as
regards
for which the expenditure is
declared in the application for payment in question.

the operation(s)

1.
that:

Conditions for the payment of the final balance

The Commission shall pay the final balance provided

If one or more of the conditions referred to in para-
2.
graph 1 are not met, the Member State and the certifying
authority shall be informed by the Commission within a period
of one month so that the necessary steps can be taken to
remedy the situation.

Article 87

(a) the Member State has sent an application for payment
comprising the following documents by 31 March 2017:

(i)

(ii)

an application for payment of the final balance and a
statement of expenditure in accordance with Article 78;

the final
programme,
Article 67;

implementation report

including the information set out

for the operational
in

Date of presentation of applications for payment and
payment delays

The certifying authority shall satisfy itself that requests for
1.
interim payments for each operational programme are grouped
together and sent to the Commission, as far as possible, on
three separate occasions a year. For a payment to be made by
the Commission in the current year, the latest date on which a
application for payment shall be submitted is 31 October.

(iii) a closure declaration referred to in Article 62(1)(e); and

(b) there is no reasoned opinion by the Commission in respect
of an infringement under Article 226 of the Treaty as
regards
for which the expenditure is
declared in the application for payment in question.

the operation(s)

2.
Failure to send any of the documents referred to in para-
graph 1 to the Commission shall automatically result in the
decommitment of
in accordance with
the final balance,
Article 93.

2.
Subject to available funding, and the absence of a suspen-
sion of payments in accordance with Article 92, the Commis-
sion shall make the interim payment no later than two months
after the date on which a application for payment meeting the
conditions referred to in Article 86 is registered with the
Commission.

The Commission shall

3.
inform the Member State of its
opinion on the content of the closure declaration referred to in
paragraph 1(a)(iii) within five months of the date of its receipt.
The closure declaration shall be deemed to be accepted in the
absence of observations by the Commission within that five-
month period.

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4.
Subject to available funding, the Commission shall pay
the final balance within no more than 45 days from the later
of the following dates:

3.
The documents shall be kept either in the form of the
originals or in versions certified to be in conformity with the
originals on commonly accepted data carriers.

(a)

the date on which it accepts the final report in accordance
with Article 67(4); and

(b) the date on which it accepts the closure declaration referred

to in paragraph 1(a)(iii) of this Article.

5. Without prejudice to paragraph 6, the balance of the
shall be decommitted 12 months
budgetary commitment
the operational
following the payment. The
programme shall be on the date of the earliest of the following
three events:

closure of

(a)

the payment of
the final balance determined by the
Commission on the basis of the documents referred to in
paragraph 1;

(b) the sending of a debit note for sums unduly paid by the
Commission to the Member State in respect of the opera-
tional programme;

(c)

the decommitment of the final balance of the budgetary
commitment.

The Commission shall inform the Member State about the date
of the closure of the operational programme within a deadline
of two months.

6.
Notwithstanding the results of any audits performed by
the Commission or the European Court of Auditors, the final
balance paid by
the operational
the Commission for
programme may be amended within nine months of the date
on which it is paid or, where there is a negative balance to be
reimbursed by the Member State, within nine months of the
date on which the debit note is issued. Such amendment of the
balance shall not affect the date of the closure of the opera-
tional programme as set out in paragraph 5.

Article 90

Availability of documents

1. Without prejudice to the rules governing State aid under
Article 87 of the Treaty, the managing authority shall ensure
that all the supporting documents regarding expenditure and
audits on the operational programme concerned are kept avail-
able for the Commission and the Court of Auditors for:

Se c ti on 6

In t e r r u p t i o n

of

t h e

p a y m e n t

d e a d l i n e

an d

s u s p e n si o n o f p a y m e n t s

Article 91

Interruption of the payment deadline

1.
The payment deadline may be interrupted by the author-
ising officer by delegation within the meaning of Regulation
(EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002 for a maximum period of
six months if:

(a)

in a report of a national or Community audit body there is
evidence to suggest a significant deficiency in the func-
tioning of the management and control systems;

(b) the authorising officer by delegation has to carry out addi-
tional verifications following information coming to his
attention alerting him that expenditure in a certified state-
ment of expenditure is linked to a serious irregularity
which has not been corrected.

2.
The Member State and the certifying authority shall be
informed immediately of the reasons for the interruption. The
interruption shall be ended as soon as the necessary measures
have been taken by the Member State.

Article 92

Suspension of payments

1.
All or part of the interim payments at the level of priority
axes or programmes may be suspended by the Commission
where:

(a) there is a serious deficiency in the management and control
system of the programme which affects the reliability of the
procedure for certification of payments and for which
corrective measures have not been taken; or

(b) expenditure in a certified statement of expenditure is linked
to a serious irregularity which has not been corrected; or

(a) a period of three years following the closure of an opera-

tional programme as defined in Article 89(3);

(c)

there is a serious breach by a Member State of its obliga-
tions under Article 70(1) and (2).

(b) a period of three years following the year in which partial
closure took place,
in the case of documents regarding
expenditure and audits on operations referred to in para-
graph 2.

2.
The Commission may decide to suspend all or part of
interim payments after having given the Member State the
opportunity to present
its observations within a period of
two months.

These periods shall be interrupted either in the case of legal
proceedings or at the duly motivated request of the Commis-
sion.

2.
The managing authority shall make available to the
Commission on request a list of completed operations which
have been subject to partial closure under Article 88.

3.
The Commission shall end suspension of all or part of
interim payments where the Member State has taken the neces-
sary measures to enable the suspension to be lifted. Where the
required measures are not taken by the Member State, the
Commission may adopt the decision to cancel all or part of the
Community contribution to the operational programme in
accordance with Article 99.

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S e c ti on 7

A u t om at i c de c o m m i t m e n t

Article 93

Principles

1.
The Commission shall automatically decommit any part
of a budget commitment in an operational programme that has
not been used for payment of
the pre-financing or
interim payments or for which an application for payment has
not been sent in conformity with Article 86 by 31 December
of the second year following the year of budget commitment
under the programme, with the exception mentioned in para-
graph 2.

2.
For Member States whose GDP from 2001 to 2003 was
below 85 % of the EU-25 average in the same period, as listed
in Annex II, the deadline referred to in paragraph 1 shall be
31 December of the third year following the year of the annual
budget commitment from 2007 to 2010 under their opera-
tional programmes.

This deadline shall also apply to the annual budget commit-
ment from 2007 to 2010 in an operational programme falling
under the European territorial cooperation objective if at least
one of the participants is a Member State referred to in the first
subparagraph.

3.
That part of commitments still open on 31 December
2015 shall be automatically decommitted if the Commission
has not received an acceptable application for payment for it
by 31 March 2017.

4.
If this Regulation enters into force after 1 January 2007,
the period after which the first automatic decommitment as
referred to in paragraph 1 may be made shall be extended, for
the first commitment, by the number of months between
1 January 2007 and the date of the first budget commitment.

Article 94

Period for interruption for major projects and aid schemes

When the Commission takes a decision to authorise a major
project or an aid scheme, the amounts potentially concerned
by automatic decommitment shall be reduced by the annual
amounts concerned by such major projects or aid schemes.

the automatic decommitment deadlines

For these annual amounts, the starting date for the calculation
referred to in
of
Article 93 shall be the date of the subsequent decision neces-
sary in order to authorise such major projects or aid schemes.

authority has not been able to declare to the Commission
because of operations suspended by a legal proceeding or an
administrative appeal having suspensory effect, on condition
the Member State sends the Commission information
that
stating the reasons by 31 December of the second or third year
following the year of the budget commitment pursuant to
Article 93.

For that part of commitments still open on 31 December
2015, the time limit referred to in Article 93(2) shall be inter-
rupted under these same conditions in respect of the amount
relating to the operations concerned.

The abovementioned reduction may be requested once if the
suspension lasted up to one year or several
times corre-
sponding to the number of years between the date of the legal
or administrative decision suspending the implementation of
the operation and the date of the final legal or administrative
decision.

Article 96

Exceptions to the automatic decommitment

The following shall be disregarded in calculating the automatic
decommitment:

(a) that part of the budget commitment for which a applica-
tion for payment has been made but whose reimbursement
has been interrupted or suspended by the Commission on
31 December of the second or third year following the year
of the budget commitment pursuant to Article 93 and in
accordance with Articles 91 and 92. When the problem
resulting in the interruption or
suspension has been
resolved, the automatic decommitment rule shall be applied
to that part of the budget commitment which is concerned;

(b) that part of the budget commitment for which a applica-
tion for payment has been made but whose reimbursement
has been capped in particular due to a lack of budget
resources;

(c)

for reasons of

that part of the budget commitment for which it has not
been possible to make an acceptable application for
payment
force majeure seriously affecting
the operational programme. The
implementation of
national authorities claiming force majeure shall demonstrate
its direct consequences on the implementation of all or part
of the operational programme.

Article 97

Procedure

Article 95

Period of interruption for legal proceedings and adminis-
trative appeals

The amount potentially concerned by automatic decommit-
the certifying
ment shall be reduced by the amounts that

1.
The Commission shall inform the Member State and the
authorities concerned in good time whenever there is a risk of
application of automatic decommitment under Article 93. The
Commission shall inform the Member State and the authorities
concerned of
the automatic decommitment
the amount of
resulting from the information in its possession.

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2.
The Member State shall have two months from the date
of receipt of that information to agree to the amount or submit
its observations. The Commission shall carry out the automatic
decommitment not later than nine months after the deadline
referred to in Article 93.

3.
The Fund's contribution to the operational programme
shall be reduced, for the year concerned, by the amount auto-
matically decommitted. The Member State shall produce within
two months of the date of decommitment a revised financing
plan reflecting the reduced amount of assistance over one or
several priority axes of the operational programme. Failing this,
the Commission shall reduce the amounts allocated to each
priority axis proportionately.

CHAPTER II

Financial corrections

S e c ti on 1

F i n a n c i al c or r e c t i on by Me m b e r St a t e s

Article 98

Financial corrections by Member States

The Member States shall

investigating irregularities,

in the first instance bear the
1.
acting upon
responsibility for
evidence of any major change affecting the nature or the condi-
tions for the implementation or control of operations or opera-
tional programmes and making the financial corrections
required.

2.
The Member State shall make the financial corrections
required in connection with the individual or systemic irregula-
rities detected in operations or operational programmes. The
corrections made by a Member State shall consist of cancelling
all or part of
the public contribution to the operational
programme. The Member State shall take into account the
nature and gravity of the irregularities and the financial loss to
the Funds.

The resources from the Funds released in this way may be
reused by the Member State until 31 December 2015 for the
operational programme concerned in accordance with the
provisions referred to in paragraph 3.

3.
The contribution cancelled in accordance with para-
graph 2 may not be reused for the operation or operations that
the correction, nor, where a financial
were the subject of
correction is made for a systemic irregularity,
for existing
operations within the whole or part of the priority axis where
the systemic irregularity occurred.

Se c ti on 2

F i n an c i al co r r e c t i o n s b y t h e Com m i s s i o n

Article 99

Criteria for the corrections

1.
The Commission may make financial corrections by
cancelling all or part of the Community contribution to an
operational programme where, after carrying out the necessary
examination, it concludes that:

(a) there is a serious deficiency in the management and control
system of the programme which has put at risk the Com-
munity contribution already paid to the programme;

(b) expenditure contained in a certified statement of expendi-
ture is irregular and has not been corrected by the Member
State prior to the opening of the correction procedure
under this paragraph;

(c) a Member State has not complied with its obligations under
Article 98 prior to the opening of the correction procedure
under this paragraph.

2.
The Commission shall base its financial corrections on
individual cases of irregularity identified, taking account of the
systemic nature of the irregularity to determine whether a flat-
rate or extrapolated correction should be applied.

3.
The Commission shall, when deciding the amount of a
correction, take account of the nature and gravity of the irregu-
larity and the extent and financial implications of the deficien-
cies found in the operational programme concerned.

4. Where the Commission bases its position on facts estab-
lished by auditors other than those of its own services, it shall
draw its own conclusions regarding the financial consequences
after examining the measures taken by the Member State
concerned under Article 98(2),
the reports supplied under
Article 70(1)(b), and any replies from the Member State.

5. When a Member State does not comply with its obliga-
tions as referred to in Article 15(4), the Commission may, in
relation to the degree of non-compliance with these obliga-
tions, make a financial correction by cancelling all or part of
the Structural Funds
contribution to the Member State
concerned.

The rate applicable to the financial correction referred to in
this paragraph shall be laid down in the implementing rules of
this Regulation adopted by the Commission in accordance with
the procedure referred to in Article 103(3).

Article 100

Procedure

4.
In the case of a systemic irregularity, the Member State
shall extend its enquiries to cover all operations liable to be
affected.

Before taking a decision on a financial correction, the
1.
Commission shall open the procedure by informing the
Member State of its provisional conclusions and requesting the
Member State to submit its comments within two months.

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Where the Commission proposes a financial correction on the
basis of extrapolation or at a flat rate, the Member State shall
be given the opportunity to demonstrate, through an examina-
tion of the documentation concerned, that the actual extent of
irregularity was less than the Commission's assessment.
In
agreement with the Commission, the Member State may limit
the scope of this examination to an appropriate proportion or
sample of the documentation concerned. Except in duly justi-
fied cases, the time allowed for this examination shall not
exceed a further period of two months after the two-month
period referred to in the first subparagraph.

The Commission shall

take account of any evidence
2.
supplied by the Member State within the time limits mentioned
in paragraph 1.

3. Where the Member State does not accept the provisional
conclusions of the Commission, the Member State shall be
invited to a hearing by the Commission, in which both sides in
cooperation based on the partnership shall make efforts to
reach an agreement concerning the observations and the
conclusions to be drawn from them.

4.
In case of an agreement, the Member State may reuse the
Community funds concerned in conformity with the second
subparagraph of Article 98(2).

5.
In the absence of agreement, the Commission shall take a
decision on the financial correction within six months of the
date of the hearing taking account of all information and obser-
vations submitted during the course of the procedure. If no
hearing takes place, the six-month period shall begin to run
two months after the date of the letter of invitation sent by the
Commission.

Article 101

Obligations of Member States

A financial correction by the Commission shall not prejudice
the Member State's obligation to pursue recoveries under
Article 98(2) of this Regulation and to recover State aid under
Article 87 of the Treaty and under Article 14 of Council Regu-
lation (EC) No 659/1999 of 22 March 1999 laying down
detailed rules for the application of Article 88 of
the EC
Treaty (1).

Article 102

Repayment

1.
Any repayment due to be made to the general budget of
the European Union shall be effected before the due date indi-
cated in the order for recovery drawn up in accordance with
Article 72 of Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002. The

(1) OJ L 83, 27.3.1999, p. 1. Regulation as amended by the 2003 Act
of Accession. Editorial note: the title of Regulation (EC) No 659/
1999 has been adjusted to take account of the renumbering of the
Articles of the Treaty establishing the European Community,
in
accordance of Article 12 of the Treaty of Amsterdam; the original
reference was to Article 93 of the Treaty.

due date shall be the last day of the second month following
the issuing of the order.

2.
Any delay in effecting repayment shall give rise to interest
on account of late payment, starting on the due date and
ending on the date of actual payment. The rate of such interest
shall be one-and-a-half percentage points above the rate
applied by the European Central Bank in its main refinancing
operations on the first working day of the month in which the
due date falls.

TITLE VIII

COMMITTEES

CHAPTER I

Coordination committee of the funds

Article 103

Committee procedure

1.
The Commission shall be assisted by a coordination
committee of the Funds (hereinafter referred to as the Coordi-
nation Committee of the Funds).

2. Where reference is made to this paragraph, Articles 3 and
7 of Decision 1999/468/EC shall apply.

3. Where reference is made to this paragraph, Articles 4 and
7 of Decision 1999/468/EC shall apply.

The period referred to in Article 4(3) of Decision 1999/468/EC
shall be set at three months.

The Coordination Committee of the Funds shall adopt its

4.
Rules of Procedure.

The EIB and the EIF shall each appoint a non-voting

5.
representative.

CHAPTER II

Committee under Article 147 of the treaty

Article 104

Committee under Article 147 of the Treaty

1.
The Commission shall be assisted by a committee set up
under Article 147 of the Treaty (hereinafter referred to as the
Committee). The Committee shall be composed of one govern-
ment representative, one representative of the workers' organi-
sations and one representative of the employers' organisations
from each Member State. The Member of the Commission
responsible for chairing the Committee may delegate that
responsibility to a senior Commission official.

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2.
Each Member State shall nominate a representative and
an alternate for each representative of each category referred to
in paragraph 1. In the absence of one member, the alternate
shall be automatically entitled to take part in the proceedings.

before the entry into force of this Regulation and having finan-
cial repercussions during the period covered by those opera-
tional programmes.

3.
The members and alternates shall be appointed by the
Council, acting on a proposal from the Commission, for a
period of three years. They may be reappointed. The Council
shall, as regards the composition of the Committee, endeavour
to ensure
categories
concerned. For the items on the agenda affecting it, the EIB and
the EIF may appoint a non-voting representative.

representation of

the different

fair

4.

The Committee shall:

(a) deliver its opinion on the implementing rules of this Regu-

lation;

(b) deliver opinions on the draft Commission decisions relating

to programming in the case of support from the ESF;

(c) be consulted when it deals with the categories of technical
assistance measure referred to in Article 45 in the case of
support from the ESF and other relevant issues having an
impact on the implementation of employment, training and
social inclusion strategies at EU level relevant to the ESF.

The Commission may consult the Committee on ques-

5.
tions other than those referred to in paragraph 4.

6.
For their adoption, the opinions of the Committee shall
require an absolute majority of the votes validly cast. The
Commission shall
inform the Committee of the manner in
which it has taken account of its opinions.

TITLE IX

FINAL PROVISIONS

Article 105

Transitional provisions

1.
This Regulation shall not affect the continuation or modi-
fication, including the total or partial cancellation, of assistance
co-financed by the Structural Funds or of a project co-financed
by the Cohesion Fund approved by the Commission on the
basis of Regulations (EEC) No 2052/88 (1),
(EEC) No 4253/
88 (2), (EC) No 1164/94 (3) and (EC) No 1260/1999 or any
other
assistance on
31 December 2006, which shall consequently apply thereafter
to that assistance or the projects concerned until their closure.

legislation which applies

to that

2. While taking decision on operational programmes, the
Commission shall take account of any assistance co-financed by
the Structural Funds or of any project co-financed by the Cohe-
sion Fund approved by the Council or by the Commission

(1) Council Regulation (EEC) No 2052/88 of 24 June 1988 on the tasks
of the Structural Funds and their effectiveness and on coordination
of their activities between themselves and with the operations of the
European Investment Bank and the other existing financial instru-
ments (OJ L 185, 15.7.1988, p. 9). Regulation repealed by Regu-
lation (EC) No 1260/1999.

(2) Council Regulation (EEC) No 4253/88 of 19 December 1988,
laying down provisions
implementing Regulation (EEC)
No 2052/88 as regards coordination of the activities of the different
Structural Funds between themselves and with the operations of the
European Investment Bank and the other existing financial instru-
ments (OJ L 374, 31.12.1988, p. 1). Regulation repealed by Regu-
lation (EC) No 1260/1999.

for

(3) Council Regulation (EC) No 1164/94 of 16 May 1994 establishing a
Cohesion Fund (OJ L 130, 25.5.1994, p. 1). Regulation as last
amended by the 2003 Act of Accession.

By way of derogation from Articles 31(2), 32(4) and
3.
37(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999, partial
sums
committed for assistance co-financed by the ERDF or the ESF
approved by the Commission between 1 January 2000 and
31 December 2006 for which the certified statement of expen-
diture actually paid, the final report on implementation and the
statement referred to in Article 38(1)(f) of that Regulation have
not been sent to the Commission within15 months after the
final date of eligibility of expenditure laid down in the decision
granting a contribution from the Funds, shall be automatically
decommitted by the Commission not later than 6 months after
that deadline, giving rise to the repayment of amounts unduly
paid.

Amounts relating to operations or programmes which have
been suspended due to legal proceedings or administrative
appeals having suspensory effect shall be disregarded in calcu-
lating the amount to be automatically decommitted.

Article 106

Review clause

The Council shall review this Regulation by 31 December
2013 at the latest in accordance with the procedure laid down
in Article 161 of the Treaty.

Article 107

Repeal

Without prejudice to the provisions laid down in Article 105(1)
of this Regulation, Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999 is hereby
repealed as of 1 January 2007.

References to the repealed Regulation shall be construed as
references to this Regulation.

Article 108

Entry into force

This Regulation shall enter into force on the day following its
publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

The provisions laid down in Articles 1 to 16, 25 to 28, 32 to
40, 47 to 49, 52 to 54, 56, 58 to 62, 69 to 74, 103 to 105
and 108 shall apply from the date of entry into force of this
Regulation only for programmes for the period 2007 to 2013.
The other provisions shall apply from 1 January 2007.

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This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.

Done at Brussels, 11 July 2006.

For the Council

The President

E. HEINÄLUOMA

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ANNEX I

Annual breakdown of commitment appropriations for 2007 to 2013

(referred to in Article 18)

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

42 863 000 000

43 318 000 000

43 862 000 000

43 860 000 000

44 073 000 000

44 723 000 000

45 342 000 000

(EUR, 2004 prices)

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ANNEX II

Financial framework

Criteria and methodology referred to in Article 18

Allocation method for the regions eligible under the Convergence objective referred to in Article 5(1)

1. Each Member State's allocation is the sum of the allocations for its individual eligible regions, which are calculated on
the basis of relative regional and national prosperity and the unemployment rate according to the following steps:

(a) determination of an absolute amount (in euro) obtained by multiplying the population of the region concerned
by the difference between that region's GDP per capita, measured in purchasing power parities, and the EU-25
average GDP per capita;

(b) application of a percentage to the above absolute amount in order to determine that region's financial envelope;
this percentage is graduated to reflect the relative prosperity, as compared to the EU-25 average, of the Member
State in which the eligible region is situated, i.e.:

— for regions in Member States whose level of GNI per capita is below 82 % of the Community average: 4,25 %

— for regions in Member States whose level of GNI per capita is between 82 % and 99 % of the Community

average: 3,36 %

— for regions in Member States whose level of GNI per capita is over 99 % of the Community average: 2,67 %;

(c) to the amount obtained under step (b) is added, if applicable, an amount resulting from the allocation of a
premium of EUR 700 per unemployed person, applied to the number of persons unemployed in that region
exceeding the number that would be unemployed if the average unemployment rate of all the EU convergence
regions applied.

Allocation method for the Member States eligible for the Cohesion Fund under Article 5(2)

2. The total theoretical financial envelope for the Cohesion Fund is obtained by multiplying an average per capita aid
intensity of EUR 44,70 by the eligible population. Each eligible Member State's a priori allocation of the theoretical
financial envelope corresponds to a percentage based on its population, surface area and national prosperity and
obtained by applying the following steps:

(a) calculation of the arithmetical average of that Member State's population and surface area shares of the total
population and surface area of all the eligible Member States; if, however, a Member State's share of total popula-
tion exceeds its share of total surface area by a factor of five or more, reflecting an extremely high population
density, only the share of total population will be used for this step;

(b) adjustment of the percentage figures so obtained by a coefficient representing one third of the percentage by
which that Member State's GNI per capita, measured in purchasing power parities, exceeds or falls below the
average GNI per capita of all the eligible Member States (average expressed as 100 %).

3. In order to reflect the significant needs in terms of transport and environment infrastructure of the Member States
that acceded to the Union on or after 1 May 2004, the share of the Cohesion Fund will be set at one third of their
total financial allocation (Structural Funds plus Cohesion Fund) on average over the period. For the other Member
States, their financial envelope will result directly from the allocation method described in paragraph 2.

Allocation method for the Member States and regions eligible under the Regional competitiveness and employ-
ment objective referred to in Article 6

4. The share of each Member State concerned is the sum of the shares of its eligible regions, which are determined on
the basis of the following criteria, weighted as indicated: total population (weighting 0,5), number of unemployed
people in NUTS level 3 regions with an unemployment rate above the group average (weighting 0,2), number of jobs
needed to reach an employment rate of 70 % (weighting 0,15), number of employed people with a low educational
level (weighting 0,10), and low population density (weighting 0,05). The shares are then adjusted according to rela-
tive regional prosperity (for each region, increase or decrease of its total share by + 5 %/-5 % according to whether its
GDP per capita is below or above the average GDP per capita for the group). The share of each Member State will
not however be less than three-quarters of its share in 2006 of combined funding under Objectives 2 and 3.

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Allocation method for the European territorial cooperation objective referred to in Article 7

5. The allocation of resources among the beneficiary Member States (including the contribution from the ERDF to the
European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument and the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance referred to in
Article 21(2)) is determined as follows:

(a) for the cross-border component as referred to in Article 7(1), on the basis of the population of the NUTS level 3

regions in terrestrial and maritime border areas, as a share of the total population of all the eligible regions;

(b) for the transnational component as referred to in Article 7(2), on the basis of the total population of the Member

State, as a share of the total population of all the Member States concerned.

Allocation method for the Member States and regions eligible for the transitional support referred to in Article 8

6. The allocations under the transitional support referred to in Article 8 will result from the application of the following

parameters:

(a) for the regions defined in Article 8(1), 80 % of their individual 2006 per capita aid intensity level in 2007 and a
linear reduction thereafter to reach the national average per capita aid intensity level for the Regional competi-
tiveness and employment objective in 2013. To the allocation thus obtained is added, if applicable, an amount
resulting from the allocation of a premium of EUR 600 per unemployed person, applied to the number of
persons unemployed in that region exceeding the number that would be unemployed if the average unemploy-
ment rate of all the EU convergence regions applied.

(b) for the regions defined in Article 8(2), 75 % of their individual 2006 per capita aid intensity level in 2007 and a
linear reduction thereafter to reach the national average per capita aid intensity level for the Regional competi-
tiveness and employment objective by 2011. To the allocation thus obtained is added, if applicable, an amount
resulting from the allocation of a premium of EUR 600 per unemployed person, applied to the number of
persons unemployed in that region exceeding the number that would be unemployed if the average unemploy-
ment rate of all the EU convergence regions applied;

(c) for the Member States defined in Article 8(3), the allocation will be degressive over seven years, with the amount
in 2007 being EUR 1,2 billion, in 2008 EUR 850 million, in 2009 EUR 500 million, in 2010 EUR 250 million,
in 2011 EUR 200 million, in 2012 EUR 150 million and in 2013 EUR 100 million.

Maximum level of transfers from funds supporting cohesion

7.

In order to contribute to the objectives of adequately concentrating cohesion funding on the least developed regions
and Member States and reducing disparities in average per capita aid intensities resulting from capping, the
maximum level of transfer from the Funds to each individual Member State pursuant to this Regulation will be as
follows:

— for Member States whose average 2001 to 2003 GNI per capita (PPS) is under 40 % of the EU-25 average:

3,7893 % of their GDP

— for Member States whose average 2001 to 2003 GNI per capita (PPS) is equal to or above 40 % and below 50 %

of the EU-25 average: 3,7135 % of their GDP

— for Member States whose average 2001 to 2003 GNI per capita (PPS) is equal to or above 50 % and below 55 %

of the EU-25 average: 3,6188 % of their GDP

— for Member States whose average 2001 to 2003 GNI per capita (PPS) is equal to or above 55 % and below 60 %

of the EU-25 average: 3,5240 % of their GDP

— for Member States whose average 2001 to 2003 GNI per capita (PPS) is equal to or above 60 % and below 65 %

of the EU-25 average: 3,4293 % of their GDP

— for Member States whose average 2001 to 2003 GNI per capita (PPS) is equal to or above 65 % and below 70 %

of the EU-25 average: 3,3346 % of their GDP

— for Member States whose average 2001 to 2003 GNI per capita (PPS) is equal to or above 70 % and below 75 %

of the EU-25 average: 3,2398 % of their GDP

— thereafter, the maximum level of transfer is reduced by 0,09 percentage points of GDP for each increment of

5 percentage points of average 2001 to 2003 per capita GNI (PPS) as compared to the EU-25 average.

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8. The ceilings referred to in paragraph 7 above include the contributions from the ERDF to the financing of the
cross-border strand of the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument and of the Instrument for Pre-
Accession Assistance, and from the part of the EAFRD originating from the Guidance Section of the European Agri-
cultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund, and from the EFF.

9. Calculations of GDP by the Commission will be based on the statistics published in April 2005. Individual national
growth rates of GDP for 2007 to 2013, as projected by the Commission in April 2005, will be applied for each
Member State separately.

10. If it is established in 2010 that any Member State's cumulated GDP for the years 2007 to 2009 has diverged by
more than ±5 % from the cumulated GDP estimated in according with paragraph 9 above, including as a conse-
quence of exchange rate changes, the amounts allocated for that period to that Member State pursuant to para-
graph 7 will be adjusted accordingly. The total net effect, whether positive or negative, of these adjustments may
not exceed EUR 3 billion. In any event, if the net effect is positive, total additional resources will be limited to the
level of under-spending against the ceilings for category 1B set out for the years 2007 to 2010 in the Interinstitu-
tional Agreement of 17 May 2006 on budgetary discipline and sound financial management. Final adjustments will
be spread in equal proportions over the years 2011 to 2013.

11. In order to reflect the value of the Polish zloty in the reference period, the result of the application of the maximum
level of transfer as defined in paragraph 7 for Poland will be multiplied by a coefficient 1,04 for the period up to
the review referred to in paragraph 10 (2007 to 2009).

Additional provisions

12. When in a given Member State the phasing-out regions defined in Article 8(1)) represent at least one third of the
total population of the regions fully eligible for Objective 1 assistance in 2006, the rates of assistance will be 80 %
of their individual 2006 per capita aid intensity level in 2007, 75 % in 2008, 70 % in 2009, 65 % in 2010, 60 % in
2011, 55 % in 2012 and 50 % in 2013.

13. As far as the transitional arrangements under paragraphs 6(a) and (b) are concerned, the starting point in 2007 for
those regions which were not eligible for Objective 1 status in the 2000 to 2006 period, or whose eligibility started
in 2004, will be 90 % of their theoretical 2006 per capita aid intensity level calculated on the basis of the 1999
Berlin allocation method with their regional GDP per capita level being assimilated to 75 % of the EU 15 average.

14. Notwithstanding paragraph 7, the Polish NUTS level 2 regions of Lubelskie, Podkarpackie, Warmińsko-Mazurskie,
Podlaskie and Świętokrzyskie, whose GDP per capita levels (PPS) are the five lowest in the EU-25, will benefit from
funding from the ERDF over and above the funding to which they are otherwise eligible. This additional funding
will amount to EUR 107 per inhabitant over the period 2007 to 2013 under the Convergence objective. Any
upward adjustment of the amounts allocated to Poland pursuant to paragraph 10 will be net of this additional
funding.

15. Notwithstanding paragraph 7, the NUTS level 2 region of Közép-Magyarország will be allocated an additional
envelope of EUR 140 million over the period 2007 to 2013. For this region the same regulatory provisions would
apply as for the regions referred to in Article 8(1)

16. Notwithstanding paragraph 7, the NUTS level 2 region of Prague will be allocated an additional envelope of
EUR 200 million over the period 2007 to 2013 under the Regional competitiveness and employment objective.

17. Cyprus will benefit in 2007 to 2013 from the transitional arrangements applicable to the regions defined in

paragraph 6(b), its starting point in 2007 being established in accordance with paragraph 13.

18. The NUTS level 2 regions of Itä-Suomi and Madeira, while keeping the status of phasing-in regions, will benefit

from the transitional financial arrangements laid down in paragraph 6(a).

19. The NUTS level 2 region of the Canaries will benefit from an additional envelope of EUR 100 million over the

period 2007 to 2013 under the transitional support referred to in Article 8(2).

20. The outermost regions identified in Article 299 of the Treaty and the NUTS level 2 regions fulfilling the criteria laid
down in Article 2 of Protocol No 6 to the Treaty of Accession of Austria, Finland and Sweden will, in view of their
specific constraints, benefit from additional funding from the ERDF. This funding will amount to EUR 35 per inha-
bitant per year and will be in addition to any funding for which these regions are otherwise eligible.

21. As far as allocations under the cross-border strand of the European territorial cooperation objective referred to in
Article 7(1) are concerned, aid intensity for regions along the former external terrestrial borders between the EU-15
and the EU-12 and between the EU-25 and the EU ‘+2’ will be 50 % higher than for the other regions concerned.

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22. In recognition of the special effort for the peace process in Northern Ireland, a total of EUR 200 million will be allo-
cated for the PEACE Programme for the period 2007 to 2013. The PEACE programme will be implemented as a
cross-border programme within the meaning of Article 3(2)(c) and, in order to promote social and economic stabi-
lity in the regions concerned, will include, notably, actions to promote cohesion between communities. The eligible
area will be the whole of Northern Ireland and the border counties of Ireland. This programme will be implemented
under the European territorial cooperation objective in full compliance with additionality of structural fund inter-
ventions.

23. The Swedish regions falling under the Regional competitiveness and employment objective will be allocated an addi-

tional ERDF envelope of EUR 150 million.

24. Notwithstanding paragraph 7, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, which represent single NUTS II regions, will each be

allocated additional funding of EUR 35 per inhabitant over the period 2007 to 2013.

25. The Austrian regions falling under the Regional competitiveness and employment objective and situated on the
former external borders of the European Union will be allocated an additional ERDF envelope of EUR 150 million.
Bavaria will similarly be allocated an additional envelope of EUR 75 million under the Regional competitiveness and
employment objective.

26. Spain will benefit from an additional allocation of EUR 2,0 billion under the ERDF to enhance research, develop-
ment and innovation by and for the benefit of enterprises as set out in Articles 4(1) and 5(1) of Regulation (EC)
No 1080/2006. The indicative split will be 70 % for the regions eligible under the Convergence objective referred to
in Article 5,5 % for the regions eligible for the transitional support referred to in Article 8(1), 10 % for the regions
eligible under the Regional competitiveness and employment objective referred to in Article 6 and 15 % for the
regions eligible for the transitional support referred to in Article 8(2).

27. Ceuta and Melilla will be allocated an additional ERDF envelope of EUR 50 million over the period 2007 to 2013

under the transitional support referred to in Article 8(1).

28. Italy will be allocated an additional envelope of EUR 1,4 billion under the Structural Funds as follows:
EUR 828 million for the regions eligible under the Convergence objective referred to in Article 5(1), EUR
111 million for the region eligible for the transitional support referred to in Article 8(1), EUR 251 million for the
region eligible for the transitional support referred to in Article 8(2) and EUR 210 million for the regions eligible
under the Regional competitiveness and employment objective referred to in Article 6.

29. France will receive an additional allocation of EUR 100 million over the period 2007 to 13 under the Regional
competitiveness and employment objective in recognition of the particular circumstances of Corsica (EUR 30
million) and French Hainaut (EUR 70 million).

30. An additional allocation of EUR 167 million will be allocated to the eastern Länder of Germany which are eligible
for support under the Convergence objective referred to in Article 5(1). An additional allocation of EUR 58 million
will be allocated to the eastern Länder of Germany eligible for the transitional support referred to in Article 8(1).

31. Notwithstanding paragraph 7, an additional ERDF envelope of EUR 300 million is allocated to the European terri-
torial cooperation objective as follows: EUR 200 million to transnational cooperation within the meaning of
Article 7(2) and EUR 100 million to interregional cooperation within the meaning of Article 7(3).

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ANNEX III

Ceilings applicable to co-financing rates

(referred to in Article 53)

Criteria

Member States

ERDF and ESF
Percentage of eligible expen-
diture

Cohesion Fund
Percentage of eligible expen-
diture

(1) Member

whose
States
average GDP per capita for
the period 2001 to 2003
was below 85 % of the EU-
25 average during the same
period.

(2) Member States other than
those under (1) eligible for
regime of
the transitional
the Cohesion
on
Fund
1 January 2007.

(3) Member States other than
those referred to under (1)
and (2).

(4) Member States other than
those referred to under (1)
and (2).

Czech Republic, Estonia,
Greece, Cyprus,
Latvia,
Hungary,
Lithuania,
Malta, Poland, Portugal,
Slovenia, Slovakia

85 % for the Convergence
and Regional competitive-
employment
and
ness
objectives

80 % for the Convergence
and phasing-in regions
Regional
under
competitiveness
and
employment objective

the

the Regional
50 % for
and
competitiveness
employment
objective
outside phasing-in regions

75 % for the Convergence
objective

50 % for
competitiveness
employment objective

the Regional
and

Spain

Republic

Denmark,
Belgium,
Federal
of
Germany, France, Ireland,
the
Italy,
Luxemburg,
Austria,
Netherlands,
Finland,
and
United Kingdom.

Sweden

Republic

Denmark,
Belgium,
Federal
of
Germany, France, Ireland,
the
Luxemburg,
Italy,
Austria,
Netherlands,
Finland,
and
United Kingdom.

Sweden

(5) Outermost regions referred
to in Article 299(2) of the
Treaty benefiting from the
additional
for
these regions provided for
in paragraph 20 of Annex II

allocation

Spain,
Portugal

France

and

50 %

(6) Outermost regions referred
to in Article 299(2) of the
Treaty

Spain,
Portugal

France

and

85 % under the Conver-
Regional
gence
competitiveness
and
employment objectives

and

85 %

85 %

—

—

—

—

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ANNEX IV

Categories of expenditure

(referred to in Article 9(3))

Objectives: Convergence and Regional competitiveness and employment

Objective: Convergence and regions referred to in Article 8(2) without prejudice to the decision taken in
accordance with last subparagraph of Article 5(3) of Regulation (EC) No 1080/2006.

Code

Priority themes

Research and technological development (R&TD), innovation and entrepreneurship

01

R&TD activities in research centres

02

03

R&TD infrastructure (including physical plant, instrumentation and high-speed computer networks linking
research centres) and centres of competence in a specific technology

Technology transfer and improvement of cooperation networks between small and medium-sized busi-
nesses (SMEs), between these and other businesses and universities, post-secondary education establish-
ments of all kinds, regional authorities, research centres and scientific and technological poles (scientific
and technological parks, technopoles, etc.)

04

Assistance to R&TD, particularly in SMEs (including access to R&TD services in research centres)

05

Advanced support services for firms and groups of firms

06

07

Assistance to SMEs for the promotion of environmentally-friendly products and production processes
(introduction of effective environment managing system, adoption and use of pollution prevention tech-
nologies, integration of clean technologies into firm production)

Investment in firms directly linked to research and innovation (innovative technologies, establishment of
new firms by universities, existing R&TD centres and firms, etc.)

08

Other investment in firms

09

Other measures to stimulate research and innovation and entrepreneurship in SMEs

Information society

10

Telephone infrastructures (including broadband networks)

11

Information and communication technologies (access, security, interoperability, risk-prevention, research,
innovation, e-content, etc.)

12

Information and communication technologies (TEN-ICT)

13

Services and applications for the citizen (e-health, e-government, e-learning, e-inclusion, etc.)

14

Services and applications for SMEs (e-commerce, education and training, networking, etc.)

15

Other measures for improving access to and efficient use of ICT by SMEs

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16

17

20

21

26

27

28

29

30

32

34

36

38

39

40

41

42

43

Transport

Energy

Railways

Railways (TEN-T)

Motorways

Motorways (TEN-T)

Multimodal transport

Multimodal transport (TEN-T)

Intelligent transport systems

Airports

Ports

Inland waterways (TEN-T)

Electricity (TEN-E)

Natural gas (TEN-E)

Petroleum products (TEN-E)

Renewable energy: wind

Renewable energy: solar

Renewable energy: biomass

Renewable energy: hydroelectric, geothermal and other

Energy efficiency, co-generation, energy management

Environmental protection and risk prevention

52

Promotion of clean urban transport

Increasing the adaptability of workers and firms, enterprises and entrepreneurs

Development of life-long learning systems and strategies in firms; training and services for employees to
step up their adaptability to change; promoting entrepreneurship and innovation

Design and dissemination of innovative and more productive ways of organising work

Development of specific services for employment, training and support in connection with restructuring
of sectors and firms, and development of systems for anticipating economic changes and future require-
ments in terms of jobs and skills

Improving access to employment and sustainability

Modernisation and strengthening of labour market institutions

Implementing active and preventive measures on the labour market

Measures encouraging active ageing and prolonging working lives

Support for self-employment and business start-up

Measures to improve access to employment and increase sustainable participation and progress of women
in employment to reduce gender-based segregation in the labour market and to reconcile work and
private life, such as facilitating access to childcare and care for dependent persons

Specific action to increase participation of migrants in employment and thereby strengthen their social
integration

62

63

64

65

66

67

68

69

70

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71

72

73

74

Improving the social inclusion of less-favoured persons

Pathways to integration and re-entry into employment for disadvantaged people; combating discrimination
in accessing and progressing in the labour market and promoting acceptance of diversity at the workplace

Improving human capital

Design, introduction and implementation of reforms in education and training systems in order to develop
employability, improving the labour market relevance of initial and vocational education and training,
updating skills of training personnel with a view to innovation and a knowledge based economy.

Measures to increase participation in education and training throughout the life-cycle, including through
action to achieve a reduction in early school leaving, gender-based segregation of subjects and increased
access to and quality of initial vocational and tertiary education and training

Developing human potential in the field of research and innovation, in particular through post-graduate
studies and training of researchers, and networking activities between universities, research centres and
businesses