Cohesion policy

Danuta Hübner, the European Commissioner for regional policy, has presented the new implementing regulation for the cohesion policy 2007-2013, in Brussels on 08 December 2006.

The implementing regulation sets out rules on how to manage structural and cohesion funds in the 2007-13 programming period. It simplifies the regulatory framework regarding the management of the funds by replacing the 9 Commission's regulations into one set of detailed rules.

 

Furthermore, these funds will be more decentralised since eligibity rules will be set by Member States for most operational programmes, rather than by both the EU and the Member States as in the past.

 

The regulation also enhances proportionality in the area of auditing: audit verifications for certain operational programmes will be carried out by national bodies according to national rules. These audit verifications are applicable for programmes where total eligible public expenditure is less than € 750 million and Community co-financing is under 40% of total public expenditure.

 

There is also a new element of transparency: the regulation requires publication at national level of information on the beneficiaries and operations being co-financed by the funds.

 

The implementing regulation for cohesion policy 2007-2013

CEMR activities in the field of regional policy

The European Commission's DG Regional Policy