Panorama 65: Cohesion Policy: powering ahead to a smarter future (05/07/2018)
The Summer issue of Panorama magazine, now available to download, looks to the future and considers the European Commission’s proposed budget for the 2021-2027 funding period. As well as an introductory article outlining the proposals and how they hope to reform Cohesion Policy, we have an exclusive interview with Commissioner Creţu outlining the main developments and their reasoning, and we feature initial reactions from a variety of stakeholders across Europe.
Our focus this time is on Ireland, which is currently celebrating 45 years of EU membership. In an interview with Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe and through a selection of projects we show how ERDF funding has helped Ireland become more innovative and competitive.
Public Procurement training in Brussels this week! (27/06/2018)
There are still some free places available for the training module on Public Procurement on 28-29 June in Brussels!
This training was very highly rated by the participants of the 1st training module which took place last December.
We would like to invite the representatives from the regional offices in Brussels and relevant experts from the Permanent Representations to sign up and attend the PP training in Brussels. We will only offer a few sessions in total and it is provided free of charge, so grab the chance while you can…
The training covers "Key changes in public procurement directives & strategic procurement (innovative, green & socially responsible procurement)", and is designed for participants from ESIF managing authorities/ intermediate bodies/ audit authorities and other key bodies involved in ESIF implementation. Participants have to cover their own travel and accommodation costs.
Share the #EUinmyRegion competition with your community! (21/06/2018)
This summer EU citizens are being encouraged to visit EU-funded projects across the continent and to photograph them as part of a competition. Send us the nicest pictures you receive of your project and win hundreds of postcards to promote your activities locally!
Submit the pictures at info@euinmyregion.eu
More information on the campaign can be found at http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/en/policy/communication/euinmyregion.
RegioStars Awards : The independent jury has selected 21 finalists in the 2018 edition (12/06/2018)
An expert jury of 15 members, co-chaired by MEP Lambert Van Nistelrooij and MEP Kertin Westphal, has evaluated 102 applications submitted to this year’s competition honouring Europe’s most excellent projects supported by the cohesion policy of the European Union.
The 21 selected finalists, which can be viewed online now, come from 20 member states and five further partner countries. Voting for this year’s public choice award will start on 3 July!
Further details will follow…
Regional Development and Cohesion Policy 2021-2027 (29/05/2018)
For the next long-term EU budget 2021-2027, the Commission proposes to modernise Cohesion Policy, the EU's main investment policy and one of its most concrete expressions of solidarity.
The main features of the Commission's proposal for a modernised Cohesion Policy are:
1. A focus on key investment priorities, where the EU is best placed to deliver
2. A Cohesion Policy for all regions and a more tailored approach to regional development
3. Fewer, clearer, shorter rules and a more flexible framework
4. A strengthened link with the European Semester to improve the investment environment in Europe
Cohesion policy beyond 2020: new Commission initiative helps Member States and regions improve the management of EU funds (24/05/2018)
The Commission has selected five national and regional authorities in Greece, Poland, Spain, Croatia and Bulgaria to participate in a new pilot action on good governance and administrative capacity-building.
To improve the management of EU funded programmes in the post-2020 period, experts from the Commission and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation Development (OECD) will provide tailored, hands-on support. They will focus on building the right organisational structures and developing the right skills for staff. The experts will also help the authorities coordinate more smoothly with the other players involved in the roll-out of Cohesion Policy programmes, such as business and social partners, development agencies and civil society organisations.
Training on Cohesion Policy 2014–2020 for EU Member State Experts (02/05/2018)
Following the positive feedback on the organisation of a series of training seminars in 2016 and 2017, we are pleased to announce the organisation of
• one additional training session on State aid in the management of the ESIF during the 2014-2020 programming period and
• three training sessions on Key changes in public procurement directives & strategic procurement (innovative, green & socially responsible procurement).
Registrations are open and a few places are still available.
The trainings are organised in Brussels and are provided free of charge to participants from ERDF, CF and ESF Managing Authorities, Intermediate Bodies and Audit Authorities.
Public consultation on major transport projects (02/05/2018)
You are invited to express your views on the implementation and performance of major projects supported by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Cohesion Fund (CF) in the area of transport (road, railway and urban transport such as metro or tramways) between 2000 and 2013.
This consultation is launched in the context of the ex-post evaluation of major investment projects will their contribution to the economic development, the quality of life and well-being of citizens, including also effects for the environment.
The consultation aims at gathering your experience in designing, implementing and/or evaluating major projects in the field of Transport as regional/national authorities and managing authorities for ERDF/CF Operational Programmes, as project promoters/beneficiaries of transport major projects supported by ERDF/CF, as economic operators in the transport sector, as NGOs or interest groups, as experts or academics specialised in transport, and as citizens.
Countries and regions to benefit from new support in implementing strategic procurement in the field of Cohesion Policy (09/04/2018)
Managing authorities and other relevant bodies responsible for public procurement are invited to apply for a pilot project aimed at promoting the strategic use of public buying in projects co-funded under the EU Cohesion Policy. If selected, they can benefit from practical hands-on support and technical assistance to carry out procurement more efficiently and in a sustainable manner, delivering major policy outcomes in response to today's societal and economic challenges.
In particular, they will receive guidance and assistance in order to make the most out of the opportunities offered by the revised public procurement directives of 2014, i.e. less red tape and more online procedures to make it easier for small businesses to participate in public tenders and the possibility of introducing new criteria in award decision to choose socially responsible companies and innovative, environment-friendly products.
This March TAIEX-REGIO PEER 2 PEER celebrates its 3rd anniversary and has some figures to show for it! Thanks to the instrument, 2000 cohesion policy experts from 26 EU Member States have met to exchange experience on cohesion policy topics.
In case you have not yet had a chance to join this growing network of cohesion policy practitioners, do not hesitate to connect with peers this year.
Any questions about how it works in practice? We invite you to visit our website or send us a message at REGIO-PEER2PEER@ec.europa.eu . We are also on Twitter. Follow us @RegioAdmCap and get inspired by exchanges taking place across the entire EU.
