Judging by the first study on the ex-ante conditionalities for the use of structural and investment funds published by the European Commission on Friday 31 March, the impact has been positive.
The ex ante conditionalities were introduced for the first time for the 2014-20 period. They seek to rationalise the use of European Structural and Investment Funds (ESI) by introducing preliminary conditions to ensure that these projects correspond with the appropriate political, strategic and regulatory frameworks for the European acquis and the introduction of the necessary administrative resources for implementing the ESI (see EUROPE 10886).
Despite the implementation period for this new provision, the study’s conclusions have been positive. According to the Commission, the ex ante conditionalities have helped guarantee a direct link between the ESI and the other European policies by facilitating the transposition and implementation of the latter.
The Commission points out that the ex ante conditionalities have helped to bring in administrative, institutional, regulatory and strategic changes by strengthening the reforms corresponding to the country-by-country recommendations within the European Semester. Similarly, the ESI have also been better used. This has created a more propitious investment environment.
According to the Commission, without the ex ante conditionalities, these changes would simply not have taken place in a number of member states or would have been, at the very least, much slower.
Among some of the improvements envisaged, the European Commission would like to introduce greater flexibility within the ex ante conditionalities by taking into account the regional and national context and by reducing the number of conditions.
The overall positive balance sheet drawn up by the Commission comes on top of the one by the regions, which are, as a whole, satisfied with this new provision (see EUROPE 11644).
For further information about the study: http://bit.ly/2oPJQdv. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)