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Proposed Regulations, Community Strategic Guidelines, Communication on Greening the

Cohesion Policy and the application of the SEA Directive

GRDP Seminar, Debrecen, Hungary, 29.09.05

DG ENVIRONMENTEuropean Commission

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PresentationPresentation

I Brief re-cap on proposed Regulations (slides 3-6)

II Community Strategic Guidelines (slides 7 -10)

III Strategic Environmental Assessment and the future Cohesion Policy (slides 11-14)

IV Future timetable (slide 15)

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I Regulatory Package: Council and EP

No decision at European Council on overall Financial Perspectives in June 2005

Proposed General Provisions, ERDF, ESF, CF and EGCC Regulations being discussed in Council Working Group (SAWG). Main environmental discussion points – Article 10 on partnership, proposed Article 14bis on environment/SD as cross-cutting theme, Articles 45-47 on evaluation

EP Plenary 6 July – many environmentally-relevant amendments including one on environment as cross-cutting theme

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I The legislative proposals

The legislative proposals are put in place through 5 regulations:

• A general provisions regulation (Council - Assent), which fixes the main objectives and eligibility rules, for interventions, for programming and for the management of the funds [& Commission Regulation on detailed rules]

• 3 regulations, ERDF (Council and EP – Co-Decision), ESF (Council & EP – Co-Decision) and the Cohesion Fund (Council - Consultation), which stipulate the arrangements specific to each fund

• A regulation on groupings for European transborder cooperation (Council & EP – Co-Decision), which creates a new cooperation tool available to regional and local organisations

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I Future cohesion policy – how much is at stake?

Total proposed budget - € 336.1 billionEnvironment can be co-financed under all Objectives

Convergence €264 billion

Regional Competitiveness

€28.95 billion

Employment €28.95 billion

Co-operation €13.2 billion

+ €1 billion for Technical Assistance

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I Regulations, Guidelines, Frameworks and OPs

CommissionMember

StateMember

State/Regions

National Strategic Reference

Frameworks

National & Regional

Operational Programmes

Negotiated with

Commission

Adopted by Commission

Community Strategic Guidelines

Regulations

Adopted by Council,

presented to EP

Adopted by

Council/EP

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II Community Strategic Guidelines 2007-13: “Cohesion Policy in Support of Growth and Jobs”

Adopted by College 05.07.05 as a “draft” – COM(2005)0299 Will be formally presented to Council and EP once Regulations

adopted, for Council Decision (Assent, Art. 161) Internet consultation until 30.09.05 Structure reflects renewed Lisbon Strategy – main focus on growth

and jobs Mention of Sustainable Development and Gothenburg Covers three Objectives of Cohesion Policy: Convergence, Regional

Competitiveness and Employment and Co-operation Plus special mention on role of cities and economic diversification of

rural areas

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II CSG: Making Europe and its regions a more attractive place to invest and work

expand and improve transport infrastructure -sustainable urban and inter-urban transport

improving the environmental contribution to growth and jobs

infrastructures for air, water, waste nature and species protection in Convergence regions

promoting landuse planning to reduce urban sprawl, physical rehabilitation including natural and cultural assets

Investment to promote Kyoto commitments in addition to those to promote sustainable energy and transport

Risk prevention through improved management of natural resources, RTD, ICTs and public management policies

addressing Europe’s intensive use of traditional energy sources – renewable energies and energy efficiency

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II CSG: Improving knowledge and innovation for growth

increase and improve investment in RTDfacilitate innovation and promote entrepreneurship -

eco-innovationimproving access to finance

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II CSG: More and Better Jobs

attract and retain more people in employment and modernise social protection systems

improve adaptability of works and enterprises and the flexibility of the labour market

increase investment in human capital through better education and skills

administrative capacity - environmental capacity building

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III The SEA Directive (2001/42/EC) and the future Cohesion Policy

Report due to Council and EP on relationship between SEA Directive and Community co-financing, December 2005 (Art. 12(4))

Commission Methodological Working Paper on Ex-Ante Evaluation - discussed with MSs on 18-19.07.05. Contains annex on SEA

GRDP SEA Handbook – discussed 18.07.05 and at ENEA Plenary 12.09.05

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III SEA and the new Regulations – does SEA apply in principle?

Current exclusion for Structural Funds and EAGGF (Art. 3(9)) not extended to the next programming period

Plans and programmes co-financed by the European Community are included in the scope of the SEA Directive (Art. 2)

SEA will be applicable to plans / programmes drawn up under the new Regulations as to any other plan or programme

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III SEA and the new Regulations – to what will SEA apply?

Plans and programmes co-financed under new Regulations will have to be checked against the Directive’s « tests » (Art. 2, definition of plan/ programme and Art. 3, scope)

If they meet the criteria, they will have to be subject to SEA

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III SEA - an important message

The SEA Directive permits duplication of assessment to be avoided, e.g. for plans which form part a hierarchy When deciding on the « scope » of the assessment,

consider at what stage and level of the decision-making process the assessment should be best carried out

Information obtained at other levels in the decision-making process / through other EC legislation may be used

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V Future timetables

Cohesion Policy Environmental PolicySpring 2005 – bi-lateral meetings with Member States

05.07.05 – draft CSG adopted by College

? End 2005 – Decision by EP and Council on Future SF Regulations

? 2005 - CSG (sent to EP and Council (for adoption)) with annual dialogue on it thereafter with MSs

? 2005 – National Strategic Reference Frameworks

2005: Thematic Strategies delivered for urban; air; recycling; resources; marine; soil

Dec. 2005: Communication on Greening the Cohesion Policy

2006: SFs programme preparation/negotiation with MSs 2005/6: Thematic Strategies implementation

1 Jan. 2007-13: new SFs programmes in operation 2012: 6th EAP implemented?

2020: SDS implemented?