JOINT OPERATIONAL PROGRAMME for the Estonia-Russia Cross-Border Cooperation Programme 2014-2020
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
JOINT OPERATIONAL PROGRAMME of Estonia-Russia Cross-Border Cooperation Programme 2014-2020 Table of Contents JOINT OPERATIONAL PROGRAMME of Estonia-Russia Cross-Border Cooperation Programme 2014-2020 ........................................................................................................................ 3 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................... 3 1. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROGRAMME AREA .......................................................................... 6 1.1. Programme area map .................................................................................................... 7 1.2. Core regions .................................................................................................................. 7 1.3. Adjoining regions ......................................................................................................... 7 1.4. Participation of the adjoining regions in Finland and Latvia ........................................ 9 2. PROGRAMME STRATEGY ....................................................................................................... 11 2.1. Strategic and thematic objectives and priorities ......................................................... 11 2.2. A justification of the chosen strategy .......................................................................... 14 2.2.1. Socio-Economic and environmental analysis of the programme area ........ 14 2.2.1.1. Business and SME development .............................................................. 21 2.2.1.2. Promotion of border management and border security, mobility and migration management.................................................................................... 30 2.2.1.3.Environmental protection, climate change mitigation and adaptation .... 34 2.2.1.4. Support for local & regional good governance ....................................... 41 2.2.2. Lessons learned from previous experiences in Cross Border Programmes 45 2.2.3. Coherence with other EU, national and regional strategies and EU financial instruments................................................................................................................. 47 2.2.4. Risk Analysis and Mitigating Measures ..................................................... 50 2.3. Description of ‘Objectively Verifiable Indicators’ (OVI) ......................................... 56 2.3.1. Expected result for each priority ................................................................ 56 2.4.Cross-cutting Issues ................................................................................................... 69 3. STRUCTURES AND APPOINTMENT OF THE COMPETENT AUTHORITIES AND MANAGEMENT BODIES ............................................................................................................... 70 3.1. The composition of the Joint Monitoring Committee and its tasks ......................... 71 3.2. Managing Authority and its designation process ..................................................... 72 3.3. National Authorities ................................................................................................. 76 3.4. Control contact points .............................................................................................. 77 3.5. The procedure for setting up the Joint Technical Secretariat, and branch offices and tasks ............................................................................................................................................... 78 3.6. The audit authority and members of the group of auditors ...................................... 79 1 4. PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION......................................................................................... 83 4.1. A summary description of the management and control systems ............................ 83 4.2. Timeframe for Programme implementation............................................................. 85 4.2.1. The basic principles for project beneficiaries ............................................. 86 4.3. A description of the project selection procedure ........................................................................ 88 4.4. A description of types of support per priority (a list of projects to be selected through direct procedures) ........................................................................................................................................ 91 4.5. A description of the planned use of Technical Assistance and applicable contract award procedures ....................................................................................................................................... 102 4.6. A description of monitoring and evaluation systems, together with an indicative monitoring and evaluation plan for the whole duration of the Programme (Annexe 1) ........................................... 102 4.7. Communications strategy for the whole programme period and an indicative information and communications plan for the first year (Annexe 2) ......................................................................... 103 4.8. Information of fulfilment of SEA requirements ....................................................................... 106 4.9. An indicative financial plan...................................................................................................... 108 4.10. Rules on the eligibility of expenditure ................................................................................... 113 4.11. The apportionment of liabilities amongst participating countries .......................................... 114 4.12. The rules for the transfer, use, and monitoring of co-financing ............................................. 115 4.13. A description of IT systems for the reporting and exchange of computerised data between the MA and the Commission ................................................................................................................. 116 4.14. Language adopted by the Programme .................................................................................... 116 Annex 1 Indicative monitoring and control plan ............................................................................. 117 Annex 2 Media plan and communication and visibility guidelines ................................................ 120 Annex 3 List of Acronyms .............................................................................................................. 128 2 JOINT OPERATIONAL PROGRAMME of Estonia-Russia Cross-Border Cooperation Programme 2014-2020 INTRODUCTION The Estonia – Russia Cross-Border Cooperation (CBC) Programme 2014–2020 (hereinafter referred to as The Programme) is co-financed by the European Union under the European Neighbourhood Instrument (ENI), the Republic of Estonia and the Russian Federation. The Programme has been developed as a joint effort between representatives of Estonia and Russia. The representatives of both countries who were involved in the Programme’s preparation process have been also actively involved in the implementation of the Estonia- Latvia-Russia Cross-Border Cooperation Programme 2007-2013 (hereinafter is referred to as EstLatRus) within the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (hereinafter referred to as ENPI), and it is foreseen that they will be involved in the work of the Programme’s Joint Monitoring Committee (hereinafter referred to as JMC) in the future. Continuity between preparation and implementation contributes to effective management and the Programme’s result-orientated implementation. The Programme will complement overall European Union - Russia relations, focusing on the eligible border regions on both sides of the border. The Programme has been prepared in accordance with: - Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2012 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union and repealing Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002; - Regulation (EU) No 236/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 March 2014 laying down common rules and procedures for the implementation of the Union's instruments for financing external action; - Regulation (EU) No 232/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 March 2014 establishing a European Neighbourhood Instrument; - Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 897/2014 of 18 August 2014 laying down specific provisions for the implementation of cross-border cooperation programmes financed under Regulation (EU) No 232/2014 of the European Parliament and the Council establishing a European Neighbourhood Instrument; - Programming document for European Union support to ENI cross-border cooperation for the period 2014-2020 (Commission Implementing Decision C (2014)7172)); - The Concept for the Foreign Policy of the Russian Federation (adopted by the President of the Russian Federation on February 12th, 2013); - The Strategy of the Social and Economic Development of the North-West Region of the Russian Federation till 2020 approved with the Government Executive Order of the Russian Federation № 2074-р of November 18th, 2011; 3 - Federal law on procurement № 44-FZ of April 5th, 2013; - Tax Code of the Russian Federation; - Related decrees of the President of the Russian Federation and the Russian Government; The Concept of Cross-Border Cooperation of the Russian Federation; - The Concept