Informal Meeting of Ministers responsible for territorial cohesion and future of cohesion policy
The EGTCs in the new Cohesion Policy INTERACT pilot activity on Cooperation in the Investments for...
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Transcript of The EGTCs in the new Cohesion Policy INTERACT pilot activity on Cooperation in the Investments for...
The EGTCs in the new Cohesion Policy
INTERACT pilot activity on Cooperation in the Investments for Growth and Jobs goal of Cohesion Policy 2014-2020 – art. 96.3.d) – Kick off meeting
Milano, Italy16 September 2014
Alfonso Alcolea Committee of the Regions of the EU
Intro:Europe without borders?
Former checkpoint dismantledbetween Frankfurt am Oder and Słubice © A. Alcolea, 2008
Europe without borders?
Disparities
European Commission6th Cohesion Report
Europe without borders?
Impact of the crisis (2010)
Growth of GDP in real terms. Negative in regions in orange or in red
6th cohesion report. EC
Europe without borders?
The European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation
EGTC – European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation
At the beginning, an idea of the Committee of the Regions
Created by Regulation (EC) 1082/2006 amended by Regulation (EU) 1302/2013
Public entities from different Member States can get together under an entity with European legal personality.
The EGTC has its own organisation, budget and staff.
It may implement programmes and projects of territorial cooperation, with or without EU funding.
Entered into force on 1 August 2007, the Member States adopt national provisions. The amended Regulation entered into force on 22 June 2014
What is an EGTC?
Decisions corresponding to the Member States
Define the EGTC as entity of public or private Law
Define the applicable Law The seat determines the applicable Law BUT the Convention can foresee exceptions: staff –
procurement - audit - others
Authorize the convention and the statutes The Convention has primacy over the national legislation
3 months; 6 months under new Regulation, but tacit approval
Authorize the EGTCs with non-EU countries
Register and publication at national level and at EU level
Decision and validation of the financial control
Recognition of the EGTCs based in other countries
Inclusion of the EGTC in the operational programmes
What is an EGTC?
Figures
47 EGTC set up, according to the Register of the CoR
More than 650 LRA involved
A reality in 19 Member States
Impact on the life of 30 Mo Europeans
EGTC trends and developments
National implementation varies, but also national approaches
Only one EGTC implements programmes: ‘Greater Region’
The use of structural funds is not the main object of activity
Although ‘laboratory for multi-level governance’, most of the EGTC group only regions or only municipalities
Main focus on cross-border cooperation
Main areas: Axis Benelux-FR-DE, around HU and Mediterranean Precedent cooperation started in the 90s.
Need of awareness among LRA, public and EC services
EGTC trends and developments
Grande Région
Only EGTC to be management authority of a programme Involves FR, DE, LU, BE, seat at Metz (FR) www.interreg4a-gr.eu
EGTC trends and development
Three joint statements
The revised EGTC Regulation
The final version of the EGTC regulation contains several statements agreed between the European Parliament, the Commission and the Council:
I.The Institutions intend “to improve the visibility of the possibilities to use EGTCs as an optional instrument for territorial cooperation available in all EU policy areas”.
II.The institutions engage themselves to undertake “actions of coordination and communication among national authorities and between authorities of different Member States in order to ensure clear, efficient and transparent procedures of authorization of new EGTCs”.
•The Member States will endeavour to apply the rules of the Regulation on law applicable to contractual obligations for the staff hired under private law and the principle of territoriality for staff hired under public law.
New elements – Operational
EGTCs can be:
managing authorities of programmes or of part of a programme
Beneficiaries of programmes
Intermediate authorities of Integrated Territorial Investments
Implementing bodies of Joint Action Plans and of CLLD
Managing authority or implementing body of a major project
Operational Programmes can contain provisions on cross-border
cooperation, transnational and interregional actions (Art. 96.3 (d) CPR).
The new Cohesion Policy
The EGTCs and Art 96.3(d) CPR
Coordination of the OPs In national or regional OPs, the actions must be
included in all the OPs concerned
Which level of concretion for the actions foreseen?
Different role for the EGTC as Managing Authorities or as beneficiaries
What about EGTCs as managing authorities part of a programme?
Are there major projects in the radar?
The EGTCs can be existing ones or to be created in the future
The new Cohesion Policy
The challenge
of implementation
The view of the Committee of the Regions
How will the revised EGTC Regulation be implemented?
What will the future EGTC conventions look like? Are the Member States ready to approve exceptions in the conventions?
How will the Rules of the staff of the EGTC be applied?
What is the involvement of EGTCs in the process of preparing the Operational Programmes?
Will the Operational Programmes foresee actions to be implemented by an EGTC according to Art. 96.3 (d) of CPR?
How will the EGTCs participate in JAP, ITI, CLLD and other instruments?
What will be the role of the EGTCs in the macroregions?
The challenge of implementation
Open questions
The challenge of implementation
Question: Are the EGTCs interested in new instruments?
According to the respondents:
Joint Action Plan (JAP): 10 EGTCs
Community-Led Local Development (CLLD): 9 EGTCs
Integrated Territorial Investment (ITI): 15 EGTCs
Major projects: Not reported
EGTC monitoring report 2013Towards the New Cohesion Policy
EGTC monitoring report 2013Towards the New Cohesion Policy
The challenge of implementation
Question: Are the EGTCs involved in the programming process ?
10 EGTCs have elaborated a position paper or key study that was presented to the Programming Group
5 EGTCs are represented in the Programming Group (risk of conflict of interests due to the later role of EGTC as beneficiaries)
4 EGTCs intend to take over a function in management and implementation of programmes (Grande Région, Euroregione Senza Confini, EUKN, possibly ESPON)
Participation in Operational Programmes
The challenge of implementation
Border regions and EGTCs need to be consulted in the programming as part of a structured dialogue (cf. Art. 5 Code of Conduct)
The national authorities should consider the specific needs of border areas and the potential of the EGTCs for the ETC
CoR-AEBR Seminar “The participation of citizens from border regions in the Operational Programmes – The Case of the EGTC”, Brussels, 19/11/2013:
Dialogue with National Authorities
The challenge of implementation
Need for awareness
The aspects of cooperation are neglected in most of the 28 PAs and around 300 Ops
Need of participation and effective involvement of the EGTCs
CoR-Greek Presidency Workshop on “Implementing the New Legislation on EGTC – Dialogue with National Authorities”, Brussels, 26/06/2013:
Other activities
Platform of EGTC since 2011, grouping all players in EGTC and cross-border
• Monitoring
• Assistance and support
• Political input European register of EGTC in the CoR Face-to-face communication:
• Open Days 8/10/2014, the EGTCs and Interregional cooperation
• Thematic portal
www.cor.europa.eu/egtc
• Social networks
The EGTC Platform
The award ‘Building Europe across Borders’
Bi-annual EGTC award of the CoR
Focus on implemented actions related to growth and jobs
2014 awardee: Euroregion Pyrenees Mediterranean
Honourable mentions to ‘Gate to Europe’ and ‘Tyrol-South Tyrol-Trentino’
Follow-up to Art. 96.3.d CPR Communication instruments in preparation Comic,
and Video clipping, material needed! Boost the European Cooperation Day European Entrepreneurial Region award open to
cross-border territories Open Days
• Workshop of the EGTC Platform 8/10/2014, the EGTCs and Interregional cooperation
• Edition of a flyer about the activities related to the EGTCs in the Open Days
CoR opinion on the 6th Cohesion Report CoR study on Cohesion policy after 2020
The EGTC Platform
Future cooperation with INTERACT
“Europe will not be made all at once, or according to a single plan. It will be built through concrete achievements which first create a de facto solidarity”.
Declaration Schuman – 9 May 1950
… Last reminder
Thank you!
Committee of the RegionsDirectorate E – Horizontal Policies and Networks
Alfonso Alcolea MartínezAdministrator EGTC & territorial cooperation
www.cor.europa.eu/egtc
Twitter: @EGTCPlatform
FB group: EGTC
LinkedIN: EGTC