Ref. Ares(2023)988067 - 10/02/2023
EUROPEAN COMMISSION
DIRECTORATE-GENERAL
REGIONAL AND URBAN POLICY
DIRECTORATE-GENERAL FOR EMPLOYMENT, SOCIAL AFFAIRS AND INCLUSION
The Directors-General
Brussels
REGIO.D.4/EO/(2023)1432620
Subject: Letter on the risk to fall short of full absorption in the 2014-2020
programme by the end of 2023
Your Excellency,
The end of the eligibility period for 2014-2020 programmes is approaching. Pursuant to
Article 65(2) of the Common Provisions Regulation, expenditure can be eligible for a
contribution from the cohesion policy funds only if it has been incurred by a beneficiary
and paid by 31 December 2023. 2023 is therefore the last year to incur expenditure on the
ground and, while the final accounting year runs from 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2024, the
last year of implementation to ensure full absorption.
Therefore it is of utmost importance that you take all possible measures to maintain a
good momentum in financial implementation in order to avoid the risk of losing EU
allocations.
To that end, we draw your attention to the recent and new regulatory flexibilities and
invite you to consider making extensive use of them based on the actual challenges faced
by Estonia. The (FAST-)CARE and SAFE (Supporting Affordable Energy) amendments
have introduced multiple options that could further facilitate successful implementation
and address the most urgent needs, with cohesion policy helping to tackle the
consequences of the Russian war of aggression on Ukraine.
The recent agreement on REPowerEU also covers the SAFE measures under cohesion
policy, which will allow Member States to use up to 10% of their 2014-2020 cohesion
policy allocation – including REACT-EU – to support vulnerable households and SMEs
facing increased energy costs as well as workers through short-term and equivalent work
schemes. This is coupled with a 100% co-financing rate for dedicated priorities and other
flexibilities1.
1
Such as the special ‘cross-financing’ across the funds, support from any category of region implemented
anywhere within the Member State, and retroactive eligibility from 1 February, even to select
completed operations and before the programme amendment is approved.
H.E. Mr Aivo Orav
Permanent Representation of the Republic of Estonia to the European Union
Rue Guimard 11/13, 1040, Brussels, Belgium
Commission européenne/Europese Commissie, 1049 Bruxelles/Brussel, BELGIQUE/BELGIË – Tel. +32 22991111
Office: CSM1 07/DCS – Tel. direct line +32 229-51258
In addition, the revised Closure guidelines2 offer a variety of helpful options, including
those stemming directly from FAST-CARE – such as the increased 15% flexibility
between priority axes and more flexible rules for phasing –, but also changes responding
to Member States’ requests3.
Besides (FAST)-CARE and/or SAFE re-programming, further final changes in the
programme may be needed in 2023. The Commission services in the Directorate-General
for Regional and Urban Policy and Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs
and Inclusion are ready to provide any advice and to discuss at your earliest convenience
programme changes before their formal submission to the Commission.
We know that the challenge is significant, and you will have in parallel to ensure the
smooth launch of the 2021-2027 programme, including the quick absorption of the
NGEU budget for the JTF. Our services are at your disposal to give any further
assistance that you may need to speed up implementation.
In that spirit, the Commission is organising an online ‘SAFE workshop’ for all interested
managing authorities on 14 March 2023, where details on SAFE programming and
implementation will be explained and related questions clarified. Please engage fully
with our services on SAFE already now, before the workshop. In parallel, Closure
guidelines sessions have been taking place in the course of 2022 and 2023. We are also
ready to organise any other event, such as thematic workshops, peer-2-peer, technical and
experts meetings or ad hoc missions, in the coming months to deal with the challenges in
a targeted manner, providing our advice and help in the most suitable form as needed.
Yours faithfully,
Joost KORTE
Marc Lemaître
Director-General Director-General
c.c.: Martin Karro, Deputy Director General, The State Shared Service Centre;
Katarina Ivankovic-Knezevic, Director, Directorate D, Directorate
General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion;
Daniel Woehl, Head of Unit, EMPL.D.5, Directorate-General for
Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion;
2
Commission Notice Guidelines on the closure of operational programmes adopted for assistance from the
European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund, the Cohesion Fund and the
European Maritime and Fisheries Fund and cross-border cooperation programmes under the
Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA II) (2014-2020) 2022/C 474/01 – published in the
Official Journal on 14 December 2022
3
For instance in relation to non-functioning operations, which now benefit from more favourable ceilings
as well as an extended deadline for their completion – 15 February 2027 instead of 15 February 2026
–, allowing more such projects to be co-financed.
2
Aurimas Andrulis, Deputy Head of Unit, EMPL.D.5, Directorate-General
for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion;
Riin Saluveer, EMPL.D.5, Directorate-General for Employment, Social
Affairs and Inclusion;
Slawomir Tokarski, Director, Directorate D, Directorate-General for
Regional and Urban Policy;
Andreas von Busch, Head of Unit, REGIO.D.4, Directorate-General for
Regional and Urban Policy;
Linda Sproge, Deputy Head of Unit, REGIO.D.4, Directorate-General for
Regional and Urban Policy;
Renaldo Mandmets, REGIO.D.4, Directorate-General for Regional and
Urban Policy;
Edijs Ostrovskis, REGIO.D.4, Directorate-General for Regional and
Urban Policy
3
Electronically signed on 10/02/2023 12:14 (UTC+01) in accordance with Article 11 of Commission Decision (EU) 2021/2121
Saatja: Webdesktop <
[email protected]>
Saadetud: 14.02.2023 14:05
Adressaat: <"SM Info">; <"Annely Salumaa">; <"Agni Aav">
Koopia: <=?utf-8?Q?Thea_Treier_Br=C3=BCsselis?=>; <"kristiina tammeraid">
Teema: Webdesktop: Kiri nr 10.2-12.F/138 / Letter on the risk to fall
short of full absorption in the 2014-2020 programme by the end of 2023
Tere!Edastan infoks Komisjoni kirja. Rahandusministeerium ja selle
nõunikud AEELs ning RTK on juba saanud. Reg. number: 10.2-12.F/138Reg.
kuupäev: 13.02.2023Sisu: Letter on the risk to fall short of full
absorption in the 2014-2020 programme by the end of 2023 ((FAST-)CARE and
SAFE (Supporting Affordable Energy) re-programming)Parimate soovidegaTiiu
[email protected]är, EV alaline esindus EL juures
Saatja: Maili Liivamäe </O=ESTONIAN MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS/OU=EVM/CN=RECIPIENTS/CN=MLIIVAMAE>
Saaja: Tiiu Noobel, Esindus EL juures üldaadress
Teema: FW: Letter on the risk to fall short of full absorption in the 2014-2020 programme by the end of 2023 - ESTONIA - Ares(2023)988067
From: Aivo Orav <
[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, February 10, 2023 7:09 PM
To: Maili Liivamäe <
[email protected]>
Subject: Fwd: Letter on the risk to fall short of full absorption in the 2014-2020 programme by the end of 2023 - ESTONIA - Ares(2023)988067
Välisministeerium | Aivo Orav |
[email protected] <mailto:
[email protected]>
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: REGIO D4 EE FI LV LT <
[email protected] <mailto:
[email protected]> >
Date: 10 February 2023 at 18:11:43 CET
Subject: Letter on the risk to fall short of full absorption in the 2014-2020 programme by the end of 2023 - ESTONIA - Ares(2023)988067
To: Aivo Orav <
[email protected] <mailto:
[email protected]> >
Cc: KARRO Martin (EESTI VABARIIK*REPUBLIQUE D ESTONIE-REPUBLIC OF ESTONIA) <
[email protected] <mailto:
[email protected]> >