European Social Fund EU budget Review and 5th Cohesion Report European Social Fund Dirk Reyntjens,...

European Social Fund

EU budget Review and 5th Cohesion Report


Dirk Reyntjens, DG EMPL ESF Coordination UnitESF Evaluation partnership meeting19 November 2010


Delivering key policy priorities

EU added value

A results-driven budget

Mutual benefits through solidarity

A reformed financing of the budget

Five key principles for the budget


Emerging vision for the EU

The Europe 2020 strategy – towards a smart,

sustainable and inclusive Union

New emphasis on policy priorities to be supported by

the EU budget

The issue is not about spending more or less – but to

spend more intelligently

Develop the right tools to make a difference for the EU

citizens


Research and innovation

A common strategic framework for innovation: Innovation Union

Refocus on major societal challenges, such as energy supplies and

greenhouse gas emissions reductions

Deliver the European Research Area and modernise education systems

Infrastructures of the future

cross-border infrastructure in transport (inter-modal connections),

communication (high-speed broadband) and energy (smart technologies)

Appropriate regulatory framework and strong involvement of private

investors.

Smart growth


Mainstreaming energy and climate policies

Large-scale dedicated funds devoted to investment in distinct

programmes

Mainstreaming inside policies like research, cohesion, agriculture and

rural development may be more efficient.

The Common Agricultural Policy

Direct payments: strong case for progressively bringing payments

levels closer together and moving away from historical references.

Greening direct aids.

Rural development: greener and more closely linked to other policies

in a common strategic framework.

Sustainable growth


Cohesion policy

Cohesion to benefit to all, with concentration on less developed MS.

CSF for cohesion, agricultural, rural and fisheries funds.

A contractual agreement between the Commission and the MS

reflecting the commitments at national and regional level.

Stronger thematic concentration on the Europe 2020 priorities

Options for increasing quality and performance, e.g. through

reserves and introducing a certain level competition amongst MS

« Smart specialisation » of programmes rather than overlapping

schemes

Inclusive growth


The right skills for tomorrow’s workforceESF reflects new balance in EU economics policy:

promote inclusion alongside growth

Targeted investment to foster adaptability, lifelong

learning, inclusion, education and training and institutional

capacity

Refocus ESF to secure 2020 targets

Devise a European Employment Initiative with joint

initiatives in education, employment and integration

Inclusive growth


European Globalisation Fund:

Supporting sectors under pressure:

Extended EGF could be put on permanent

footing

Help cushion the impact of disruptions on

workforce

simplification of procedures

Inclusive growth


One visible programme promoting European unity in

diversity to integrate cultural programmes and the

involvement of young people.

EU Solidarity Fund: broaden the scope and make

interventions faster and more effective.

More emphasis on the management of external borders,

return policy, asylum and integration of legal immigrants.

Citizenship


Incentivising the use of resources Link to discussion on reinforcing economic policy

coordination.

Possible introduction of conditionalities defining a specific set

of targets on which disbursement of EU funds would depend.

Other options: performance reserves or modulate co-financing

rates to performance.

Need to define specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and

timed objectives as well as performance indicators.

A budget delivering results


A MFF structure to reflect priorities – 2 options A framework reduced to a minimum of (three) headings: Internal

expenditure, External expenditure and Administrative expenditure.

Internal expenditure heading possibly divided in four sub-

headings: smart growth, sustainable growth, inclusive growth, and

citizenship.

Duration of the MFF Commission favours ten year period, but with a substantial mid-

term review ("5+5"), possibly facilitated by substantial reserves and

margins.



Simplify and minimise administrative burdenProposal to revise the Financial Regulation contains bold measures for

simplified financial rules.

A clear set of common principles for eligibility rules under shared and

centralised management should be agreed.

Ensuring sound financial management Need for a common understanding of the tolerable risk of error for different

policy areas and proportionality of controls.

Shared management: the system of payments based on a declaration of

payments by Member States, rather than on expenditure by beneficiaries

could be extended.



The 5th Cohesion Report and its conclusions:

Options for the future

1. Enhancing European added value

2. Strengthening governance

3. Streamlining delivery

4. Architecture of the policy


1. Enhancing European added value

Reinforcing strategic programming – translate EU 2020 objectives into investment priorities

Focus resources on limited number of key priorities

Introduce stronger incentives and conditionality

Improving evaluation, performance and results

Stronger emphasis on new financial instruments


2. Strengthening governance

Reinforcing partnership (improve involvement of local and regional stakeholders, social partners, civil society)

Introducing a new dimension: territorial cohesion

Reinforcing territorial co-operation

Developing an ambitious urban agenda

Addressing areas with specific geographical or demographic features


Improving financial management

Reducing the administrative burden

Simplifying financial discipline

Reviewing financial control

3. Streamlining Delivery


Full geographical coverage distinguishing between: Less developed regions More developed regions Transition regions

Simpler system – replaces current phasing-out and phasing-in system

Territorial cooperation

4. Architecture


In line with the Budget Review: Focus the ESF on securing the 2020

targets Greater visibility and predictable funding

volumes for the ESF Contribution to European employment

initiative

4. Architecture


Questions

1. How could the Europe 2020 Strategy and cohesion policy be brought closer together at EU, national and sub-national levels?

2. Should the scope of the development and investment partnership contract go beyond cohesion policy and, if so, what should it be?

3. How could stronger thematic concentration on the Europe 2020 priorities be achieved?

4. How could conditionalities, incentives and results-based management make cohesion policy more effective?

5. How could cohesion policy be made more results-oriented? Which priorities should be obligatory?


Questions

6. How can cohesion policy take better account of the key role of urban areas and of territories with particular geographical features in development processes and of the emergence of macro-regional strategies?

7. How can the partnership principle and involvement of local and regional stakeholders, social partners and civil society be improved?

8. How can the audit process be simplified and how can audits by Member States and the Commission be better integrated, whilst maintaining a high level of assurance on expenditure co-financed?

9. How could application of the proportionality principle alleviate the administrative burden in terms of management and control? Should there be specific simplification measures for territorial cooperation programmes?

10. How can the right balance be struck between common rules for all the Funds and acknowledgement of Funds' specificities when defining eligibility rules?

11. How can financial discipline be ensured, while providing enough flexibility to design and implement complex programmes and projects?


Questions

12. How can it be ensured that the architecture of cohesion policy takes into account the specificity of each Fund and in particular the need to provide greater visibility and predictable funding volumes for the ESF and to focus it on securing the 2020 objectives?

13. How could a new intermediate category of regions be designed to accompany regions which have not completed their process of catching up?


Timeline

19 October 2010: Budget Review (COM(2010)700) 10 November 2010: Fifth Cohesion Report 11 November 2010 – 31 January 2011: public consultation 31 January/1 February 2011: Cohesion Forum

Spring 2011: Proposal on future financial perspectives Summer 2011: Legislative proposals End 2012: Adoption of new legislative package and expected

agreement on new budget post 2013

2013: Finalisation of new programming documents 2014: Entry into force


Make your voice heard!

Public consultation open until 31 January 2011:

ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/cohesion_report

Thank you for your attention!


European Social Fund More Info

WWW.EC.EUROPA.EU/ESF

European Social Fund EU budget Review and 5th Cohesion Report European Social Fund Dirk Reyntjens,...

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