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PART TWO U.K. COMMON PROVISIONS APPLICABLE TO THE ESI FUNDS

TITLE IVU.K. FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS

Article 38U.K.Implementation of financial instruments

1.In implementing Article 37, managing authorities may provide a financial contribution to the following financial instruments:

(a)financial instruments set up at Union level, managed directly or indirectly by the Commission;

(b)financial instruments set up at national, regional, transnational or cross-border level, managed by or under the responsibility of the managing authority[F1;]

[F2(c) financial instruments combining such contribution with EIB financial products under the EFSI in accordance with Article 39a.]

2.Contributions from the ESI Funds to financial instruments under point (a) of paragraph 1 shall be placed in separate accounts and used, in accordance with the objectives of the respective ESI Funds, to support actions and final recipients consistent with the programme or programmes from which such contributions are made.

Contributions to the financial instruments referred to in the first subparagraph shall be subject to this Regulation unless exceptions are expressly provided for.

The second subparagraph is without prejudice to the rules governing the set up and functioning of the financial instruments under the Financial Regulation, unless those rules conflict with the rules of this Regulation, in which case this Regulation prevails.

3.For financial instruments under point (b) of paragraph 1, the managing authority may provide a financial contribution to the following financial instruments:

(a)financial instruments complying with the standard terms and conditions laid down by the Commission, in accordance with the second subparagraph of this paragraph;

(b)already existing or newly created financial instruments which are specifically designed to achieve the specific objectives set out under the relevant priority.

The Commission shall adopt implementing acts concerning the standard terms and conditions with which the financial instruments under point (a) of the first subparagraph shall comply. Those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 150(3).

4.When supporting financial instruments referred to in point (b) of paragraph 1 the managing authority may:

(a)invest in the capital of existing or newly created legal entities, including those financed from other ESI Funds, dedicated to implementing financial instruments consistent with the objectives of the respective ESI Funds, which will undertake implementation tasks; the support to such entities shall be limited to the amounts necessary to implement new investments in accordance with Article 37 and in a manner that is consistent with the objectives of this Regulation;

[F1(b) entrust implementation tasks, through the direct award of a contract, to:

(i)

the EIB;

(ii)

an international financial institution in which a Member State is a shareholder;

(iii)

a publicly-owned bank or institution, established as a legal entity carrying out financial activities on a professional basis, which fulfils all of the following conditions:

  • there is no direct private capital participation, with the exception of non-controlling and non-blocking forms of private capital participation required by national legislative provisions, in conformity with the Treaties, which do not exert a decisive influence on the relevant bank or institution, and with the exception of forms of private capital participation which confer no influence on decisions regarding the day-to-day management of the financial instrument supported by the ESI Funds;

  • operates under a public policy mandate given by the relevant authority of a Member State at national or regional level, which includes carrying out, as all or part of its activities, economic development activities contributing to the objectives of the ESI Funds;

  • carries out, as all or part of its activities, economic development activities contributing to the objectives of the ESI Funds in regions, policy areas or sectors for which access to funding from market sources is not generally available or sufficient;

  • operates without primarily focussing on maximising profits, but ensures a long-term financial sustainability for its activities;

  • ensures that the direct award of a contract referred to in point (b) does not provide any direct or indirect benefit for commercial activities by way of appropriate measures in accordance with applicable law;

  • is subject to the supervision of an independent authority in accordance with applicable law;

(c) entrust implementation tasks to another body governed by public or private law; or

(d) undertake implementation tasks directly, in the case of financial instruments consisting solely of loans or guarantees. In that case the managing authority shall be considered to be the beneficiary within the meaning of point (10) of Article 2.]

[F1When implementing the financial instrument, the bodies referred to in points (a) to (d) of the first subparagraph of this paragraph shall ensure compliance with applicable law and with the requirements laid down in Article 155(2) and (3) of the Financial Regulation.]

The Commission shall be empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 149 laying down additional specific rules on the role, liabilities and responsibility of bodies implementing financial instruments, related selection criteria and products that may be delivered through financial instruments in accordance with Article 37. The Commission shall notify those delegated acts simultaneously to the European Parliament and the Council by 22 april 2014.

[F15. The bodies referred to in points (a), (b) and (c) of the first subparagraph of paragraph 4 of this Article may, when implementing funds of funds further entrust part of the implementation to financial intermediaries provided that such bodies ensure under their responsibility that the financial intermediaries satisfy the criteria laid down in Articles 33(1) and 209(2) of the Financial Regulation. Financial intermediaries shall be selected on the basis of open, transparent, proportionate and non-discriminatory procedures, avoiding conflict of interests.

6. The bodies referred to in points (b) and (c) of the first subparagraph of paragraph 4 to which implementation tasks have been entrusted shall open fiduciary accounts in their name and on behalf of the managing authority, or set up the financial instrument as a separate block of finance within the institution. In the case of a separate block of finance, an accounting distinction shall be made between programme resources invested in the financial instrument and the other resources available in the institution. The assets held on fiduciary accounts and such separate blocks of finance shall be managed in accordance with the principle of sound financial management following appropriate prudential rules and shall have appropriate liquidity.]

[F17. Where a financial instrument is implemented under points (a), (b) and (c) of the first subparagraph of paragraph 4, subject to the implementation structure of the financial instrument, the terms and conditions for contributions from programmes to financial instruments shall be set out in funding agreements in accordance with Annex IV at the following levels:]

(a)where applicable, between the duly mandated representatives of the managing authority and the body that implements the fund of funds; and

(b)between the duly mandated representatives of the managing authority, or where applicable, the body that implements the fund of funds, and the body that implements the financial instrument.

[F18. For financial instruments implemented under point (d) of the first subparagraph of paragraph 4, the terms and conditions for contributions from programmes to financial instruments shall be set out in a strategy document in accordance with Annex IV to be examined by the monitoring committee.]

9.National public and private contributions, including where relevant contributions in kind as referred to in Article 37(10), may be provided at the level of the fund of funds, at the level of the financial instrument or at the level of final recipients, in accordance with the Fund-specific rules.

[F110. The Commission shall adopt implementing acts laying down uniform conditions regarding the detailed arrangements for the transfer and management of programme contributions managed by the bodies referred to in the first subparagraph of paragraph 4 of this Article and in Article 39a(5). Those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 150(3).]

Textual Amendments