A presentation by the European Commission on the draft legislative package and Common Strategic Framework

1. EU Structural funds 2014 -2020:
the draft legislative package &
Common Strategic Framework
BACK TO THE FUTURE
Current experiences & future perspectives: Civil Society
engagement in the EU structural funds
27/04/2012
Dirk Reyntjens
DG Employment, social affairs and inclusion

2. Legislative package
• The General Regulation
Common provisions for cohesion policy, the
rural development policy and the maritime
and fisheries policy
Common provisions for cohesion policy only
(ERDF, CF, ESF)
• Fund specific regulations for
ERDF; CF and ESF
• ETC regulation
• EGTC regulation

3. Guiding political principles of the
reform
• Concentration on Europe 2020 Strategy
• Focus on results
• Better coordination and harmonisation between the funds
• Simplification for beneficiaries

4. Coverage and budget
• Three categories of regions
• Less developed regions (GDP per capita < 75% of EU
average)
• Transition regions (GDP per capita between 75% and
90%)
• More developed regions (GDP per capita > 90%)
• Budget
• 336 billion: of this
• 255 billion for the Investment for growth and jobs

5. ESF - minimum shares
• At least 25% of the Cohesion envelope for the ESF 
€ 84 billion
• (25% for the less developed regions, 40% for the
transition regions and 52% for the more developed
regions)
• Why?
• Important contribution to the Europe 2020 strategy and
3 of its headline targets on employment, education and
poverty reduction
• Key factor for medium term growth (OECD)
• Expression of European solidarity
In 2011, 16 million people were reached out

6. Strengthening the Strategic
Approach
Common Strategic Framework
Code of
Conduct
Partnership Agreement
Operational
Programmes

7. Integration and Synergies
• Programming
• The Common Strategic Framework at EU level and the Partnership
Agreement at national level covering all five CSF Funds
• Possibility for Member States to prepare and implement multi-fund
programmes combining ERDF, ESF and the Cohesion Fund
• Tools
• Possibility to finance operations from more than one fund
• Integrated territorial investment
• Community-led local development
! Complexity
• Joint Action Plans

8. Conditionality
• Ex ante conditionality
• Conditions to be fulfilled prior to submission of
PA & OPs
• Directly related to the investment priorities or
horizontal conditions of effectiveness
• Self-assessment carried out by MS
• Non-fulfillment constitutes a basis for suspension
of interim payments
• Reinforced macroeconomic conditionality for
the funds
• Closer link between cohesion policy and the
economic governance of the Union

9. A focus on results
• Performance framework and reserve
• Indicators:
• Fund Specific Common
• Programme Specific Indicators
• Evaluation:
• Ex-ante
• Evaluation during the programming period
• Ex-post evaluation by the Commission
• Tools:
• Joint Action Plans
• Strategic programming

10. Specific provisions for the ESF

11. Scope
18 Investment priorities ESF contribution to the other
in 4 thematic thematic objectives notably:
objectives
3. Supporting an
3. Promoting employment environmentally sustainable
and supporting labour economy (low carbon…)
mobility
5. Enhancing the accessibility,
5. Promoting social inclusion use and quality of ICT
and combating poverty
7. Strengthening research and
7. Investing in education, innovation
skills and lifelong learning
9. Enhancing the
9. Enhancing institutional competitiveness of small and
and administrative medium-sized enterprises
capacities

12. Programming logic
EU 2020
Thematic
objectives
Investment
priorities
National, regional and local needs
Actions

13. Thematic concentration
LESS TRANSITION MORE
DEVELOPED REGIONS DEVELOPED
REGIONS REGIONS
60% OP budget 70% OP budget 80% OP budget
on 4 investment on 4 investment on 4 investment
priorities priorities priorities
20% ESF budget on Social Inclusion / poverty
reduction

14. Strong involvement of social
partners and NGOs
Reinforced provisions on partnership in the CPR
Specific provisions in the ESF regulation
Possibility to involve social partners and NGOs through
global grants
In the less developed regions or in the MS eligible for
the Cohesion Fund:
• appropriate amount of ESF resources to be allocated to
capacity-building activities and to activities jointly
undertaken by social partners
• appropriate amount of ESF resources to be allocated to
capacity-building of NGOs

15. Gender equality and
non-discrimination
In the general regulation
• Mainstreaming the principle for equality between
men and women and non-discrimination
In the ESF regulation
• Obligation to plan specific targeted actions for
equality between men and women and non-
discrimination (dedicated investment priorities)

16. Transnationality and Social
Innovation
• A clear requirement for Member States
• The ESF shall promote social innovation
• MS shall support transnational cooperation
• A large range of freedom for Member States in
the choice of themes
• Strengthening the role of the Commission as
facilitator

17. Reinforcing the territorial
approach
Possibility to continue ESF support to local employment
initiatives, territorial employment pacts…
Integrated approach to community-led local development
• Facilitates integrated investment by small communities
including local authorities, NGOs, and economic and social
partners
• Can be financed jointly from ERDF, ESF, EAFRD and EMFF
Possible support of sustainable urban development
strategies
• At least 5% of the ERDF resources to be allocated to
integrated actions for sustainable urban development
• The ESF may complement the ERDF for the actions falling
under its scope

18. Specific provisions for financial
management
• Eligibility of expenditure: equipment is eligible
• Simplified cost options :
• obligatory for small projects
• higher ceiling for lump sums
• more legal security provided
• Financial instruments

19. European Social Fund 2014 - 2020
Thank you very much for your attention!
More information:
http://ec.europa.eu/esf/main.jsp?catId=62&langId=en
http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/what/future/index_en.cfm