The French authorities, who are preparing to preside over the EU Council in the first half of 2022, hope to make rapid progress in negotiations between Member States on the Social Climate Fund. According to our information, they would recommend applying the block negotiation method used during the negotiations on the Common Provisions Regulation (CPR) for the period 2021-2027 (see EUROPE 12939/26).
The legislation would thus be divided into eight blocks which would cover: - general provisions, scope and definitions; - programming; - eligibility criteria; - management and control issues; - information and communication as well as evaluation; - financial management; - final provisions; - the financial framework.
The aim is to reach a political agreement in March, a source told us.
This objective seems ambitious as there are still many unanswered questions, for example on the method of financing, the volume of the Fund, its scope, its mode of governance (see EUROPE 12851/14). But, according to one source, if the negotiations are separated from the parts dedicated to the budgetary issue and the allocation between the different member states, it is “feasible”.
However, according to another source, the target seems “unrealistic”. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)