NGOs and the Structural Funds

1. NGOs and the Structural Funds Jean-Pierre Vercruysse, 14 January 2005

2. European Association for Information on Local Development (AEIDL) • Non-profit association, specialising in: • The animation of transnational networks • The organisation of seminars and colloquiums • The production of multilingual information tools: databases, publications, websites • The identification and transfer of experience and know-how • The development of methodologies • The evaluation of local development policies

3. Generally on Cohesion • Policy promoting solidarity • More than a third of the budget of the European Union • Gaps in Development among the regions • Disparities among the citizens • Help lagging regions to catch up • Restructure declining industrial regions • Diversify the economies of rural areas • Revitalise declining neighbourhoods in the cities

4. 2000-2006: €213 billion: • €195 billion for the four Structural Funds • ERDF • ESF • FIFG • EAGGF, Guidance Section • €18 billion for the Cohesion Fund

5. Four Community Initiatives • Common solutions to specific problems • cross-border, transnational and interregional cooperation (Interreg III); • sustainable development of cities and declining urban areas (Urban II); • rural development through local initiatives (Leader +); • combating inequalities and discrimination in access to the labour market (Equal).

6. Multi-annual programmes • Development strategies drawn up in a partnership associating the regions, the Member States and the European Commission • Act on economic and social structures to: • develop infrastructure, such as transport and energy; • extend telecommunications services; • help firms and provide training workers; • disseminate the tools and know-how of the information society.

7. Objectives • Fitted to the specific needs of the regions • Respects EU principles: • Employment creation • Protection of the environment • Promotion of equal opportunities between women and men

8. Territorial approach • Objective 1: regions lagging behind in development • Objective 2: regions undergoing economic and social conversion • Objective 3: training systems and employment promotion

9. Proposals 2007-2013 • Three “new” objectives: Convergence, Competitivity, Cooperation • Still 1/3 of budget of the EU • But on-going debate on “financial perspectives” 2007-2013 • Targeted on the EU’s strategic priorities • Lisbon and Gothenburg agendas • European employment strategy • Concentrated on the least favoured regions • Decentralised with a simpler implementation.

10. ‘Convergence’ objective • Vital role in the new Member: unprecedented development gaps • Speed up the economic convergence • Investing in human and physical capital; • Promoting innovation and the development of the knowledge society; • Encouraging adaptability to economic and social change; • Protecting of the environment; • Improving administrative efficiency.

11. Eligibility and funding • Regions whose per capita gross domestic product (GDP) is less than 75 % of the average for the enlarged EU • This is mainly the case for the majority of the new Member States • EUR 264 billion

12. ‘Regional competitiveness and employment’ objective • Regional development programmes (ERDF) • strengthen regional competitiveness and attractiveness • anticipating economic and social change • supporting innovation, the knowledge society, entrepreneurship, protection of the environment and risk prevention. • Programmes financed by the ESF • help workers and companies to adapt to change • encourage the development of job markets that award priority to social inclusion.

13. Eligibility and funding • All the regions not covered by the convergence’ objective • Member States to present the list of regions for which they will be submitting a programme • the Community zoning of the present Objective 2 will thus no longer apply. • Budget of EUR 57.9 billion

14. ‘European territorial cooperation’ objective • Inspired by the experience of Interreg • strengthen cooperation at three levels: • cross-border cooperation through joint programmes (“A”) • cooperation between transnational zones (“B”) • networks for cooperation and the exchange of experiences throughout the Union (“C”)

15. Eligibility and funding • Regions lying along internal land borders and certain external land borders • Some regions lying on sea borders • Contribute to the crossborder components of the future ‘European neighbourhood and partnership instrument’ • The whole of the Union territory is eligible for financing of European cooperation and exchange networks. • Budget of 13.2 billion

16. EAFRD • European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development • NOT a structural fund, but • very similar regulation and way of implementation • Proposed budget: EUR 88,75 billion, of which 31 billion for the “Convergence” Regions

17. Rural Development 2007-2013 « LEADER » Axis Axis 1 Competi-tiveness Axis 2Environment+Land Management Axis 3Economic Divers.+ Quality of Life Single set of programming, financing, monitoring, auditing rules Single Rural Development Fund

18. Axis 1: Improving Competitiveness • Human potential • Physical potential • Quality of agricultural production and products • Transitional measures

19. Axis 2: Land Management • Sustainable use of agricultural land • Sustainable use of forestry land • Agri-environment measures are compulsory for each programme.

20. Axis 3: Diversification of the rural economy and quality of life in rural areas • Diversification of the rural economy • Improvement of the quality of life • Implementation preferably through local development strategies

21. “LEADER” Axis • Implementation of local development strategies through a LEADER approach to contribute to the achievement of the objectives of one or several of the three thematic axes. • Inter-territorial and trans-national cooperation. • Capacity building andworking of local action groups.

22. Programme balance • Axis 1: Competitiveness at least 15% of EU programme funding • Axis 2: Land management at least 25% • Axis 3: Wider rural development at least 15% • Axis 4: LEADER approach at least 7% (but counts for the thematic axes)

23. Programming steps (all) • EU strategy document setting out the EU priorities for the policy axes • National strategy plans translating the EU priorities to the member state situation and ensuring complementarity with Cohesion policy • National or regional development programmes

24. Programming steps • The same for all programmes, wether SF or not. • June 2005: political agreement on the financial perspectives 2007-2013 • End of 2005: legislative work finalised • 2006: Drafting and negociation of plans under ERDF, ESF, Cohesion, EAFRD, … • 2007: start of implementation

25. Structural Funds in Hungary 2004-2006 • Objective 1: 5 Operational programmes • Regional Development: EUR 475,9 million • Environmental Protection and Infrastructure: EUR 440,3 million • Economic Competitiveness: EUR 606,5 million • Human resources: EUR 756,2 million • Agriculture and rural development: EUR 422,8 million • Total value: EUR 2 701,72 million

26. Structural Funds in Hungary 2004-2006 • Total EU contribution (EUR million) • Objective 1: 1 995, 72 • INTERREG: 68,68 • EQUAL: 30,29 • Cohesion Fund: 1 112,67 • TOTAL 2004-2006: 3 207,36

27. Other Funding available to NGOs • See http://europa.eu.int/grants/ • Examples: • LIFE III for funding projects on the protection of biodiversity and demonstration projects on the environment • Community action programme to combat discrimination to protect rights of Roma people • etc...