The ESIF Funds are in the forefront of developing and implementing a wide range of Simplification measures, including e-Cohesion, access to funding for SMEs, financial instruments and Simplified Cost Options (SCO), among others.
In particular, with the entry into force of the 2014-2020 ESIF regulations, additional SCOs and methodologies to simplify costs and reduce bureaucracy
have been created. Simplified Cost Options (SCOs) can play a key role by:
• Focusing funding on achieving results (rather than on the process involved),
• Reducing the administrative burden for beneficiaries and national authorities,
• Reducing error rates, and
• Speeding up the reimbursement of expenditure to beneficiaries.

The workshop will present the current state of play of the above simplification measures, including the recommendations recently made by the High Level Group on Simplification, and the way forward.