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1.An operational programme shall consist of priority axes. A priority axis shall concern one Fund and one category of region, except in the case of the Cohesion Fund, and shall correspond, without prejudice to Article 59, to a thematic objective and comprise one or more of the investment priorities of that thematic objective, in accordance with the Fund-specific rules. Where appropriate and in order to increase its impact and effectiveness through a thematically coherent integrated approach, a priority axis may:
(a)concern more than one category of region;
(b)combine one or more complementary investment priorities from the ERDF, the Cohesion Fund and the ESF under one thematic objective;
(c)in duly justified cases combine one or more complementary investment priorities from different thematic objectives in order to achieve the maximum contribution to that priority axis;
(d)for the ESF, combine investment priorities from different thematic objectives set out in points (8), (9), (10) and (11) of the first paragraph of Article 9 in order to facilitate their contribution to other priority axes and in order to implement social innovation and transnational cooperation.
Member States may combine two or more of the options in points (a) to (d).
2.An operational programme shall contribute to the Union strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth and to the achievement of economic, social and territorial cohesion and shall set out:
(a)a justification for the choice of thematic objectives, corresponding investment priorities and financial allocations having regard to the Partnership Agreement, based on an identification of regional and, where appropriate, national needs including the need to address the challenges identified in relevant country-specific recommendations adopted in accordance with Article 121(2) TFEU and the relevant Council recommendations adopted in accordance with Article 148(4) TFEU, taking into account the ex ante evaluation in accordance with Article 55;
(b)for each priority axis other than technical assistance:
the investment priorities and corresponding specific objectives;
in order to strengthen the result-orientation of the programming, the expected results for the specific objectives, and the corresponding result indicators, with a baseline value and a target value, where appropriate quantified in accordance with the Fund-specific rules;
a description of the type and examples of actions to be supported under each investment priority and their expected contribution to the specific objectives referred to in point (i) including the guiding principles for the selection of operations and where appropriate, the identification of main target groups, specific territories targeted, types of beneficiaries, the planned use of financial instruments and major projects;
the output indicators, including the quantified target value, which are expected to contribute to the results, in accordance with the Fund-specific rules, for each investment priority;
identification of implementation steps and financial and output indicators, and where appropriate, result indicators, to be used as milestones and targets for the performance framework in accordance with Article 21(1) and Annex II;
the corresponding categories of intervention based on a nomenclature adopted by the Commission, and an indicative breakdown of the programmed resources;
where appropriate, a summary of the planned use of technical assistance including, where necessary, actions to reinforce the administrative capacity of authorities involved in the management and control of the programmes and beneficiaries;
(c)for each priority axis concerning technical assistance:
specific objectives;
the expected results for each specific objective, and, where objectively justified given the content of the actions, the corresponding result indicators, with a baseline value and a target value, in accordance with the Fund-specific rules;
a description of actions to be supported and their expected contribution to the specific objectives referred to in point (i);
the output indicators which are expected to contribute to the results;
the corresponding categories of intervention based on a nomenclature adopted by the Commission, and an indicative breakdown of the programmed resources.
Point (ii) shall not apply where the Union contribution to the priority axis or axes concerning technical assistance in an operational programme does not exceed EUR 15 000 000.
(d)a financing plan containing the following tables:
tables specifying for each year, in accordance with Articles 60, 120 and 121, the amount of the total financial appropriation envisaged for the support from each of the Funds, identifying the amounts related to the performance reserve;
tables specifying, for the whole programming period, for the operational programme and for each priority axis, the amount of the total financial appropriation of the support from each of the Funds and the national co-financing, identifying the amounts related to the performance reserve. For priority axes, which concern several categories of region, the tables shall specify the amount of total financial appropriation from the Funds and the national co-financing for each category of region.
For priority axes, which combine investment priorities from different thematic objectives, the table shall specify the amount of total financial appropriation from each of the Funds and the national co-financing for each of the corresponding thematic objectives.
Where the national co-financing is made up of public and private co-financing, the table shall give the indicative breakdown between the public and the private components. It shall show, for information purposes, the envisaged participation from the EIB;
(e)a list of major projects for which the implementation is planned during the programming period.
The Commission shall adopt implementing acts concerning the nomenclature referred to in points (b)(vi) and (c)(v)of the first subparagraph. Those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 150(3).
3.Taking into account its content and objectives, an operational programme shall describe the integrated approach to territorial development, having regard to the Partnership Agreement, and showing how that operational programme contributes to the accomplishment of its objectives and expected results, specifying, where appropriate, the following:
(a)the approach to the use of community-led local development instruments and the principles for identifying the areas where it will be implemented;
[X1(b) the indicative amount of the ERDF support for integrated actions for sustainable urban development, to be implemented in accordance with Article 7(4) of the ERDF Regulation and the indicative allocation of ESF support for integrated actions;]
(c)the approach to the use of the ITI instrument other than in cases covered by point (b), and their indicative financial allocation from each priority axis;
(d)the arrangements for interregional and transnational actions, within the operational programmes, with beneficiaries located in at least one other Member State;
(e)where Member States and regions participate in macro-regional strategies and sea-basin strategies, subject to the needs of the programme area as identified by the Member State, the contribution of the planned interventions under the programme to such strategies.
4.In addition, the operational programme shall specify the following:
(a)where appropriate, the identification of whether and how it addresses the specific needs of geographical areas most affected by poverty or target groups at highest risk of discrimination or social exclusion, with special regard to marginalised communities, and persons with disabilities, and where relevant the contribution to the integrated approach set out in the Partnership Agreement;
(b)where appropriate, the identification of whether and how it addresses the demographic challenges of regions or specific needs of areas which suffer from severe and permanent natural or demographic handicaps, as referred to in Article 174 TFEU and the contribution to the integrated approach set out in the Partnership Agreement to this end.
5.The operational programme shall identify:
(a)the managing authority, the certifying authority, where applicable, and the audit authority;
(b)the body to which payments are to be made by the Commission;
(c)the actions taken to involve the relevant partners referred to in Article 5 in the preparation of the operational programme, and the role of those partners in the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the operational programme.
6.The operational programme shall also set out the following, having regard to the content of the Partnership Agreement and taking into account the institutional and legal framework of the Member States:
(a)mechanisms to ensure coordination between the Funds, the EAFRD, the EMFF and other Union and national funding instruments, and with the EIB taking into account the relevant provisions laid down in the CSF;
(b)for each ex ante conditionality, established in accordance with Article 19 and Annex XI, which is applicable to the operational programme, an assessment of whether the ex ante conditionality is fulfilled at the date of submission of the Partnership Agreement and operational programme, and where ex ante conditionalities are not fulfilled, a description of the actions to fulfil the ex ante conditionality, the bodies responsible and a timetable for such actions in accordance with the summary submitted in the Partnership Agreement;
(c)a summary of the assessment of the administrative burden on beneficiaries and, where necessary, the actions planned, accompanied by an indicative timeframe, to reduce the administrative burden.
7.Each operational programme, except those where technical assistance is undertaken under a specific operational programme, shall, subject to the Member State's duly justified assessment of their relevance to the content and objectives of the operational programmes, include a description of:
(a)the specific actions to take into account environmental protection requirements, resource efficiency, climate change mitigation and adaptation, disaster resilience and risk prevention and management, in the selection of operations;
(b)the specific actions to promote equal opportunities and prevent discrimination based on sex, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation during the preparation, design and implementation of the operational programme and in particular in relation to access to funding, taking account of the needs of the various target groups at risk of such discrimination and in particular the requirements to ensure accessibility for persons with disabilities;
(c)the contribution of the operational programme to the promotion of equality between men and women and, where appropriate, the arrangements to ensure the integration of gender perspective at operational programme and operation level.
Member States may submit an opinion from the national equality bodies on the measures set out in points (b) and (c) of the first subparagraph with the proposal for an operational programme under the Investment for growth and jobs goal.
8.When a Member State prepares a maximum of one operational programme for each Fund, the elements of the operational programme falling under point (a) of the first subparagraph of paragraph 2, points (a), (c) and (d) of paragraph 3, paragraph 4 and paragraph 6 may be incorporated solely under the relevant provisions of the Partnership Agreement.
9.The operational programme shall be prepared in accordance with a model. The Commission shall, in order to ensure uniform conditions for the implementation of this Article adopt an implementing act laying down that model. That implementing act shall be adopted in accordance with the advisory procedure referred to in Article 150(2).
10.The Commission shall adopt a decision, by means of implementing acts, approving all the elements, including any of its future amendments, of the operational programme falling under this Article, except those falling under points (b)(vi), (c)(v) and (e) of the first subparagraph of paragraph 2, paragraphs 4 and 5, points (a) and (c) of paragraph 6 and paragraph 7, which remain under the responsibility of the Member States.
11.The managing authority shall notify the Commission of any decision amending the elements of the operational programme not covered by the Commission decision, referred to in paragraph 10, within one month of the date of that amending decision. The amending decision shall specify the date of its entry into force, which shall not be earlier than the date of its adoption.
Editorial Information
X1 Substituted by Corrigendum to Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 laying down common provisions on the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund, the Cohesion Fund, the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund and laying down general provisions on the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund, the Cohesion Fund and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 1083/2006 (Official Journal of the European Union L 347 of 20 December 2013).