Brussels, 17/01/2014 (Agence Europe) - France, Poland and Latvia have reportedly already submitted to the Commission a formal proposal for a partnership agreement, the signing of which is a condition for the launching of operational programmes funded by the structural funds. The 28 agreements should be concluded by end August 2014 at the latest. That is why the European regional development commissioner, Johannes Hahn, is putting so much pressure on the regions and member states to get things moving (see EUROPE 10998).
Other projects are also circulating informally. Examination of those projects had begun end 2013, even before reform of cohesion policy for the 2014-2020 period had been adopted. However, only these three national projects were successful. They will now be passed on to the different Commission departments as part of interservice consultation so that they may be fully endorsed. If no major observation is made - that the capitals may negotiate - the partnership agreements will be adopted and initialled by the national authorities and the Commission.
The Commission, moreover, plans to organise an event in Brussels for the signing of the first agreements. It is likely to be held in March. Also, an event in each capital could be held to mark each partnership agreement concluded, a source familiar with the dossier confides.
The operational programmes are also developed and established in tandem but it will take longer for them to be finalised. They are expected to be adopted within a year at the latest, by January 2015. (MD/transl.jl)