1 Joint Assistance to Support Projects In European Regions (JASPERS) Axel Hörhager Head of Vienna Regional Office Ministry for Regional Development Czech Republic JASPERS Seminar Prague, 28 November 2007

2 Summary The Challenge – Support for Major Projects JASPERS - what it is and how it works JASPERS forms of intervention JASPERS project examples

3 The Challenge Defining and planning major infrastructure projects Managing a massive investment programme Implementing all of this in the period Allocating 68 billion EUR for this in 4 countries (Czeck Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Slovenia), of which 28 billion in CZ alone !

4 What is JASPERS A Partnership between DG REGIO, EIB and EBRD Technical Assistance for the preparation of major projects Objective: help the beneficiary countries to make the best use of EU funding Benefit of past experience and expertise of EIB and EBRD

5 JASPERS Priorities Focus on priority countries: the 12 new Member States Concentrate on major projects : Transport and other sectors €50 M > capital cost Environment €25 M > capital cost JASPERS priorities are : large projects eligible for Cohesion Fund and ERDF; other Cohesion Fund and ERDF projects Horizontal Issues covering more than one country/sector

6 What JASPERS can offer Assistance in project development from early stages of project, e.g. scoping, conceptual analysis, study of alternatives, feasibility studies through to project implementation e.g. procurement planning Assistance in preparing EU grant project application meeting the required standard, e.g. in areas such as cost benefit analysis, environmental issues/EU legislation eligible cost definition, risk analysis

7 How JASPERS works Direct contacts with project promoters, regular meetings and feed-back on recommended courses of action Review of documentation, mission summaries and notes made available case-by-case EU is informed of JASPERS involvement and recommendations on an eventual project application

8 JASPERS free and voluntary JASPERS assistance provided free of charge No obligation on the Member States to use JASPERS No obligation on a Member State which benefits from JASPERS to borrow from EIB or EBRD Member States continue to own the project, standard applications are submitted under their responsibility JASPERS involvement does not guarantee grant approval by the European Commission

9 JASPERS structure 32 advisors + 10 support 16 advisors 5-8 advisors LUXEMBOURG WARSAW VIENNABUCHAREST JASPERS 56 professional STAFF

10 Action Plans Priorities of JASPERS set out each year in « Action Plan » agreed between JASPERS and Czech Republic Horizontal issues also included in the Action Plan Managing Authority (MRD) is the central co-ordinator for JASPERS in the Czech Republic Requests for assistance for projects sent to MRD with support of line Ministry, MRD forwards to JASPERS Coordination of JASPERS operations with DG REGIO Development of 2008 Action Plans began October 2007 aim to sign by March 2008, interim review in summer 2008

11 JASPERS Project Portfolio November 2007 Type of Project No. of projects Type of project No. of projects Water/Wastewater62Rail35 Solid waste 24Road36 Energy18 Urban Transport 13 Brownfield Rehab 7Ports/Airports18 Other14 Additional 36 Horizontal tasks (multisector / multicountry) The total no. of projects and horizontal tasks : 261

12 JASPERS in the Czech Republic 11 projects and 1 horizontal task ongoing Mainly in transport sector - 6 rail, 4 road 2 further projects under development Limited involvement in the Czech environment and energy sectors – focus of seminar today

13 Example Actions in Environment POLAND – Flood Protection ROMANIA – Regionalisation of Water Companies, Several Water Schemes HUNGARY – 8 Water Schemes, incl. 2 in Budapest, Solid Waste Scheme SLOVAKIA – Water Supply and Treatment, Flood Protection

14 Example of Actions in Transport CZECH REPUBLIC – Rail Corridors IV and III, D-8 Motorway, Prague Ring Road, Europoint Brno POLAND – Warsaw Ring Road, Public Transport in Krakow and Lublin, Broadband ROMANIA – Rail Rolling Stock, River Navigation, Multi-modal Terminals, Regional Airports HUNGARY – Provincial Urban Transport SLOVAKIA – Motorways, Railway Infrastructure

15 Contacts Mr. Mark Pevsner – Country Relationship Manager, Northern Region, JASPERS (+352) Mr. Ladislav Kylar - Head of CF Managing Authority, Ministry for Regional Development (+420) Mr. Axel Hörhager – Head of JASPERS Regional Office for Central Europe, Vienna (+431)