Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013

Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013
Title	Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013
Type	Regulation
Institution	European Union
Adopted	2013
In force	2014
Repealed by	2018
Related legislation	Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, European Regional Development Fund, Cohesion Fund, European Social Fund

Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013 was a framework regulation adopted by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union to set common provisions for several European Structural and Investment Funds and to coordinate multiannual financial framework programming, complementing decisions by the European Commission. The regulation established rules linking European Regional Development Fund priorities with European Social Fund interventions and the Cohesion Fund allocations while interfacing with instruments overseen by the European Investment Bank and the Committee of the Regions. It framed programming for the 2014–2020 period and interacted with legal instruments such as the Common Provisions Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013 package and the EU budget implementation rules.

Background and legislative context

The regulation emerged from negotiations among the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union, and the European Commission during reform of the multiannual financial framework widely debated after the 2008 financial crisis and amid cohesion debates involving European Court of Auditors opinions and recommendations from the European Economic and Social Committee. It drew on precedents including the Treaty of Maastricht cohesion provisions and rulings from the Court of Justice of the European Union that shaped structural funds conditionality. Key actors in drafting included cabinets of José Manuel Barroso at the European Commission and negotiators influenced by Member State positions from Germany, France, and Poland, as well as regional bodies such as the European Committee of the Regions.

Scope and objectives

The regulation defined scope across multiple instruments including the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund, the Cohesion Fund, the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development, and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund, aligning with objectives set in the Europe 2020 strategy and priorities endorsed by the European Council. Objectives included promoting smart growth linked to Horizon 2020 research priorities, sustainable growth consistent with Paris Agreement ambitions, and inclusive growth aligned with United Nations development goals invoked in EU discourse. It established thematic concentration consistent with targets negotiated by Member States and overseen by the European Commission Directorate-Generals.

Key provisions and structure

The regulation contained provisions on partnership principles involving Member States and regional authorities such as the European Committee of the Regions, programming documents like the Partnership Agreement and Operational Programmes, and rules on eligibility, co-financing rates, and performance frameworks akin to mechanisms in the Stability and Growth Pact discussions. Structural elements included designation of Managing Authorities, Certifying Authorities, and Audit Authorities with audit trails compatible with European Court of Auditors standards and coordination with the European Anti-Fraud Office. It also set rules for financial instruments, technical assistance, and ex-ante conditionalities referencing standards from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and precedents from World Bank-funded cohesion projects.

Implementation and management of funds

Implementation mechanisms required Member State designation of bodies such as Managing Authorities, Certifying Authorities, and Audit Authorities and established programming cycles comparable to those in European Investment Bank operations and European Structural Investment Funds practice. The regulation prescribed conditions for contributions, co-financing, advance payments, and liquidation procedures while interfacing with European Commission supervisory powers and compliance checks similar to procedures applied by the European Court of Auditors and procurement frameworks influenced by World Trade Organization commitments. It mandated partnership arrangements involving regional actors like the Committee of the Regions and stakeholders including social partners and non-governmental entities recognized by the European Economic and Social Committee.

Monitoring, reporting and evaluation

Monitoring and reporting provisions required performance frameworks with indicators, targets, and milestones reviewed by the European Commission and subject to evaluation by Audit Authorities and external evaluators modeled on methods from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and academic standards promoted by institutions such as European University Institute. Annual implementation reports and closure procedures were to be submitted to the European Commission, with evaluations informing European Court of Auditors assessments and parliamentary scrutiny by the European Parliament committees responsible for regional policy and budgets. The regulation emphasized result-orientation and impact evaluation compatible with Europe 2020 monitoring.

Amendments, repeal and legal succession

Over time the regulation interacted with subsequent legislative acts and was succeeded by later legal instruments following review by the European Commission and negotiations in the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union, reflecting shifts after the 2014–2020 programming period and debates during the 2021–2027 budget negotiations. Amendments and repeal processes engaged legal oversight from the Court of Justice of the European Union and audit scrutiny by the European Court of Auditors, while successor regulations incorporated lessons drawn from stakeholders including the European Committee of the Regions and Member State authorities.

Category:European Union regulations