Investment Priorities of EU Funds for 2014–2020 are Approved
On Tuesday, January 29th, during the Cabinet’s session the investment priorities of the European Union (EU) funds for 2014–2020 planning period were approved.
"The investments of EU funds for the next seven years approved by the Government today provide the first significant step towards the execution of preparatory works for 2014–2020 planning period. Now the investment goals are clearly defined and we have to perform qualitative planning work both in ministries, and consulting with non-governmental, regional and social partners, so that the investments of the next years provide maximum return in all defined sectors,” summarizes Minister of Finance Andris Vilks.
Thematic goals of EU funds* for the next seven years will be: to strengthen research, development of technologies and innovations; to improve the availability, usage and quality of information and communication technologies; to improve the competitiveness of small and medium enterprises; to support the transition to an economy with low level of carbon dioxide emissions in all industries; to facilitate adaptation to climate change, risk assessment and management; to protect the environment and promote efficient use of resources; to facilitate sustainable transport and prevent deficiencies in the main network infrastructures; to facilitate employment and support labour mobility; to facilitate social admission and struggle against poverty; to invest in education, skills and lifelong learning; to improve institutional capacity and efficient state administration. For all EU funds there is also technical assistance foreseen for the provision of funds management.
On the basis of the priorities, course of action and tasks set in the National Development Plan (NDP) and their indicative amount of funding, currently an indicative allotment of funding is being made between the thematic goals defined in the proposals for the EU Regulation. For this purpose the amount of funding defined by the NDP is used for ERDF, ESF and CF in the amount of 3,095 billion lats and for EAFRD and EMFF in the amount of 0,802 billion lats. However, a precise amount of funding for EU funds for 2014–2020 available to Latvia will be determined by the result of EU multiannual budget negotiations anticipated in the first half of this year.
As previously reported, on December 4th the European Commission (EC) has presented its’ position on the preparation of the planning documents of EU funds for 2014–2020, starting an informal dialogue between the EC and Latvia. According to an indicative time schedule, the informal negotiations with the EC will start at the end of January. Public consultations on the projects of partnership agreements and action programmes are planned in April. In June the approval of the abovementioned documents by the Cabinet is anticipated and in July – submission to the EC.
Already tomorrow, on January 30th at the Ministry of Finance there will be the first round of informal negotiations with the EC held on general questions about the 2014–2020 planning period of EU funds, for example, allotment of funding for EU funds for thematic purposes, introduction system of EU funds, coordination between five funds with other sources of finance; basic principles of integrated territorial development, introduction of horizontal priorities and other.
On January 31st the session of Temporary Surveillance Committee will take place concerning 2014–2020 planning period of EU funds where will participate the delegated representatives of state institutions, line ministries, local governments, planning regions, social partners and non-governmental organisations. Temporary Surveillance Committee’s task is to ensure a timely preparation for 2014–2020 planning period of EU funds. Agenda for the session includes questions on the preparation process and the time schedule of the planning documents of EU funds as well as presentations of line ministries on the financed tasks of EU funds that are included in the NDP.
Preparing for 2014–2020 planning period of EU funds, the Ministry of Finance will further inform about the current events providing a regular quarterly informative report about the acquisition of foreign financial resources.
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*European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), European Social Fund (ESF), Cohesion Fund (CF), European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF)
