Enabling conditions

Table of Content

Enabling conditions are one of the key elements of the cohesion policy for 2021-2027. They build on the ex-ante conditionalities from the 2014-2020 to ensure that the necessary conditions for the effective and efficient use of the Funds are in place.

The 2021-2027 enabling conditions are streamlined, automatically apply if matching specific objective is selected and must be respected throughout the whole programming period in order for expenditure to be reimbursed form the Union budget.

These conditions are linked to:

• policy and strategic frameworks, to ensure that the strategic documents at national and regional level which underpin ESI Funds investments from the Funds are of high quality and in line with standards commonly agreed by Member States at EU level;
• regulatory frameworks, to ensure that implementation of operations co-financed by theESI Funds complies with the EU acquis

There are 4 horizontal enabling conditions linked to the horizontal aspects of programme implementation and 16 thematic enabling conditions, which set out sector-specific conditions for relevant investment areas eligible for support under cohesion policy (specific objectives).

When enabling conditions are not fulfilled at the time of submission of a payment application to the Commission for the concerned specific objective, the related expenditure will not be reimbursed from the Union budget until the Commission assesses that enabling condition as fulfilled.

More information

• Common Provision Regulation