This document is an excerpt from the EUR-Lex website
Common rules for the European Structural and Investment Funds (2014–2020)
Common rules for the European Structural and Investment Funds (2014–2020)
Common rules for the European Structural and Investment Funds (2014–2020)
Court of Auditors report
COVID-19 pandemic – amendments to the regulation
Extension of the period of the regulation’s application to EAFRD programmes
Regulation (EU) 2020/2220 extends to 31 December 2022 both the application of Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013 to programmes supported by the EAFRD and the period of duration of those programmes. This is subject to the submission of a request to amend the relevant rural development programmes for the 2-year transitional period, which will run until the new common agricultural policy is implemented as of 1 January 2023.
Cohesion’s Action for Refugees in Europe (CARE)
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Regulation (EU) 2022/562 amends Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013 in the following ways.
Increase of pre-financing from REACT-EU resources and the establishment of a unit cost (CARE+)
To complement these measures, a second amendment was introduced to increase the pre-financing from REACT-EU resources and to establish a unit cost per person, known as CARE+ (Regulation (EU) 2022/613). The main purpose of this regulation was to provide additional liquidity and simplify administrative procedures relating to expenditure.
The increased pre-financing came from the REACT-EU budget, where all Member States received an additional 4%, thereby increasing the pre-financing rate from 11% to 15%. Moreover, the Member States which border Ukraine or had an inflow of refugees exceeding 1% of their populations in the first month following the Russian invasion received an additional 34%, increasing their pre-financing rate from 11% to 45%. These nine Member States are Bulgaria, Czechia, Estonia, Lithuania, Hungary, Austria, Poland, Romania and Slovakia.
The EU-level simplified cost option aims to significantly reduce administrative burden so that efforts can be focused on the achievement of broader policy objectives, and lengthy management and control verifications will not delay implementation. Instead of providing documentation for each purchase (for example, blankets, hygiene items, basic food and personal items), the managing authority can simply claim a unit cost of €40 per week per person with a temporary protection (or other adequate protection under national law) for a maximum of 13 weeks. This option may effectively address the costs borne by the non-governmental organisations and the local authorities who provided immediate support at the border from the first day of the invasion. The simplified cost option was enhanced further by the FAST-CARE amendment, increasing the amount to €100 per week per person and extending the support to 26 weeks (see below).
Flexible assistance for territories – FAST-CARE
Regulation (EU) 2022/2039 amends Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013 and the regulation laying down the rules for the 2021–2027 period, Regulation (EU) 2021/1060 (see summary). As it concerns the modifications of the 2014-2020 common provisions regulation, the rules aim at introducing greater flexibility to help optimise the use of the resources from the 2014–2020 programming period and to allow a smoother phasing-in of delayed projects between the 2014–2020 and 2021–2027 programmes.
Supporting affordable energy (SAFE)
As part of the amendments included in Regulation (EU) 2023/435, the targeted and exceptional changes to the 2014-2020 common provisions regulation, known as SAFE, aim at supporting Member States and regions facing the challenges resulting from the current energy crisis.
Specifically, SAFE allows for:
These targeted changes are based on on the same rules as the previous flexibilities offered by CARE and FAST-CARE:
Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013 has applied since 1 January 2014.
For further information, see:
Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 laying down common provisions on 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 and laying down general provisions on the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund, the Cohesion Fund and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 1083/2006 (OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, pp. 320–469).
Successive amendments to Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013 have been incorporated into the original document. This consolidated version is of documentary value only.
Regulation (EU) 2021/1060 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 June 2021 laying down common provisions on the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund Plus, the Cohesion Fund, the Just Transition Fund and the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund and financial rules for those and for the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund, the Internal Security Fund and the Instrument for Financial Support for Border Management and Visa Policy (OJ L 231, 30.6.2021, pp. 159–706).
See consolidated version.
Regulation (EU) 2020/2220 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 December 2020 laying down certain transitional provisions for support from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and from the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund (EAGF) in the years 2021 and 2022 and amending Regulations (EU) No 1305/2013, (EU) No 1306/2013 and (EU) No 1307/2013 as regards resources and application in the years 2021 and 2022 and Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 as regards resources and the distribution of such support in respect of the years 2021 and 2022 (OJ L 437, 28.12.2020, pp. 1–29).
European Court of Auditors Special Report No 2/2017: The Commission’s negotiation of 2014–2020 Partnership Agreements and programmes in Cohesion: spending more targeted on Europe 2020 priorities, but increasingly complex arrangements to measure performance.
Regulation (EU) No 508/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 May 2014 on the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund and repealing Council Regulations (EC) No 2328/2003, (EC) No 861/2006, (EC) No 1198/2006 and (EC) No 791/2007 and Regulation (EU) No 1255/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ L 149, 20.5.2014, pp. 1–66).
See consolidated version.
Commission Implementing Decision 2014/190/EU of 3 April 2014 setting out the annual breakdown by Member State of global resources for the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund and the Cohesion Fund under the investment for growth and jobs goal and the European territorial cooperation goal, the annual breakdown by Member State of resources from the specific allocation for the youth employment initiative together with the list of eligible regions, and the amounts to be transferred from each Member State’s Cohesion Fund and Structural Funds allocations to the Connecting Europe Facility and to aid for the most deprived for the period 2014–2020 (OJ L 104, 8.4.2014, pp. 13–42).
See consolidated version.
Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 522/2014 of 11 March 2014 supplementing Regulation (EU) No 1301/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council with regard to the detailed rules concerning the principles for the selection and management of innovative actions in the area of sustainable urban development to be supported by the European Regional Development Fund (OJ L 148, 20.5.2014, pp. 1–3).
See consolidated version.
Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 481/2014 of 4 March 2014 supplementing Regulation (EU) No 1299/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council with regard to specific rules on eligibility of expenditure for cooperation programmes (OJ L 138, 13.5.2014, pp. 45–50).
See consolidated version.
Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 480/2014 of 3 March 2014 supplementing Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down common provisions on 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 and laying down general provisions on the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund, the Cohesion Fund and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (OJ L 138, 13.5.2014 pp. 5–44).
See consolidated version.
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 288/2014 of 25 February 2014 laying down rules pursuant to Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down common provisions on 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 and laying down general provisions on the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund, the Cohesion Fund and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund with regard to the model for operational programmes under the investment for growth and jobs goal and pursuant to Regulation (EU) No 1299/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council on specific provisions for the support from the European Regional Development Fund to the European territorial cooperation goal with regard to the model for cooperation programmes under the European territorial cooperation goal (OJ L 87, 22.3.2014, pp. 1–48).
See consolidated version.
Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 240/2014 of 7 January 2014 on the European code of conduct on partnership in the framework of the European Structural and Investment Funds (OJ L 74, 14.3.2014, pp. 1–7).
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 215/2014 of 7 March 2014 laying down rules for implementing Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down common provisions on 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 and laying down general provisions on the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund, the Cohesion Fund and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund with regard to methodologies for climate change support, the determination of milestones and targets in the performance framework and the nomenclature of categories of intervention for the European Structural and Investment Funds (OJ L 69, 8.3.2014, pp. 65–84).
See consolidated version.
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 184/2014 of 25 February 2014 laying down pursuant to Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down common provisions on 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 and laying down general provisions on the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund, the Cohesion Fund and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund, the terms and conditions applicable to the electronic data exchange system between the Member States and the Commission and adopting pursuant to Regulation (EU) No 1299/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council on specific provisions for the support from the European Regional Development Fund to the European territorial cooperation goal, the nomenclature of the categories of intervention for support from the European Regional Development Fund under the European territorial cooperation goal (OJ L 57, 27.2.2014, pp. 7–20).
See consolidated version.
Commission Implementing Decision 2014/99/EU of 18 February 2014 setting out the list of regions eligible for funding from the European Regional Development Fund and the European Social Fund and of Member States eligible for funding from the Cohesion Fund for the period 2014–2020 (OJ L 50, 20.2.2014, pp. 22–34).
See consolidated version.
Regulation (EU) No 1299/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 on specific provisions for the support from the European Regional Development Fund to the European territorial cooperation goal (OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, pp. 259–280).
Regulation (EU) No 1300/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 on the Cohesion Fund and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 1084/2006 (OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, pp. 281–288).
Regulation (EU) No 1301/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 on the European Regional Development Fund and on specific provisions concerning the investment for growth and jobs goal and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1080/2006 (OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, pp. 289–302).
See consolidated version.
Regulation (EU) No 1302/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 amending Regulation (EC) No 1082/2006 on a European grouping of territorial cooperation (EGTC) as regards the clarification, simplification and improvement of the establishment and functioning of such groupings (OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, pp. 303–319).
Regulation (EU) No 1304/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 on the European Social Fund and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 1081/2006 (OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, pp. 470–486).
See consolidated version.
Regulation (EU) No 1305/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 on support for rural development by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005 (OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, pp. 487–548).
See consolidated version.
last update 24.03.2023