Information and Publicity

1. Information and Publicity in 2007-2013 programming period SFIT meeting, 12 December 2005 Barbara Piotrowska, DG REGIO barbara.piotrowska@cec.eu.int

2. Commission implementing regulation for 2007-2013: circumstances Barroso Commission puts emphasis on: • communication: need to make Community actions more visible to the European citizens. • transparency of Community actions and spending Publicity for Cohesion Policy New regulation

3. Circumstances (2) • This is a draft regulation, some provisions can still be changed! • It has been presented twice to the Member States during the Committee for Development and Conversion of the Regions (June, November) and to the SFIT members. The comments have been taken on board. New regulation

4. Council Regulation 1260/1999Art. 46 1. Member States shall ensure that publicity is given to development plans. 2. The managing authority shall be responsible for ensuring that publicity is given to the package and particularly for informing: (a) potential final beneficiaries (…) about the opportunities afforded by the assistance; (b) the general public about the role played by the Community in the assistance concerned and its results. 3. The Member States shall consult the Commission and inform it each year of the initiatives taken for the purposes set out in paragraphs 1 and 2 of this Article.

5. General Council Regulation for the programming period 2007-2013 Art. 68 1. The Member States shall provide information on and publicise co-financed programmes and operations. The information shall be addressed to European citizens and to the beneficiaries. It shall aim to highlight the role of the Community and ensure that assistance from the Funds is transparent. 2. The Managing Authority for the operational programme shall be responsible for the publicity in accordance with the implementing rules of this Regulation adopted by the Commission. New regulation

6. Draft Commission Regulation for the programming period 2007-2013 Information and Publicity : Title 2 of the implementing regulation 3 Chapters: 1. Communication plan 2. Information and Publicity measures for the public 3. Networks 9 Articles. New regulation

7. Chapter I, art. 2-3 Communication plan • Drawn up by the Managing Authority • Covers one or more Operational Programmes financed from the same Funds • Contains communication actions and activities, aimed at potential and final beneficiaries and the general public; indicative budget; evaluation indicators • Transmited to the Commission within 4 months after adoption of the OP (or the adoption of the last OP) • The Commission has 2 months to send the comments, the MS has 2 months to prepare changes if needed New regulation

8. Monitoring of the communication plan • Progress in implementation, the examples of the products or information and the tools used - presented during the meetings of the Monitoring Committee of each OP. • Annual reports and in final report sent to the Commission shall include the examples of information activities and the evaluation. • NEW: The evaluation of the I&P shall be included in 2010 mid-term report and in the final report. • Commission shall be informed about any amendments to the com. plan in the annual reports. • The means used shall be proportional to the information needs. New regulation

9. Chapter II, art 4-8, Information and publicity measures Addressed to: • Potential beneficiaries • Beneficiaries • General public • Managing Authorities' responsibilities • Beneficiaries' responsibilities New regulation

10. I&P aimed at potential beneficiaries • Managing Authority supplies maximum of information on the possibility of financing offered jointly by the Community and the Member States in the operational programme. • MA shall ensure that operational programmes are published widely, with details of the financial contributions from the Funds concerned, and that they are supplied to all interested applicants. • MA uses, such as professional groupings, socio-economic partners, non-governmental organisations, trade and business circles to relay information. • NEW: MA shall inform that the list of beneficiaries + the name of the operation + the amount of public funding allocated to the operation will be published New regulation

11. I&P aimed at beneficiaries Managing authority makes sure that the beneficiaries are informed that: • their project was selected from a programme part-financed by the ERDF, ESF or the Cohesion Fund • their name + name of the operation + the amount of the public funding allocated to the project will be published New regulation

12. I&P aimed at public • Principle - Managing Authority together with the beneficiaries undertake all possible actions to provide the public with information and publicity on selected projects and their implementation. • Clear division between managing authorities' and beneficiaries' responsibilities. New regulation

13. Managing Authority's responsibilities MA follows the communication plan, using all appropriate forms and methods at the appropriate territorial level MA informs the public about the following points: • adoption of the operational programme by the Commission, the main achievements in its implementation, its closure; • Commission's adoption of the decision on a major project and the main steps in implementing that project. New regulation

14. Minimum measures NEW: publication of the list of beneficiaries of financing under the OP, the names of the operations, the amount of public funding allocated NEW: a major annual information activity presenting the achievements of the OP examples/suggestions: • an information activity resulting in an audio-visual broadcast on the launch of the operational programme or programmes covered by the communication plan. • On 9 May each year, flying the European flag for a week on the site of all projects New regulation

15. Beneficiaries' responsibilities • The beneficiary erects a billboard on site, which will stay there during the works and/or carrying out of the projects. • CHANGE: concerns projects exceeding 500 000 €: it will be replaced by a plaque, which is explanatory, permanent, visible and of a size which is appropriate and significant, 6 months at the latest after the end of the works and/or carrying out the project. • Billboards and plaques contain the description of the projects and the elements mentioned in the article 9. These elements occupy at least 25% of the billboard or plaque. • NEW: a new paragraph will be added foreseeing sanctions against beneficiaries who do not comply with the I&P requirements New regulation

16. Beneficiaries' responsibilities, ESF • The beneficiary displays a clear notice that the project being implemented has been selected under an operational programme part-financed by the ESF. • All possible paper and electronic documentation in a project of this type contains a mention that the operational programme was part-financed from the ESF. New regulation

17. Article 9 - Technical characteristics The measures for informing the public shall include the following elements: The European flag and the following slogans: European Union: European Regional Development Fund European Union: Cohesion Fund European Union: European Social Fund MA should add an additional explicatory statement /slogan according to the local circumstances New regulation

18. Chapter III, art. 10, Network • Each managing authority appoints person/s responsible for the information and publicity and informs the Commission. • The Commission sets up and is responsible for coordinating the network composed of the above mentioned persons. Tasks: to ensure the exchange of good practices and the exchange of experience concerning the implementation of the communication plan. The Commission may provide backing for exchange of experiences in the field of information and publicity through Technical Assistance. New regulation