Български
English
National Assembly
of the Republic of Bulgaria
of the Republic of Bulgaria
Parliamentary Committees
Committee on European Affairs and Oversight of the European Funds
The Committee on European Affairs and Oversight of the European Funds has declared its consent on principle for the European Commission’s proposal on the simplification of the rules governing the multiannual financial framework.
04/07/2012
On a regular session held on 04 July 2012, the Committee on European Affairs and Oversight of the European Funds (CEAOEF) within the National Assembly of the Republic of Bulgaria discussed the Proposal for a Simplification Agenda for the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2014-2020 COM(2012) 42.
With the initiative, the European Commission aims to rationalize the rules that will govern the EU programmes in the next programming period – 2014-2020 through a reduction of the number of the EU programmes, improved coordination and clarity of rules, concentration on clear goals and indicators, the use of simpler instruments in the decision-making process. The simplification process aims to provide the necessary reduction in the administrative burden and costs for the beneficiaries and for the other participants in the EU programmes, while at the same time, preserving the principles for sound financial governance.
Some of the proposals of the European Commission include:
• Projects under 100 000 euro will not be audited more than once at all and bigger projects no more than once a year;
• Reducing the period of keeping documents regarding EU co-funded projects from over ten years to about five years;
• Reducing the time required to receive a grant in the area of research and innovations from about 350 days to a maximum of 100 days;
• Extending the implementation of the simplified procedure for costs reimbursement. Through this procedure and the extended use of lump sums, the focus would be moved to the results achieved by the projects. As a result, the burden associated with the financial management, control and audit will be decreased both for beneficiaries and for managing authorities – national and regional.
The members of the Committee on European Affairs and Oversight of the European Funds welcomed the European Commission’s initiative, acknowledging that the EU expenditures in the MFF would contribute significantly for the achievement of the objectives set in the “Europe 2020” strategy and therefore setting the right rules for the implementation of the MFF is a cornerstone for success of the strategy, as well as for the promotion of growth and jobs in the EU. At the same time, it has been remarked that the simplification of the rules should not be done at the expense of the principles for sound financial governance.
A report together with a statement on the subject is going to be sent to the attention of the European Commission and the European Parliament.
With the initiative, the European Commission aims to rationalize the rules that will govern the EU programmes in the next programming period – 2014-2020 through a reduction of the number of the EU programmes, improved coordination and clarity of rules, concentration on clear goals and indicators, the use of simpler instruments in the decision-making process. The simplification process aims to provide the necessary reduction in the administrative burden and costs for the beneficiaries and for the other participants in the EU programmes, while at the same time, preserving the principles for sound financial governance.
Some of the proposals of the European Commission include:
• Projects under 100 000 euro will not be audited more than once at all and bigger projects no more than once a year;
• Reducing the period of keeping documents regarding EU co-funded projects from over ten years to about five years;
• Reducing the time required to receive a grant in the area of research and innovations from about 350 days to a maximum of 100 days;
• Extending the implementation of the simplified procedure for costs reimbursement. Through this procedure and the extended use of lump sums, the focus would be moved to the results achieved by the projects. As a result, the burden associated with the financial management, control and audit will be decreased both for beneficiaries and for managing authorities – national and regional.
The members of the Committee on European Affairs and Oversight of the European Funds welcomed the European Commission’s initiative, acknowledging that the EU expenditures in the MFF would contribute significantly for the achievement of the objectives set in the “Europe 2020” strategy and therefore setting the right rules for the implementation of the MFF is a cornerstone for success of the strategy, as well as for the promotion of growth and jobs in the EU. At the same time, it has been remarked that the simplification of the rules should not be done at the expense of the principles for sound financial governance.
A report together with a statement on the subject is going to be sent to the attention of the European Commission and the European Parliament.
