AER Consultation on the preparation of the 2014-2020 programming period for European Structural and Investment funds

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As the new programming period has already started, the Assembly of European Regions (AER) is looking into the role that regional authorities actually played in European politics and in Europe in general in 2014. To what extent are the subsidiarity and partnership principles implemented in European countries? Have Regions seen their competences and influence grow over the past years? How does multilevel governance look like in the different European states?
If we consider the case of EU regional policy, the main question is: to what extent was the partnership principle respected in the preparation of the new programmes? What is the potential benefit offered by the European Code of conduct on partnership, which was adopted by the Commission on 7 January 2014?
These questions will be at the heart of a study whose results are expected to be published and promoted in the course of 2015, year of the 30th AER Anniversary.
The study will entail 3 parts:
- Part 1: academic experts from different countries will be invited to make contributions about the state of regionalism in specific countries, in order to update all information entailed in the 2010 AER regionalism report and to have a more detailed and scientific approach per country.
- Part 2 will illustrate part 1 by looking into the role that regions play concretely in their countries, beyond the institutional framework. The focus will be put on the role of Regions – including regions from non-EU countries benefiting from EU funds - in EU cohesion policy, and the implementation of the partnership principle. To that end, a survey is currently running among all regions in Europe.
- Part 3 will be composed of a political report on subsidiarity and multilevel governance in Europe, including recommendations on how to enhance the implementation of these key principles. These recommendations will be directly based on the outcome of the survey, and following analysis.
The purpose of the present consultation is to feed into Part 2.

Contact person:
Christin Friedrichs, Secretariat and Political Activities Assistant (c.friedrichs@aer.eu / +33 3 88 22 74 43)

I. INFORMATION ON YOUR REGION

NB: Answering this questionnaire may require to involve different staff members, from different departments within the regional government. When filling-in part A, please keep this in mind and provide us with the contact details of as many persons as will be considered necessary.

Name of the Region

Country code

What was the status of your Region between 2007 and 2013?

(Cf. map for details: http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/atlas2007/maps/eu28_sf2007_2013.png)

Convergence Region

Phasing-out Region

Phasing-in Region

Competitiveness and Employment Region

Clear selection

What is the current status of your Region?

(See map for details: http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/how/coverage/index_en.cfm )

Less-developed Regio

Transition Region

More-developed Region

Clear selection

Are you part of a macro-region and/or are you in the process of joining/creating a macro-region?

Yes

Clear selection

Please explain why

Does your region have the intention of joining/creating a European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation (EGTC) during the programmes period?

Yes

Clear selection

Please explain why

If your region is not a member of the European Union, could you please specify in which programmes it is entitled to participate?

Should you be in that case, please only answer questions that may have some relevance for your programmes.

Contact Details

Clear selection

Name

Function

Department

Tel.

II. PROGRAMMING PERIOD 2007-2013

What have been the main problems encountered by your Region in the context of projects funded by the structural funds? (financial problems, problems in the payment process, implementation problems, lack of knowledge, lack of involvement from the member state etc.)

Do you think that the new structure (Common strategic Framework, partnership contracts, new categories of beneficiaries, thematic concentration), programming and implementation modalities of cohesion policy for 2014-2020 could solve these problems and/or improve the efficiency of EU cohesion policy compared to the previous period?

Yes

Clear selection

Please explain why

III. PROGRAMMING PERIOD 2013-2020

1. Preparation phase

According to you, what lessons have been drawn from the experience of preparing the 2007-2013 programmes?

Please answer at EU, National and regional level.

How much was your region involved in the definition of the Partnership contracts?

Have you been provided with adequate information and sufficient time as a prerequisite for a proper consultation process?

Yes

Clear selection

Could you precisely describe the consultation process?

Are there regional operational programmes in your country?

Yes

Clear selection

If not, what is the reason for only preparing national /thematic operational programme ?

Ongoing territorial reform in your country

Your country is too small to be divided into several ROPs (Regional Operational Programmes)

Other: please specify

Clear selection

Was there a discussion between the national government and your region on this issue?

Yes

Clear selection

If not, do you consider there should have been a discussion?

Yes

Clear selection

Please explain why

If so, has your region been able to contribute to the preparation of its regional operational programme(s)?

Yes

Clear selection

Please precise what type of contribution

The region has been consulted but the ROP was defined at national level

The region was asked to provide a draft territorial diagnosis and proposals, which were then negotiated with the national government

Other: please specify

Clear selection

What are the major difficulties you faced during the preparation period ? You can select several answers

Lack of information from the Member State

Lack of time due to delays within the Member State

Lack of time due to overlapping with the end of the previous period (2007-2013)

Lack of time due to the delayed adoption of the EU Budget

Difficulties linked to the new CSF rules

Please specify which rules

Difficulties linked to the thematic concentration

Difficult negotiations with the national government

Difficult negotiations with other partners

Clear selection

Please specify which partners

Other: please specify

Clear selection

2. Implementation phase

Are you satisfied with the distribution of funding within your own member state?

Yes

Clear selection

Please explain why

In case your region benefits from one or several ROPs (excluding ETC programmes), what is the role of your region in implementing this/these ROP(s):

Please, answer this question for each ROP that concerns your region (ESF, ERDF) apart from European territorial cooperation.

Managing Authority

Intermediary Body

Beneficiary only

Other: please specify

Clear selection

Does your region receive technical assistance for structural funds?

Yes

Clear selection

What is your assessment of the policy management system for the upcoming period? Please compare it to the previous period.

IV. WHAT CAN AER DO FOR YOU?

Training

Please, specify your needs

Information

Please, specify your needs

Best practices

Please, specify your needs

Networking

Please, specify your needs

Communicating/Promoting

Please, specify your needs

Lobbying

Please, specify your needs

Other

Please specify

Would you like to be involved in the political report that will be drafted on the basis of this analysis?

Yes

Clear selection

Important:
Should you be able to send us any supporting document (Draft partnership contract, Draft Operational Programmes…) or best practices in implementing the European Code of Conduct on Partnership, or multi-level governance in general, please do not hesitate to do so, they will help us build an extensive overview of how structural funds will work over this new period and how the partnership principle is being respected.

Thank you for your contribution!
Please send your completed surveys by 31 March 2015.

For further questions please contact:
Christin Friedrichs
c.friedrichs@aer.eu
+33 3 88 22 74 43

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