Environmental Projects Management Agency

Dainius KazlauskasDeputy director

EPMA

Environmental Projects Management Agency

• Established - in February 2002 by the Ministryof Environment of the Republic of Lithuania;

• First Goal – implementation of ISPAenvironmental projects;

• Now – Implementation of EU and NationalFunding Environmental projects;

• Staff - 110 Employees.

Instrument for Structural Policies for Pre-Accession (ISPA) Cohesion fund projects

• Procurement procedures;

• Control of procurement procedures;

• Control of eligibility of expenditures (throw claimsfor payment control);

• Participation in project implementation as part ofthe contract;

• Organization of preparation of final report;

• Investigation of irregularities;

•Un-spot checks.

For projects, after EU integrations

• Organization of invitation to submit applicationsfor EU finansation;

• Evaluation of applications;• Signature of administrational and finansation

agreement;• Preservation of public procurement procedures;• Physical and financial administration of project

implementation;• Un-spot checks;• Audit after project implementation.

Director

Finance department

Legal

division

Quality and risk

management

division

Division of

Pollution

Reduction projects

Division of

Water

management

projects

General affairs

division

Division of Nature

Management

projects

Division of

financial

control

Accounting

Division

Division of

planning

and

reporting

Deputy Director

Deputy Director

Chief adviser

Division of

Climate Change

projects

International,

Life and other

projects

EU financed Projects in Lithuania

ISPA

(2000-2006)

• 27 Projects

• 670 mln. Eur

2007-2013

• 356 Projects

• 1,3 billion Eur

2014-2020

• 300 Projects

• 1.05 billion Eur funds

Variety of projects

- Waste management projects;

- Water management projects;

- Sludge management projects;

- Promotion of renovation of flats’ houses (public awareness company);

- Protection of biodiversity and landscape;

- Evaluation of impact of polluted areas ;

- Improving condition of water reservoirs;

- Maintenance of the Baltic Sea coast ;

- Cleaning up of past pollution;

- Strengthening of environmental monitoring, control and prevention;

- Establishing system of public information about environment and its development;

- Improvements in urban environment.

ADMINISTRATION SCHEME OF EU ISPA/COHESION FUNDS MANAGEMENT IN LITHUANIA

Audit of European

Commission

MINISTRY OF FINANCES Managing Authority (implements strategy of Cohesion fund, coordinates

the supervision of Cohesion funds management systems functionality);

Paying Authority (manages finance accounting);

Coordinating Institution (coordinates the Cohesion Fund projects spot

checks provided by the EC process);

Certifying Authority (confirms and send expenditure report to EC)Audit

Authority State

Control

IMPLEMENTING INSTITUTION

Environmental Projects Management Agency (EPMA)

Final BENEFICIARIES (RWMC, Water companies,

Municipalities)

Court of audits

Public

procurement

office

MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT Prepares strategy for the Cohesion Fund (environment);

Offers list of projects, suitable for financing from the Cohesion Fund;

Organizes process of preparation of application;

Submits proposals for the EC Decision changes to ministry of finances. Monitoring Committee

Role and responsibilities of the Ministry in programming of EU assistance

Ministry • sets the policy, prioriizes needs

Agency• takes over

management of practical project implementation

Final Beneficiary

• Responsible for project physical implementation

Role of the Ministry

• Ministry sets the policy, prioritizes needs;

• Defines the short- mid- and long-term targets;

• Defines the model and sources of funding;

• Negotiates with EU;

• Identifies the beneficiaries;

• Makes sure that legal acts required to implement projects are in place; if not – pushes their development and adoption;

• Developes Conditions for Financing - a rule book for Beneficiaries and Agency.

Implementing Agency

– During pre-accession very much acted asProcurement Organization and processed paymentclaims;

– After accession gradually moved to evaluation offunding applications, procurement andimplementation supervision (including investigationof irregularities), handling of payment claims.

Simplified scheme of the project implementation

2007-2013 and 2014-2020

Ministry of Environment

Preparation of project list

Preparation of description of financing conditions

Decision on funding

EPMA

Call for submission of applications

Evaluation of applications

Signature of financial agreement

Administration of project implementation

Monitoring after implementation

Beneficiary

Submission of application

Signature of financial agreement

Implementation of project

Responsibilities after project implementation

Audits

Хвала !