TITLE IIU.K. PRODUCER ORGANISATIONS

CHAPTER V U.K. General provisions

Section 2 U.K. Monitoring and evaluation of operational programmes and of national strategies

Article 56U.K.Common performance indicators

1.The operational programmes and the national strategies shall be subject to monitoring and evaluation aimed at assessing the progress made towards achieving the objectives set for operational programmes, as well as the efficiency and the effectiveness in relation to those objectives.

2.Progress, efficiency and effectiveness shall be assessed by means of common performance indicators, as set out in Annex II to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/892, relating to the baseline situation as well as to the inputs (financial execution), outputs, results and impact of the operational programmes implemented.

3.Member States may specify additional indicators in their national strategy.

Article 57U.K.Monitoring and evaluation procedures in relation to operational programmes

1.Producer organisations and associations of producer organisations shall establish a system to collect, record and maintain information for the compilation of the applicable indicators for the monitoring and evaluation of the operational programmes.

2.The monitoring exercise shall be carried out in such a way that its results:

(a)verify the quality of programme implementation;

(b)identify any need for adjustments or review of the operational programme;

(c)provide information for reporting requirements. Information concerning the results of the monitoring activities shall be included in the annual report referred to in Article 21(2) of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/892.

3.Evaluation shall take the form of a report in the last but one year of the implementation of the operational programme as referred in Article 21(4) of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/892.

The evaluation exercise shall examine the progress made in relation to the overall objectives of the programme. Common performance indicators relating to the baseline situation, output and results shall be used for this purpose.

Where applicable, the evaluation exercise shall include a qualitative assessment of the results and the impact of the environmental actions aimed at:

(a)the prevention of soil erosion;

(b)a reduction in the use or better management of plant protection products;

(c)the protection of habitats and biodiversity; and

(d)landscape conservation.

The results of the exercise shall be used to:

(a)improve the quality of the operational programme;

(b)identify any need for substantive change of the operational programme; and

(c)draw lessons useful in improving future operational programmes.

The evaluation report shall be attached to the corresponding annual report referred to in Article 21(2) of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/892.

Article 58U.K.Monitoring and evaluation procedures in relation to the national strategy

1.Member States shall establish a system to collect, record and maintain information in electronic form adequate for the purpose of compiling the indicators referred to in Article 56. To this end, they shall use the information transmitted by the producer organisations and associations of producer organisations in relation to the monitoring and the evaluation of their operational programmes.

2.Monitoring shall be ongoing in order to assess the progress made towards achieving the objectives of the operational programmes. For this purpose, use shall be made of the information provided in the annual reports transmitted by the producer organisations and associations of producer organisations. The monitoring exercise shall be carried out in such a way that its results:

(a)verify the quality of the implementation of the operational programmes;

(b)identify any need for adjustments or review of the national strategy aimed at achieving the goals set for the strategy or at improving the management of the strategy implementation, including the financial management of the operational programmes.

3.Evaluation shall be aimed at assessing the progress made towards the overall objectives of the strategy. For this purpose, use shall be made of the results of the monitoring and evaluation of the operational programmes as indicated in the annual and last but one annual reports transmitted by the producer organisations. The results of the evaluation exercise shall be used to:

(a)improve the quality of the strategy;

(b)identify any need for substantive change of the strategy.

The evaluation shall include an evaluation exercise carried out in 2020. Its results shall be part of the same year annual national report referred to in Article 54(b). The report shall examine the degree of utilisation of financial resources, the efficiency and effectiveness of the operational programmes implemented, and assess the effects and impact of those programmes, in relation to the objectives, targets and measures set by the strategy and, where applicable, other objectives set in Article 33(1) of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013.