N.Broks: ministries shall foster launching of activities of the new EU fund planning period
"Although the EU fund Steering Committee has approved evaluation criteria for 86 structural fund and Cohesion Fund activities in the new programming period 2007-2013 – more than one half of the planned activities in the new period – line ministries are not ready for previously planned tempo to fully elaboration all conditions for acquisition of activities. Taking account of objections expressed by the ministries, on February 19, the government decided to develop only 34 out of 65 regulations of the Cabinet of Ministers planned before," indicated the Minister for Special Assignments for Administration of European Union Funds Normunds Broks (TB/LNNK).
"Taking into account slow tempo of EU structural fund resources allocation to beneficiaries and retrieval from the European Commission to the state budget, as well as current economic problems, support programmes of the new programming period 2007-2013 shall be launched as soon as possible and in a sufficient amount. Otherwise we can get into a very unpleasant situation with acquisition conditions in the following years," worries N.Broks.
At the same time the Minister and government follow the quality of programmes worked out by the ministries. "Taking into consideration current development trends of national economy on the one hand it is essential to "to make a flow" of significant EU fund support into the economy, on the other hand there shall be assurance that financing will be used as efficiently as possible. That is why I have set higher quality requirements for the ministries comparing to the previous period," underlined the Minister.
"I am satisfied that the Prime Minister also has set acquisition of the EU funds and preparation for the acquisition as one of his priorities, thus I can hope that responsible ministries will be pressed to pay more attention to solve these issues than it was before," said N.Broks.
In the beginning of April, the Cabinet of Ministers will evaluate how the line ministries managed to develop 34 regulations of the Cabinet of Ministers regarding the EU fund activities.
As of February 12, there were six regulations of the Cabinet of Ministers regarding the EU fund activities in 2007-2013 have been approved, twenty two activity regulations have been reviewed in the State Secretaries’ Meeting, in 1 activity acceptance of projects now is going on.
Development of the EU fund support conditions is done in 2 stages – firstly, the EU fund Steering Committee agrees on the project evaluation criteria, secondly, project evaluation criteria are being introduced in the regulations of the Cabinet of Ministers. Regulations of the Cabinet of Ministers are being submitted to the government for approval by the line ministries. Only after that the support programme can be "opened" and project applicants can submit projects for receipt of the support.
The EU fund Steering Committee is a collegial institution ensuring strategic management and supervision of the EU structural fund and Cohesion Fund programmes implementation. Steering Committee is being represented by state administration, region and social partners, as well as non-governmental sector, thus ensuring necessary transparency and coordination of interests.
Lita Kokale
Ministry of Finance
EU Funds Department
PR Division
Phone: +371 67083880; +371 2 6469946
Lita.Kokale@fm.gov.lv
