Strasbourg, 20/11/2013 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 20 November, the European Parliament endorsed changes to the European structural funds to help countries deeply affected by the economic crisis. MEPs voted by 580 to 36, with 67 abstentions in favour of measures whereby five countries will receive exceptional, time-limited measures to make the best use of funding available during the current programming period to deal with the economic slowdown.
Greece, Cyprus, Portugal, Ireland and Romania will be able to take advantage until the end of 2013 of co-financing of 95% through the extension of a measure granted in 2011 that increased the structural fund co-financing level by 10% for countries in receipt of aid (without changing the overall budget for cohesion policy in 2007-2013). The payment deadlines for 2011 and 2012 commitments have been extended by a year for Romania and Slovakia, moving them from N+2 to N+3. This means that it will be possible to send in statements of expenditure for 2011 commitments until the end of 2014, until the end of 2015 for 2012 commitments and until the end of 2016 for 2013 commitments. This will reduce the risk of losing commitments for 2011, 2012 and 2013. (MD/transl.fl)