1. Cohesion Policy Information and Communication rules 2014+ The state of play
European Commission Peter Fischer, Directorate General for Regional and Urban Policy La Plaine Saint Denis, 3-4 December 2012

2. Continuation of proven practices
7 year Communication strategy
List of Operations
Programme launch event
Major annual information activity
Billboards & Plaques (>EUR 500,000)

3. Simplification
Information and communication rules now part of main regulation, implementing act for EU emblem, colours, logos, billboards & plaques.
7 year communication strategy with annual updates
Easier use of Technical Assistance in case of joint communication activities (e.g. national ESF & ERDF/CF campaigns) (Art. 109)
INFORM network members have proposed to rename the annual update "Annual Communication Plan" to better distinguish the two from the 7 year communication strategy. This is a good idea!

4. More Transparency
List of operations with clearer, searchable and more comparable information
Single website (or portal) for all EU Regional policy programmes in a Member State
Better visibility for all projects: Projects to acknowledge EU funding on website Use of posters for projects <500,000 EUR

5. Clarification of existing rules
Better definition of communication responsibilities of Managing Authority and beneficiary
Recognition of Networks of Communication officers (EU-wide and in Member States);
Clearer role for national information officer; there can be one per fund (ESF/ERDF+CF), or only one national information officer for ESF/ERDF/CF.
(Responsible for the co-ordination of communication actions at national level in the Member State and the single Cohesion policy website or portal)
Flexibility for Belgian regions and UK, Scotland, etc. ok – see Art. 4.4 in CPR: Member States and the bodies designated by them for that purpose shall be responsible for implementing programmes and carrying out their tasks under this Regulation and the Fund-specific rules at the appropriate territorial level, in accordance with the institutional, legal and financial framework of the Member State and subject to compliance with this Regulation and the Fund-specific rules.

6. The Council compromise text
List of Operations
Communication strategy
Information and communication networks

7. List of Operations
Responsibility: Member States or managing authorities
Portal solution maintained, but no operational programme summary
Open data: a spreadsheet data format … for instance in CSV or XML format.
Update frequency: every six months (instead of 3 months)
Data fields: Operation postcode; or other appropriate location indicator
Art. 105 (2); Annex VI
The data in the list of operations will be more user-friendly and therewith address concerns of journalists, transparency advocates in the academic and blogging world as well as calls from the European Parliament (report).

8. Communication strategy (1)
Responsibility: Member State or Managing Authorities;
Full flexibility: Where a common communication strategy is drawn up for several operational programmes and concerns several monitoring committees, the Member State may designate one monitoring committee which shall be responsible, in consultation with the other relevant monitoring committees, for the approval of the common strategy and for the approval of any subsequent revisions.
Art. 106

9. Communication strategy (2)
Timing: approval by Monitoring Committee no later than a year after the adoption of the operational programme(s) concerned (vs. Commission proposal: first MC meeting)
MA to present to the MC at least once a year
a progress report on the communication strategy and analysis of results and
inform about activities planned in the following year vs. Comm. proposal: "discuss and approve"

10. The road ahead
Trilogue: negotiation between Council, European Parliament, European Commission
Target date: mid-2013, if EU Budget agreed by European Council

11. Conclusion Main elements of Commission proposal maintained
Trilogue still ahead
Good practices may continue even if not required: e.g. annual communication plans, annual reporting,…

12. Any questions?