e-Cohesion – new initiative within IT systems of Member States in 2014-2020

1. e-Cohesion – new initiative within IT systems of Member States in 2014-2020 Fifth Meeting of the Expert Group on Delegated and Implementing Acts for the European Structural and Investment Funds 15/04/2013 Christophe de Lassus – European Commission DG Regional & Urban Policy IT Head of Unit

2. Sustainable Growth Cohesion Policy – a vehicle of Europe 2020 targets • By 2015 80% of businesses should use eGovernment

3. COM's proposal MAIN ARTICLE ON E-COHESION • PART THREE: GENERAL PROVISIONS APPLICABLE TO ERDF, ESF AND CF • Management and control systems • Article 112 Responsibilities of Member States • (…) • 3. Member States shall ensure that no later than 31 December [2014] all exchanges of information between beneficiaries and managing authorities, certifying authorities, audit authorities and intermediate bodies can be carried out [solely] by means of electronic data exchange systems. • The systems shall facilitate interoperability with national and Union frameworks and allow for the beneficiaries to submit all information referred to in the first sub-paragraph only once. • The Commission shall adopt, by means of implementing acts, detailed rules concerning the exchanges of information (…)

4. European Commission SFC2014 database Art. 63(4) All official exchanges of information between the Member State and the Commission - programme level Electronic exchange of information in 2014-2020 periodincluding e-Cohesion Member State's system for reporting, monitoring, accounting (…) Businesses Non-profit organisations Public and semi-public bodies Beneficiaries managing authority / intermediate body Beneficiary portal Other certifying authority Art. 62 (d) & 114(2)(d) Computerized system for accounting, monitoring and reporting (…) - programme level + operation relevant information audit authority Art. 112(3) Electronic exchange of information with beneficiaries - project level

5. Electronic data exchange • Definition: • refers to a medium of exchange of documents (Art. 2(14) of the proposed CPR), • structured + unstructured data, • relationship between MAs/IBs/CAs/AAs & beneficiaries (Art. 2 of the CPR ) • Minimum requirements: • data integrity & confidentiality; • authentication of the sender within the meaning of Directive 1999/93/EC; • storage in compliance with defined retention rules (Art. 132 of the CPR); • availability during & outside standard office hours; • accessibility either directly or via an interface;

6. Electronic data exchange • Minimum requirements: • protection of privacy of personal data for individuals & commercial confidentiality for legal entities (Directives 2002/58/EC & 95/46/EC); • regardless the nature of OP; • terms and conditions defined in the contract with the beneficiary (Article 114(3)); • free of charge; • without prejudice of any paper documents stored by the beneficiary; • requirements of the CPR & the Fund specific rules taken into account + Article 46 (2) (g).

7. e-signature • E-Cohesionminimum requirement: at least the basic electronic signature – authentication procedure – should be put into effect for the population of beneficiaries (within the meaning of Directive 1999/93/EC) • Features to examine: • for a closed-user group -> basic e-signature; • which form of e-signature to choose? • eID or certificates, token, login & password…. • security requirements; • +legal effectiveness & admissibility.

8. e-TrustEx can easily be extended to any policy domain e-TrustEx is composed of 3 elements: Technological platform: e-TrustEx offers a set of basic pre-processing capabilities such as schema validation and business rules validation, routing according to specific criteria, orchestration of information exchanges, rendering of information to human readable format and archiving. Services platform: e-TrustEx offers a set of capabilities and services common to all policy domains such as document inbox, querying, viewing and submitting of information. Modules: e-TrustEx offers a set of sector-specific modules in policy areas such as Procurement and Legislative support. These modules can be deployed in a dedicated or common runtime environment, and they can be easily connected to other applications through well-defined interoperable interfaces. Additional modules can be added according to the architecture guidelines of e-TrustEx ‘only once’ encoding principle • Definition: referred to in the Small Business Act in Europe • Minimum requirement: • The principle should be applied, at a minimum, in the framework of the same OP (regardless of whether this is an 'Investment for growth and jobs' or 'European Territorial Cooperation' programme) • Features to examine: • - beneficiary NOT repeatedly providing the same info; • - an information/data/document recorded in the storage features and reused; • - effective use of public databases; • - together with interoperability.

9. All exchanges of information • Definition: • any information requirements applicable to the beneficiary via electronic exchange; • including reporting on progress, declaration of expenditure & exchange of information related to management, verifications & audits • Minimum requirements: • Administrative verification concerning each application for reimbursement by beneficiaries (according to Article 114) need to rely on information & documents available through the computer system. Only exceptionally, following a risk analysis, beneficiary asked to send original paper documents.

10. All exchanges of information • Minimum requirements: • The electronic audit trail in compliance with Art. 112 & 132 of the CPR + with national requirements on the availability of document, • Only in exceptional cases, following a risk analysis, the beneficiary asked to send original paper documents for a desk review, • Original paper docs in the beneficiary premises for the on-the-spot audit • Features to examine: • documents in e-versions for audit purposes – already in 2007-2013 • 1st and 2nd level control procedures in 2014-2020 to maximise the reduction of administrative burden for beneficiaries • In practice: • e-storage capabilities instead of paper archiving; • 1st level controllers rely primarily on the IT system; • AA uses the IT system to prepare audits of operations/system audits, • CA relies on the IT system;

11. e-TrustEx can easily be extended to any policy domain e-TrustEx is composed of 3 elements: Technological platform: e-TrustEx offers a set of basic pre-processing capabilities such as schema validation and business rules validation, routing according to specific criteria, orchestration of information exchanges, rendering of information to human readable format and archiving. Services platform: e-TrustEx offers a set of capabilities and services common to all policy domains such as document inbox, querying, viewing and submitting of information. Modules: e-TrustEx offers a set of sector-specific modules in policy areas such as Procurement and Legislative support. These modules can be deployed in a dedicated or common runtime environment, and they can be easily connected to other applications through well-defined interoperable interfaces. Additional modules can be added according to the architecture guidelines of e-TrustEx Interoperability • Definition refersto: • National Interoperability Frameworks, • European Interoperability Framework (EIF) & the European Interoperability Strategy (EIS) • Minimum requirement: • MS free to establish its own interoperability approach • In practice within the same OP (regardless its nature) • Features to examine: • - more interoperable systems of cohesion policy bodies; • - work together at organisational, semantic and technical levels; • - standard software (easily available) or free software! • Guidance: • - to extend to external databases (eg. state treasury, business, tax register, SFC2014, state aid register, environmental impact assessment bodies, e-procurement,); • - also for applicants?

12. Possible variants and evolution • Obligatory use by beneficiaries: • MS could impose it at their own initiative & after cost/benefit analysis, • at the beginning of the programming period?! • Obligatory use by beneficiaries + applicants: • docs & data exchanged at applicant stage reused at beneficiary stage, • e-signature reused • Evolution: • MS shouldn't be prevented from improving e-Cohesion service for the beneficiary or introducing variant/s above

13. More on e-Cohesion • Report «IT Implications Assessment of e-Cohesion Policy at EU/Member State level» http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/secretariat_general/admin_burden/docs/presentation_regio_en.pdf • EC support to MS/regions/programmes: • 'building blocks' on a business perspective https://www.yammer.com/regionetwork/groups/e-cohesionpolicy/uploaded_files 50 Q&A for ETC in cooperation with INTERACT http://www.interact-eu.net/downloads/5081/INTERACT_Publication___50_Questions_&_Answers_on_e-Cohesion_in_European_Territorial_Cooperation_Programmes___July_2012.pdf

14. Christophe de Lassus Head of IT Unit, DG REGIO:christophe.de-lassus@ec.europa.eu e-Cohesion@ec.europa.eu e-Cohesion on Yammer: https://www.yammer.com/regionetwork/#/threads/inGroup?type=in_group&feedId=1534553

15. Written comments can be sent until 24 Aprilto: REGIO-DELEGATED-AND-IMPLEMENTING-ACTS@ec.europa.eu