Article 155U.K.Operational programmes
1.Assistance shall be implemented through multi-annual operational programmes. These operational programmes shall be drafted by the operating structures. They shall be established in close consultation with the Commission and the relevant stakeholders, and approved through a Commission Decision, in accordance with Article 8(1).
2.Operational programmes shall contain:
(a)an assessment of medium term needs and objectives, highlighting the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in the relevant sectors, themes and regions;
(b)an overview of the consultation of the relevant socio-economic partners and, where relevant, civil society representatives;
(c)a description of the chosen strategic priorities, having regard to the strategic coherence framework and the sectoral, thematic and/or geographical mechanisms of concentration of assistance, as well as the results from the ex ante evaluation referred to in Article 57(4) and 166;
(d)information on the priority axis, the related measures and their specific targets. Such targets shall be quantified, when appropriate, using a limited number of result indicators. These indicators shall make it possible to determine the progress for implementing the selected measures, including the effectiveness of the targets attached to the priority axis and measures;
(e)when some measures are intended to be implemented through aid schemes for enterprises, related modalities shall be described;
(f)a description of the technical assistance operations, which shall be undertaken under a specific priority axis. Community support for this priority axis can be up to a ceiling of 6 % of the Community contribution allocated to the operational programme. In exceptional cases and when duly justified with regard to the scope of the programme, this ceiling may reach 10 %;
(g)an identification, for each measure, of the intended final beneficiaries, the expected selection modalities and possible related specific selection criteria;
(h)a financial table specifying, for each year covered by the applicable multi-annual indicative financial frameworks, for each priority axis and, in an indicative way, for each related measure:
the total amount of the Community contribution;
the national contribution, where applicable identifying other external contributions. Where the Community contribution, under the human resources development component, is calculated with reference to the total expenditure, the table shall give the indicative breakdown of the national contribution between its public and private components;
the resulting rate of Community contribution;
(i)the proposed evaluation and monitoring indicators and modalities, including indicative evaluation activities and timing;
(j)for the regional development component, an indicative list of major projects, accompanied with their technical and financial features, including the expected financing sources, as well as indicative timetables for their implementation;
(k)a description of the relevant structures and authorities for the management and control of the operational programme, in accordance with Articles 21 to 26, 28, 29 and 31.