Regional Policy e-Cohesion – new initiative within IT systems of Member States in Shared Fund Management Common IT System for programming period Brussels 16/01/2013 Christophe de Lassus – European Commission DG Regional Policy IT Head of Unit

Regional Policy E-Cohesion in a nutshell 'back-office' at national/regional /programme level Art. 63(4) All official exchanges of information between the Member State and the Commission at programme level + operation relevant information Art. 112(3) Electronic exchange of information with beneficiaries on operations 'front-office' at national/regional/ programme level Art. 62 (d) & 114(2) (d) Computerized system for accounting, monitoring and reporting (…)

Regional Policy MAIN ARTICLE ON e-COHESION PART THREE: GENERAL PROVISIONS APPLICABLE TO ERDF, ESF AND CF Management and control systems Article 112 Responsibilities of Member States (…) 3. Member States shall ensure that no later than 31 December 2014 all exchanges of information between beneficiaries and managing authorities, certifying authorities, audit authorities and intermediate bodies can be carried out solely by means of electronic data exchange systems. The systems shall facilitate interoperability with national and Union frameworks and allow for the beneficiaries to submit all information referred to in the first sub-paragraph only once. The Commission shall adopt, by means of implementing acts, detailed rules concerning the exchanges of information (…) NEW

Regional Policy Article 112(3)- minimum requirements Electronic exchange – only for post-award processes; 'Only once' encoding + interoperability – within the same OP; Minimum technical requirements: -data integrity + confidentiality, -authentication of the sender (Directive 1999/93/EC), -storage in compliance with defined retention rules (Article 132 of the CPR). No technical requirements on software platforms and protocols; Electronic audit trail -in compliance with Art. 112, 132 +national requirements on the availability of documents.

Regional Policy Article 114 Functions of the managing authority (…) 2. As regards the programme management the managing authority shall: (…) (d) 'establish a system to record and store in computerised form data on each operation necessary for monitoring, evaluation, financial management, verification and audit, including data on individual participants in operations, where applicable Consolidated practice

Regional Policy To bear in mind e-Cohesion a pan-European IT system Interfaced 'front-office' for beneficiaries with 'back-office' for authorities more efficiency, reduced workload & better quality of data Cleverly collected e-Cohesion data will support the whole management and control system!!! (shift from a document management to information management)

Regional Policy State-of-play of negotiations Art. 112(3): - supported by the Parliament, HLG on admin. burden reduction, UEAPME, - Presidency suggests to shift the deadline to end of Art. 114(2d) accepted by the Presidency Compromise & European Parliament Implementing/ delegated acts: -priority given to those affecting programming & set-up of MS IS, -informal consultations prepared by COM ….but no publication of draft legal text before any institutional agreement on the basic act! -adoption by COM within 1 or 2 months after the publication of the basic act.

Regional Policy More on e-Cohesion Report «IT Implications Assessment of e-Cohesion Policy at EU/Member State level» EC support to MS/regions/programmes: 'building blocks' on a business perspective 50 Q&A for ETC in cooperation with INTERACT Cohesion_in_European_Territorial_Cooperation_Programmes___July_2012.pdf

Regional Policy For more information Christophe de Lassus Head of IT Unit, DG REGIO: