Transcript Activities of the Coordination Committee of the Funds (COCOF) Mr Bernard LANGE, European Commission, DG REGIO, Unit D1

Activities of the Coordination
Committee of the Funds (COCOF)
Mr Bernard LANGE,
European Commission,
DG REGIO, Unit D1
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The COCOF created by Article 103
of Council Regulation N°1083/2006.
Successor of the Committee for the
Development and Conversion of Regions
(CDCR), in operation since 1989.
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First meeting: 27 September 2006
From September 2006,
the COCOF met 18 times.
About 40 guidance notes
were discussed so far.
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You will find 35 documents in your USB key.
They can be classified in 4 categories:
- Closure of the previous programming period;
- Strategy of the 2007-2013 period;
- Programme implementation issues 2007-2013;
- European Territorial Cooperation.
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1. Closure of the previous
programming period (2000-2006)
3 documents:
- Amendment of decisions on Cohesion Fund
projects;
- Communication on the Guidelines on the
Closure of Cohesion Fund and ex-ISPA projects;
- Closure of INTERREG III.
+ Structural Funds Closure Guidelines adopted in
2006 under the CDCR.
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2. Strategy of the 2007-2013
period
2 documents:
- Guidelines on the calculation of public or
equivalent structural spending for the purposes of
additionality;
- Earmarking.
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3. Programme Implementation
issues 2007-2013
This category can be devided into 4 major
items:
- Evaluation;
- Implementation, monitoring and
management verification;
- Certification;
- Audit.
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3.1 – Evaluation
3 documents:
- Indicative guidelines on evaluation methods: exante and during the programming period (2
notes);
- Measuring Structural Funds Employment
Effects.
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3.2 – Implementation, monitoring
and management verification
18 documents and amongst them:
- Major Projects (2 notes);
- Article 55 of Regulation N°1083/2006;
- Financial engineering;
- Methodology for carrying out cost-benefit analysis;
- Publication of list of beneficiaries;
- Guidance note on management verification (*)
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3.3 – Certification
1 document:
- Guidance to certifying authorities on certification
procedure under Article 61 (*)
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3.4 – Audit
6 documents and amongst them:
- Audit strategy;
- Compliance assessment exercise;
- Methodology for the assessment of
management and control systems;
-Sampling (*)
-Financial corrections guidelines for public
procurement
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4. European Territorial Cooperation
(ETC)
3 documents:
- Financing of interregional cooperation, cooperation
networks and exchange of experience;
- Eligibility of ETC objective under cohesion policy
2007-2013;
- Interpretation of the Lead beneficiary principle under
Articles 19 and 20, especially concerning joint bodies
such as GETCs.
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Communication / Access
All COCOF documents are available via:
- COCOF Members (list in the USB key);
- COCOF Secretariat:
At [email protected]
- SFC 2007
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Thank you for your attention!
Questions & Answers
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SFC2007
Morten Greve, European
Commission, DG Regional Policy
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SFC2007
SFC2007
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What is SFC2007
What is currently covered
History and evolution
What is next – work programme 2008-2009
Access to additional documents
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What is SFC2007
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Common computerised system
– Art. 66.3 and 76.4 of Council Regulation 1083/2006
– Art. 39 - 42 of Commission Regulation 1828/2006
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Internet based IT system for shared fund management
– Data and document transmission (6 funds)
– Database and common document repository
SFC2007
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Provides a common reference
Accessible by all actors
– Managing, Certifying and Auditing authorities
• National and regional level
– Commission (4 directorates general)
– European Court of Auditors, OLAF, …
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A big step towards e-Governance and simplification
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What’s covered by SFC2007 today
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Documents and data required by the regulation (Art. 40 of 1828/2006)
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SFC2007
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National Strategic Reference Framework (NSRF)
Operational Programmes
Major Projects
Commission Decisions
Communication Plan
Annual Payment Forecasts
Interim Payment Requests
Annual Statement on withdrawn and recovered amounts
Description of Management and Control System
Audit Strategy
Annual Implementation Report
…
Annual Summary (Financial Regulation art. 53b)
Community Strategic Guidelines, Financial Perspectives
Programmes for the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance
…
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Who has access to what
• Access in managed on a
national level by the MS
Liaison
Commission
• Update and send roles
are restricted
SFC2007
National level
Man Auth Cer Auth
Aud Auth
Regional level Man Auth Cer Auth
Aud Auth
• OP
• Major Projects
• Communication
Plan
•…
• Payment Request • Audit Strategy
• Statement on
• Annual Control
recovered
Report / Opinion
amounts
•…
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• Read roles can be
combined
Man Auth Cer A
• OP
• Major Projects
• Communication
Plan
•…
• Payment R
• Statement
recovered
amounts
•…
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History and evolution
Commission
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1770
880
985
2409
763
Dec
2006
675
Oct
2006
595
0
470
508
1000
1404
1134
2000
2117
2814
3000
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SFC2007
Number of Users
4000
Jan
2007
Feb
2007
April
2007
June
2007
Sept
2007
Jan
2008
May
2008
Member State Authorities
Operational since July 2006
Contains 22500 documents covering 550 programmes
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What’s next
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Items listed in Article 40 not yet covered by SFC2007
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Annual Control Report and Annual Opinion – Annex VI and VII (Deadline
31/12/2008)
Partial Closure declaration – Annex IX
Closure Declaration + Final Control Report – Annex VIII
SFC2007
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Improving and extending the system
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Reporting
Consultation of guidance notes
Advanced search functions
User management
Multi-lingual e-learning
Specific requests from Member State users
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Work Programme 2008 - 2009
SFC2007
Description
Updated e-learning module
Preparation and transmission of Annual Implementation Reports – Annex XVIII
and XXIII
Split of categories for multi-objective programmes
Improved user management:
–Subscription to notifications
–Delegations
–Single profile for multiple roles
–Automatic reminders
Advanced search utility
Consultation of interpretation documents and guidance notes
Updated e-learning module in 22 languages
Annual Control Report – Annex VI
Annual Opinion – Annex VII
Reporting tools and initial reports
Major Projects and Payments for Pre-Accession fund
Partial Closure declaration – Annex IX
Annual declaration of amounts of withdrawn from statements of expenditure –
Annex XI
Closure Declaration + final control report – Annex VIII
Additional reporting and improvements
Date
June 2008
June 2008
Aug 2008
Sep 2008
Oct 2008
Oct 2008
Oct 2008
Nov 2008
Nov 2008
Nov 2008
Dec 2008
Feb 2009
Apr 2009
Jun 2009
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Consultation of guidance notes
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Access to documents and notes
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SFC2007
COCOF and ESF committee documents
Interpretation of regulations
Guidance notes
Commission position papers
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Search by keywords
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The goal is to have as much information as possible concerning
the 2007-2013 programming period available in SFC2007
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Functionality available in last quarter of 2008
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Key Messages
SFC2007
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SFC2007 fulfils the regulatory requirements
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SFC2007 is more than just mandatory electronic data
transmission
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SFC2007 is the reference database for the 2007 – 2013
period
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SFC2007 contributes to more effective controls by
– allowing information exchange between authorities within MS
– improving information flow between Commission and all
national bodies
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SFC2007 will continue to evolve
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Training
Androulla Ioannou
European Commission
DG Regional Policy
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Guidance and training
Training
- “Improved information flow for
improved control”
- Guidance: a) to interpret the
regulations and b) to share
understanding of the standards,
benchmarks and good practices
- Commission and MS identify areas
where guidance and training is
needed
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Guidance and Training
- Responsibility of MS
Training
- Disseminate guidance to the appropriate
officials in the designated managing
authorities, certifying authorities, audit
authorities, intermediate bodies and
beneficiaries
- Provide training based on a national training
programme
- Responsibility of Commission
- Develop guidance and raise awareness
through seminars; meetings; CIRCA; and now
SFC 2007
- Provide support for MS training actions
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Training provided in 2007
Training
- Guidance notes are initially discussed in
technical meetings with the audit
bodies/authorities before presentation in
COCOF
- Technical meeting 27 March
- Technical meeting 16 November
- Training on the new regulations, 2007-13,
provided to audit bodies/authorities of
almost all Member States (in most cases
in the Member State)
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Training to managing and certifying
authorities
Training
- Commission participates in seminars
organised by the Member States or other
organisations (ie EIPA)
- Encourage sharing of experiences and
training within Member States, but also
between Member States – purpose to
develop/strengthen training networks
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Training to managing and certifying
authorities
- Member States to have “training coordination
teams” and a national training strategy
Training
Proposal under consideration:
- Member States to nominate a “training contact
point”
- Annual seminar by the Commission to “train the
trainers” ->update; inform; transfer knowledge
- Trainers to incorporate this learning into their
national training strategy
- Topics that are of interest to YOU
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Send us your ideas/suggestions to:
[email protected]
Training
Thank you!
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