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Workshop
The preparation of national partnership contracts
4/02/2013
EESC rue Belliard/Belliardstraat 99, 1040 Brussels
Room 63
Cohesion policy programmes, SME micro and Craft enterprises: which priorities and which
modalities for the national partnership contracts?
Why this workshop?
The European Commission has sent to the Member states in November 2012 the “National position
papers” providing for each Member states the priorities for cohesion policy and structural funds for the
next programming period 2014-2020. The Member states have launched the preparation of Partnership
contracts and they have to involve SME and microenterprises representatives to define the priorities of
these contracts. The purpose of the workshop is therefore twofold:
- To provide SME experts responsible for preparing partnership contracts with necessary information on
SME measures in the programmes ERDF, ESF and EAFRD in order to assist them in their work and
negotiations for the preparation of national partnership contracts and territorial operational programmes,
- To respond to all types of questions of national/regional SME experts thanks to direct exchanges between
SME experts and authorities of EU Commission for cohesion funds.
To whom is this workshop addressed?
- National and regional SME experts involved in the preparation of national partnership contracts and
regional operational programmes.
- SME experts in enterprise competitiveness, innovation, environment/energy, training, social affairs, and
rural development.
- SME experts in financing and access to SME finance
- Professional organisations concerned by structural funds, in particular building sector, transport, food
sector.
9am: Welcome EESC.
9.30am: Welcome and Introduction by the EESC.
The EESC position on partnership and the application of art 5 CPR at national and regional level:
Etele Barath, member Group III, rapporteur ECO/316 on ERDF.
9.45am. Theme 1: current developments of partnership article 5 and negotiations in the Member
states..
Implementation of article 5 Common provision regulation on partnership and the state of discussions
on the preparation of national partnership contracts: the involvement of the economic partners and
social partners representing SMEs and microenterprises.
- Round table on the procedures of preparation of national partnership contract and the
involvement of SME organisations.
- Presentation of the first orientations of the European Parliament study on the role of SME
organisation to help enterprises take better part in the structural funds: Julie Pellegrin –Centre for
industrial studies-CSIL
-Comments from UEAPME Study Unit on the state of play of partnership: Gerhard Huemer.
10.30am-1pm. Theme 2: The ERDF, ESF and EAFRD priorities: What are the priorities and what
opportunities for SMEs and microenterprises?
1-EU priorities and current negotiations.
Reminder of the UE priorities, state of play and perspectives of the negotiations between EU
Institutions and procedures of negotiations with Member states.
- Practical meaning of the principles of thematic concentration, geographical priorities, co
financing, financing rates for actions in favour of SMEs and microenterprises.
- Calling to mind the procedures and negotiations amongst the member states and the
European Commission.
Diego Villalba De Miguel – DG REGIO
2- The priorities for SMEs in structural funds and the rural development funds.
- Presentation of SME specific measures and other measures open to SMEs in the 11 thematic
objectives of structural funds and the six priorities of the rural development fund. Practical indicative
actions which can be supported by the funds and the rules of implementation: the interest of the
CSF- common strategic framework for SMEs
- Coordination between cohesion funds: what does it mean in practical terms for SME project
managers?
-LEADER, cooperation and multifunds approach: experience in rural development and future.
- Financial instruments open to SMEs and microenterprises in ERDF, ESF, EARDF, financial
engineering and articulation amongst the structural funds, EARDF, Horizon 2020 and COSME.
-regional fund ERDF: Diego Villaba de Miguel DG REGIO
-social fund ESF: Laurent Sens- DG EMPLOY
-rural development fund EAFRD: Nivelin Noev –DG AGRI
-Leader: Karolina Jasinska- Mueleck- DG AGRI
- financial Instruments: Gerhard Huemer, UEAPME.
3- Open discussion amongst speakers and SME experts.
- Exchanges on operational measures and practical as well as technical conditions, in particular
funding procedures, simplification, conditions and payment deadlines as well as procedures for
monitoring and auditing, technical assistance, result base principle and other subjects.
- How to inform and to help SME craft project managers to propose and manage projects? What
types of continues information and coaching could be put in place?
For information:
- Services and contacts in the three DGs, territorial units and advisers’ references.
1pm: end.
Translation: English, French, and German.