Guidelines on the application of the measures linking effectiveness of the European Structural and Investment Funds to sound economic governance according to Article 23 of Regulation (EU) 1303/2013

In 2014, Member States are negotiating their Partnership Agreements and programmes with the Commission. These will determine the multiannual strategy for implementing the Member State’s allocation from the five ESI Funds over the seven years of the programming period (2014-20). The Commission expects to approve Partnership Agreements and most programmes in the course of 2014, in line with Articles 16 and 29 CPR.

Member States and the Commission need to focus on setting priorities right from the beginning of the period. This requires that the challenges identified in the relevant country specific recommendations (hereafter CSRs), in the relevant Council recommendations or in the context of macroeconomic adjustment programmes are adequately addressed and supported by sufficient funding levels taking into account the financial allocation to each Member State. In the negotiations, the Commission is therefore being vigilant to ensure that the new programmes are devised taking into account the existing relevant CSRs and Council recommendations for every Member State and, where appropriate, the memorandum of understanding in the case of a macroeconomic adjustment programme.