Article 176 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) provides that the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) is intended to help to redress the main regional imbalances in the Union. Under that Article and the second and third paragraphs of Article 174 TFEU, the ERDF is to contribute to reducing disparities between the levels of development of the various regions and to reducing the backwardness of the least favoured regions, among which particular attention is to be paid to rural areas, areas affected by industrial transition, and regions which suffer from severe and permanent natural or demographic handicaps such as the northernmost regions with very low population density and island, cross-border and mountain regions.
(2)
Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council (3) sets out provisions common to the ERDF, the European Social Fund (ESF), the Cohesion Fund, the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF). Regulation (EU) No 1301/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council (4) sets out specific provisions concerning the type of activities which can be supported by the ERDF, and defines the goals for those activities. Those Regulations are not fully adapted to the specific needs of the European territorial cooperation goal, where at least two Member States or one Member State and a third country cooperate. It is therefore necessary to lay down provisions specific to the European territorial cooperation goal concerning scope, geographical coverage, financial resources, thematic concentration and investment priorities, programming, monitoring and evaluation, technical assistance, eligibility, management, control and designation, participation of third countries, and financial management.
(3)
In order to increase the added value of the Union's cohesion policy, specific provisions should be aimed at achieving considerable simplification for all those involved: beneficiaries, programme authorities, authorities in participating Member States, at local, regional or national level, as appropriate, and third countries, as well as the Commission.
(4)
In order to support the harmonious development of the Union's territory at different levels, the ERDF should support cross-border, transnational and interregional cooperation under the European territorial cooperation goal.
(5)
Cross-border cooperation should aim to tackle common challenges identified jointly in the border regions, such as: poor accessibility, especially in relation to information and communication technologies (ICT) connectivity and transport infrastructure, declining local industries, an inappropriate business environment, lack of networks among local and regional administrations, low levels of research and innovation and take-up of ICT, environmental pollution, risk prevention, negative attitudes towards neighbouring country citizens and aim to exploit the untapped growth potential in border areas (development of cross-border research and innovation facilities and clusters, cross-border labour market integration, cooperation among education providers, including universities or between health centres), while enhancing the cooperation process for the purpose of the overall harmonious development of the Union.
(6)
Transnational cooperation should aim to strengthen cooperation by means of actions conducive to integrated territorial development linked to the Union's cohesion policy priorities, and should also include maritime cross-border cooperation not covered by cross-border cooperation programmes.
(7)
Interregional cooperation should aim to reinforce the effectiveness of cohesion policy by encouraging exchange of experience between regions on thematic objectives and urban development, including urban-rural linkages, to improve implementation of territorial cooperation programmes and actions as well as promoting analysis of development trends in the area of territorial cohesion through studies, data collection and other measures. The exchange of experience on thematic objectives should enhance design and implementation, principally of operational programmes under the Investment for growth and jobs goal, but also, where appropriate, of programmes under the European territorial cooperation goal, including the fostering of mutually beneficial cooperation between innovative research-intensive clusters and exchanges between researchers and research institutions in both developed and less developed regions, taking into consideration the experience of Regions of Knowledge and Research potential in Convergence and Outermost regions under the Seventh Framework Programme for Research.
(8)
Objective criteria for designating eligible regions and areas should be fixed. To this end, the identification of eligible regions and areas at Union level should be based on the common system of classification of the regions established by Regulation (EC) No 1059/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council (5).
(9)
Cross-border cooperation should support regions located on land or maritime borders. Based on experience from previous programming periods, the Commission should define the list of cross-border areas that are to receive support under cross-border cooperation programmes in a simpler way, by cooperation programme. In drawing up that list, the Commission should take into account adjustments needed to ensure coherence, in particular with regard to land and maritime borders, and continuity of programme areas established for the 2007-2013 programming period. Such adjustments could involve reducing or enlarging existing programme areas or the number of cross-border cooperation programmes, while allowing for the possibility of geographical overlap.
(10)
The Commission should define transnational cooperation areas having regard to actions needed to promote integrated territorial development. In defining those areas, the Commission should take into account the experience obtained in previous programmes and, where appropriate, macro-regional and sea-basin strategies.
(11)
To ensure that all regions in the Union can benefit from the exchange of experience and good practices, interregional cooperation programmes should cover the whole Union.
(12)
It is necessary to continue supporting or, as appropriate, to establish cross-border, transnational and interregional cooperation with the Union's neighbouring third countries, as such coopearation is an important regional development policy tool and should benefit the regions of the Member States which border third countries. To that effect, the ERDF should contribute to the cross-border and sea-basin programmes established under the European Neighbourhood Instrument (ENI) pursuant to a future Union legislative act concerning the European Neighbourhood Instrument for the period 2014–2020 (the ENI legislative act) and the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA II) pursuant to a future Union legislative act concerning the Pre-Accession Assistance for the period 2014-2020 (the IPA II legislative act).
(13)
Apart from interventions on external borders supported by external policy instruments of the Union covering border regions inside and outside the Union, it should be possible for cooperation programmes supported by the ERDF to cover regions both inside and, in certain cases, outside the Union, where the regions outside the Union are not covered by external policy instruments either because they are not defined as a beneficiary country or because such external cooperation programmes cannot be set up. It is necessary, however, to ensure that the support from the ERDF for operations implemented in the territory of third countries should serve primarily for the benefit of the regions of the Union. Within those constraints, the Commission should, when drawing up the lists of cross-border and transnational programme areas, cover regions in third countries as well.
(14)
It is necessary to set out the resources allocated to each of the different components of the European territorial cooperation goal, while maintaining a significant concentration on cross-border cooperation, including each Member State's share of the global amounts for cross-border and transnational cooperation, the potential available to Member States concerning flexibility between those components, and securing sufficient funding levels for outermost regions' cooperation.
(15)
For the benefit of the regions of the Union, a mechanism to organise support from the ERDF to external policy instruments, such as the ENI and the IPA II, should be set up, including where external cooperation programmes cannot be adopted or have to be discontinued. That mechanism should seek to achieve optimal functioning and the maximum possible coordination between those instruments.
(16)
The major part of the ERDF funding for cross-border and transnational cooperation programmes should be concentrated on a limited number of thematic objectives in order to maximise the impact of cohesion policy across the Union. However, the concentration under the interregional cooperation programme on thematic objectives should be reflected in the aim of each operation rather than in a limitation of the number of thematic objectives, in order to get the most out of interregional cooperation for the reinforcement of the effectiveness of cohesion policy principally under the Investment for growth and jobs goal and also, where appropriate, the European territorial cooperation goal. In the case of other interregional cooperation programmes, the thematic concentration should derive from their specific scope.
(17)
In order to deliver on the targets and objectives set out in the Union strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth, the ERDF should contribute under the European territorial cooperation goal to the thematic objectives of developing an economy based on knowledge, research and innovation, including through the fostering of cooperation between businesses, particularly between SMEs, and through the promotion of the establishment of systems for cross-border information exchange in the area of ICT; promoting a greener, more resource-efficient and competitive economy, including through the promotion of sustainable cross-border mobility; fostering high employment that results in social and territorial cohesion, including through activities supporting sustainable tourism, culture and natural heritage as part of a territorial strategy aimed at achieving employment-friendly growth; and developing administrative capacity. However, the list of the investment priorities under the different thematic objectives should be adapted to the specific needs of the European territorial cooperation goal, by providing for additional investment priorities allowing in particular for the continuation under cross-border cooperation of legal and administrative cooperation, cooperation between citizens and institutions, and of cooperation in the fields of employment, training, integration of communities and social inclusion in a cross-border perspective, and by the development and coordination of macro-regional and sea-basin strategies under transnational cooperation. In addition, specific or additional investment priorities should be set out for certain interregional cooperation programmes to reflect their specific activities.
(18)
Within the thematic objective of promoting social inclusion and combating poverty and taking into account its practical importance, it is necessary to ensure that, in the case of the PEACE cross-border programme between Northern Ireland and the border counties of Ireland in support of peace and reconciliation, the ERDF should also contribute to promoting social and economic stability in the regions concerned, in particular through actions to promote cohesion between communities. Given the specificities of that cross-border programme, certain rules on selection of operations in this Regulation should not apply to that cross-border programme.
(19)
It is necessary to adapt the content requirements of cooperation programmes under the European territorial cooperation goal to their specific needs. Those requirements should therefore also cover aspects necessary for effective implementation on the territory of participating Member States, such as those concerning the bodies responsible for audit and control, the procedure for setting up a joint secretariat, and the allocation of liabilities in the case of financial corrections. Where Member States and regions participate in macro-regional and sea-basin strategies, the cooperation programmes concerned should set out how interventions could contribute to such strategies. In addition, due to the horizontal character of interregional cooperation programmes, the content of such cooperation programmes should be adapted, especially as regards the definition of the beneficiary or beneficiaries under the current INTERACT and ESPON programmes.
(20)
In order to strengthen the co-ordination of ERDF support for cooperation programmes, adopted under this Regulation, involving the outermost regions with possible complementary financing from the European Development Fund (EDF), the ENI, the IPA II, and the European Investment Bank (EIB), Member States and third countries or overseas countries or territories (the latter hereinafter referred to as territories) participating in such cooperation programmes should set out rules for coordination mechanisms in those programmes.
(21)
It is appropriate to involve third countries or territories in the preparatory process of cooperation programmes, where they have accepted the invitation to participate in such programmes. Special procedures should be established in this Regulation for such involvement. By way of derogation from the standard procedure, where cooperation programmes involve outermost regions and third countries or territories, the participating Member States should consult the respective third countries or territories before submitting the programmes to the Commission. In order to make the involvement of third countries or territories in cooperation programmes more effective and pragmatic, it should also be possible to have the agreements to the contents of the cooperation programmes and the possible contribution of the third countries or territories, expressed in the formally approved minutes of the consultation meetings with such third countries or territories, or of the deliberations of the regional cooperation organisations. Taking into account the principles of shared management and of simplification, the approval procedure for cooperation programmes should be such that the Commission approves only the core elements of the cooperation programmes, while the other elements should be approved by the participating Member State or Member States. For the sake of legal certainty and transparency, it is necessary to ensure that, in cases where the participating Member State or Member States amend an element of a cooperation programme which is not subject to approval by the Commission, the managing authority for that programme notifies such an amending decision to the Commission within one month of the date of that amending decision.
(22)
In line with the Union strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth, the European Structural and Investment Funds should provide a more integrated and inclusive approach to tackling local problems. In order to strengthen such an approach, support from the ERDF in border regions should be coordinated with support from the EAFRD and the EMFF and should, where appropriate, involve European groupings of territorial cooperation (EGTCs) set up under Regulation (EU) No 1302/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council (6) where local development is one of their objectives.
(23)
Based on the experience from the 2007-2013 programming period, the conditions for selection of operations should be clarified and strengthened in order to ensure selection of only genuinely joint operations. Due to the particular context and specificities of cooperation programmes between outermost regions and third countries or territories, lightened cooperation conditions in terms of processing operations under those programmes should be established and adapted. The notion of sole beneficiaries should be defined and such beneficiaries should be permitted to carry out cooperation operations by themselves.
(24)
The responsibilities of lead beneficiaries, retaining overall responsibility for the implementation of an operation, should be specified.
(25)
The requirements for implementation reports should be adapted to the cooperation context and reflect the programme implementation cycle. In the interests of sound management, it should be possible for the annual review to be carried out in writing.
(26)
In accordance with Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013 the managing authority should ensure that evaluations of cooperation programmes are carried out on the basis of the evaluation plan and include evaluations to assess the effectiveness, efficiency and impact of those programmes. At least once during the programming period, an evaluation should assess how the support provided has contributed to the achievement of objectives of the programme. Such evaluations should include information about any proposed adjustments during the programming period.
(27)
A common set of output indicators to facilitate the assessment of the progress of programme implementation, adapted to the specific character of cooperation programmes, should be set out in an Annex to this Regulation. Those indicators should be complemented by programme-specific result indicators and, where relevant, by programme specific output indicators.
(28)
Due to the involvement of more than one Member State, and the resulting higher administrative costs, in particular, in respect of controls and translation, the ceiling for technical assistance expenditure should be higher than that under the Investment for growth and jobs goal. In order to offset the higher administrative costs, Member States should be encouraged wherever possible to reduce the administrative burden with regard to the implementation of joint projects. In addition, cooperation programmes with limited ERDF support should receive a certain minimum amount for technical assistance which could be greater than 6 %, to ensure sufficient funding for effective technical assistance activities.
(29)
Due to the involvement of more than one Member State, the general rule laid down in Regulation (EU) No 1303 /2013, whereby each Member State is to adopt national rules on eligibility of expenditure, is not appropriate for the European territorial cooperation goal. Based on experience from the 2007-2013 programming period, a clear hierarchy of rules on eligibility of expenditure should be established with a strong move towards rules on eligibility of expenditure established at Union level or for a cooperation programme as a whole to avoid any possible contradictions or inconsistencies between different Regulations and between Regulations and national rules. In particular, the Commission should, based on experience from the 2007-2013 programming period, adopt rules on eligibility of expenditure for cost categories laid down in this Regulation.
(30)
Due to the frequent involvement of staff from more than one Member State in the implementation of operations, and given the number of operations for which staff costs is a significant element, a flat-rate for staff costs should be applied based on the other direct costs of cooperation operations, thus avoiding individual accounting for the management of such operations.
(31)
The rules on flexibility concerning the location of operations outside the programme area should be simplified. In addition, it is necessary to support and facilitate, through specific arrangements, effective cross-border, transnational and interregional cooperation with the Union's neighbouring third countries or territories where this is necessary to ensure that regions of the Member States are effectively assisted in their development. Accordingly, it is appropriate to authorise on an exceptional basis and under certain conditions support from the ERDF for operations located outside the Union part of the programme area and on the territory of neighbouring third countries where those operations are for the benefit of the regions of the Union.
(32)
Member States should be encouraged to assign the functions of the managing authority to an EGTC or to make such a grouping responsible for managing the part of a cooperation programme that relates to the territory covered by that EGTC.
(33)
The managing authority should set up a joint secretariat which should, inter alia, provide information to applicants for support, deal with project applications and assist beneficiaries in implementing their operations.
(34)
Managing authorities should be responsible for the functions laid down in Regulation (EU) No 1303 /2013, including for management verifications, in order to ensure uniform standards across the whole programme area. However, where an EGTC is designated as managing authority, such verifications should be carried out by or under the responsibility of the managing authority at least for those Member States and third countries or territories from which there are members participating in the EGTC, while controllers should only be used in the remaining Member States and third countries or territories. Even if no EGTC is designated, the managing authority should be authorised by the participating Member States to carry out verifications on the whole programme area.
(35)
Certifying authorities should be responsible for the certifying authority functions laid down in Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013. The Member States should be able to designate the managing authority to also carry out the functions of the certifying authority.
(36)
A single audit authority should be responsible for carrying out the audit authority functions laid down in Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013 in order to ensure uniform standards across the whole programme area. Where that is not possible, a group of auditors should be able to assist the programme audit authority.
(37)
In order to strengthen the Union's economic, social and territorial cohesion and to reinforce the effectiveness of its cohesion policy, third countries should be allowed to participate, through a contribution of IPA II and ENI resources, in transnational and interregional cooperation programmes. Operations co-financed under such programmes should, however, continue to pursue cohesion policy objectives, even if they are implemented, partly or in their entirety, outside the territory of the Union. In this context, the contribution to the objectives of the Union's external action remains merely incidental, as the centre of gravity of cooperation programmes should be determined by the thematic objectives and investment priorities of cohesion policy. In order to ensure effective participation by third countries in cooperation programmes that are managed in accordance with the shared management principle, programme implementation conditions should be set out in the cooperation programmes themselves and also, where necessary, in financing agreements, concluded between the Commission, the governments of each of the third countries and the Member State hosting the managing authority of the relevant cooperation programme. The programme implementation conditions should be consistent with applicable Union law and, where appropriate, with the provisions of national law of participating Member States relating to its application.
(38)
A clear chain of financial liability in respect of recovery for irregularities should be established from beneficiaries to lead beneficiary to the managing authority to the Commission. Provision should be made for liability of Member States where obtaining recovery is not possible.
(39)
Based on the experience from the 2007-2013 programming period, an explicit derogation should be established for the conversion of expenditure incurred in a currency other than the euro, by applying the monthly conversion rate at a date as close to the point in time of the expenditure as possible or in the month in which the expenditure was submitted for verification or in the month during which expenditure was reported to the lead beneficiary. Financing plans, reports and accounts concerning joint cooperation operations should only be submitted in euro to the joint secretariat, the programme authorities and the monitoring committee. The correctness of conversion should be verified.
(40)
In order to set out specific rules on amending common output indicators and on eligibility of expenditure, the power to adopt acts in accordance with Article 290 TFEU should be delegated to the Commission in respect of the amendment of the list of common output indicators set out in the Annex to this Regulation and in respect of specific rules on eligibility of expenditure for cooperation programmes. It is of particular importance that the Commission carry out appropriate consultations during its preparatory work, including at expert level. The Commission, when preparing and drawing up delegated acts, should ensure a simultaneous, timely and appropriate transmission of relevant documents to the European Parliament and to the Council.
(41)
In order to ensure uniform conditions for the implementation of this Regulation, implementing powers should be conferred on the Commission in respect of the lists of cross-border areas, and of transnational areas, of a list of all cooperation programmes and of the global amount from the ERDF support for each cooperation programme, of the nomenclature concerning categories of intervention and of the models for cooperation programmes and implementation reports. Those powers should be exercised in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council (7).
(42)
Implementing powers should be conferred on the Commission to adopt decisions approving certain elements of the cooperation programmes and any subsequent amendments to those elements.
(43)
This Regulation should not affect either the continuation or modification of assistance approved by the Commission on the basis of Regulation (EC) No 1080/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council (8) or any other legislation applying to that assistance on 31 December 2013. That Regulation or such other applicable legislation should consequently continue to apply after 31 December 2013 to that assistance or the operations concerned until their closure. Applications to receive assistance made or approved under Regulation (EC) No 1080/2006 should remain valid.
(44)
Since the objective of this Regulation, namely to reinforce economic, social and territorial cohesion by redressing the main regional imbalances in the Union, cannot be sufficiently achieved by the Member States but can rather, by reason of the extent of the disparities between the levels of development of the various regions and the backwardness of the least favoured regions and the limit on the financial resources of the Member States and regions, be better achieved at Union level, the Union may adopt measures in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity as set out in Article 5 of the Treaty on European Union. In accordance with the principle of proportionality, as set out in that Article, this Regulation does not go beyond what is necessary in order to achieve that objective.
(45)
In order to allow for the prompt application of the measures provided for in this Regulation, this Regulation should enter into force on the day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union,
