European Structural and Investment Funds 2014-2020: Support to higher education

Adam Tyson, European Commission DG HE, Dublin, 22 April 2013

Overview

1. The new Structural and Investment Funds: key elements of the new package

2. Support for innovation: European Regional Development Fund

3. Support for education: European Social Fund

4. Timeline going forward

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"Structural and Investment Funds" 2014-2020 - a package of funds

A single package comprising:

1. European Social Fund (ESF)

2. European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)

3. European Agricultural and Development Fund (EARDF)

4. European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF)

5. Cohesion Fund (CF)

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EU LEGISLATIVE PACKAGE (Regulations)

ERDF, ESF, CF, EAFRD, EMFF

PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT

ERDF, ESF, CF, EAFRD, EMFF

National or

regional level

Operational Programmes

for ERDF

Rural development

programmes (EAFRD)

Operational Programmes

for ESF

Operational Programmes

for CF

EU level

National level

Multifund Operational

Programmes for ERDF,

ESF, CF

Operational Programmes

for (EMFF)

"Structural and Investment Funds" 2014-2020 – shared management

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"Structural and Investment Funds" 2014-2020 – key principles

Principles guiding design of new funds:

• Align EU cohesion policy more closely to the Europe 2020 strategy

• Geographical concentration in less developed regions (as now)

• Increased thematic concentration in individual programmes on limited number of priorities

• Investments part of broader, well-founded strategies (ex-ante conditionality)

• Simplify implementation and improve links with other EU programmes 5

"Structural and Investment Funds" 2014-2020 – where?

• Less developed regions (GDP per capita < 75% of EU average)

• Transition regions (GDP per capita between 75% and 90%)

• More developed regions (GDP per capita > 90%)

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Budget

Initial Commission

Proposal (billion EUR)

Revised Commission

breakdown (billion EUR) – April 2013

Less developed regions 162.6 164.3

Transition regions 39.0 31.7

More developed regions 53.1 49.5

Territorial Cooperation 11.7 8.95

Cohesion Fund 68.7 66.4

Extra allocation for outermost and

northern regions 0.9 1.39

Youth Employment Initiative (Top-up) - 3

TOTAL 336.0 325.2

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11 Thematic Objectives (with links to Europe 2020)

1. Research & innovation

2. Information and communication technologies (ICT) 3. Competitiveness of Small and Medium-sized

Enterprises (SMEs) 4. Shift towards a low-carbon economy 5. Climate change adaptation & risk prevention and

management 6. Environmental protection & resource efficiency 7. Sustainable transport & removing bottlenecks in key

network infrastructures

8. Employment & supporting labour mobility

9. Social inclusion & combating poverty

10. Education, skills & lifelong learning

11. Institutional capacity building & efficient public administrations

R&D target

Climate change/energy target

Employment target

Education target

Poverty target

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Thematic Objective on innovation (1)

• Enhancing research and innovation infrastructure and capacities to develop R&I excellence and promoting centres of competence, in particular those of European interest.

• Promoting business R&I investment, product and service development, technology transfer, social innovation and public service application, demand simulation, networking, clusters and open innovation through "smart specialisation".

• Supporting technological and applied research, pilot lines, early product validation actions, advanced manufacturing capabilities and first production in Key Enabling Technologies and diffusion of general purpose technologies.

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Thematic Objective on innovation (2)

Example activities with HEI involvement: • Building / upgrading infrastructures & equipment

• R&I projects for turning knowledge into new products, processes and services (e.g. incubators)

• Participation to networks and clusters

• Services provided to HEIs: advice IPR (patenting)

• Services provided by HEIs: training, consultancy,

• Incoming & outgoing mobility fellowship schemes, inside / outside the region

• Placement of HE graduates in businesses

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Thematic Objective Education, skills and lifelong learning (1)

Specific Investment priority on HE:

• "Improving the quality, efficiency and openness of tertiary and equivalent education with a view to increasing participation and attainment levels" (ESF)

• Investment in education infrastructure (ERDF)

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Thematic Objective Education, skills and lifelong learning (2)

Example activities with HEI involvement: • Measures to increase participation from under-

represented groups

• Measures aimed at improving the quality and relevance of higher education provision and graduates' transition to the labour market

• Infrastructure necessary for the above…

• Possibility for actions to complement Erasmus for All: in particular roll-out of Key Action 2 projects

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Youth Employment Initiative

• Supports measures set out in the Youth Employment Package: in particular the Youth Guarantee

• Builds on Youth Opportunities Initiative

• EUR 6 billion for 2014-2020 - open to NUTS2 regions with levels of youth unemployment above 25% in 2012

• Can be used to support graduate employment schemes

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Timeline going forward

What? When?

Informal discussions on priorities (draft Partnership Agreements)

On-going now

Final adoption of EU-level legislative package (Common Provisions Regulation + fund Regulations)

September 2013

Member States submit Partnership Agreements October 2013

Member States submit Operational Programmes November 2013

Final adoption of Partnership Agreements (Commission Decision on relevant parts)

End 2013

Final adoption of Operational Programmes (Commission Decision on relevant parts)

First half 2014

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