Description: The speakers at the seminar will be high-level representatives of the European institutions, including the European Commission, as well as of various Member States' authorities. The seminar will also include sessions where case studies will be presented, encouraging the participants to exchange practical examples and experiences in managing EU Structural Funds.
Method: As the seminar will be of a participatory nature, the participants will be strongly encouraged to actively take part in discussions throughout the entire programme. Moreover, they will have ample opportunity to informally exchange views on the seminar topics, both with the speakers and with each other.
Objectives: The objective of this seminar is twofold: (1) to bring together practitioners from the European, national and sub-national level, as well as academic experts, to enable them to share experiences and identify cases of good practice in the financial management of Structural Funds in different Member States; and (2) to discuss ways of implementing financial management rules such as eligibility rules, financial controls, different co-financing rates, state aid aspects, etc. The seminar will cover both the situation under the old rules and what is known so far under the new regulations.
Target Group: This seminar is intended for practitioners from national and sub-national authorities and from other public bodies of the EU Member States and associated countries working with Structural Funds.
FIRST DAY
Morning session
Opening of the Seminar
Martin Unfried, Senior Lecturer/Project Leader, EIPA, Maastricht (NL)
Introduction to the Objectives and Methodology of the Seminar
Martin Unfried
Reform of the Structural Funds: The New Regulations and the Implications for the Financial Management of the Funds
Martin Unfried
Audit and Control of Structural Funds
Dermot Byrne, ERDF Financial Control Unit, Department of Finance, Dublin (IE)
Afternoon session
Closure declaration
Dermot Byrne
The certifying authority – the Commission's guarantee for assurance
Representative of the European Commission, Brussels (BE)
SECOND DAY
Morning session
Evolution of the Eligibility of Expenditure Rules
Sheila Maxwell, Resident Twinning Advisor, Wales (UK)
Workshop: Eligible or not eligible? Some exercises
Sheila Maxwell
Afternoon session
The managing authority – keystone of the control system
Representative of the European Commission, Brussels (BE)
State Aid and Structural Funds
Phedon Nicolaides, Professor of Economics, European Policies Unit, EIPA,Maastricht (NL)
Evaluation and Conclusion of the Seminar
Programme & Walking Tour of Maastricht
The programme will commence on the first day at 09.00 hrs and finish on the second day at 16.15. A guided walking tour in the historic centre of Maastricht is foreseen on the first day at 13.45. The tour takes about 1,5 hours.
Seminar venue
The seminar will take place in the Green Conference Room (1.45) at the European Institute of Public Administration (EIPA), O.L. Vrouweplein 22, NL-6211 HE Maastricht, tel.: +31.43.3296.222, fax: +31.43.3296.296.
Working language
The seminars will be conducted in English.
Fee
The participation fee for each seminar is € 850 and includes participation in the seminar, documentation, 2 lunches, 1 buffet meal, refreshments and the guided walking tour. Accommodation and travel costs are at the expense of the participants or their administration. EIPA offers its members a reduction of 10% of the registration fee. This reduction is available to all civil servants working for one of EIPA’s member countries (i.e. AT, BE, BG, CY, CZ, DK, EE, FI, FR, DE, GR, HU, IE, IT, LT, LU, MT, NL, PL, PT, ES, SE, UK) as well as civil servants working for an EU institution or agency. If you are eligible for a discount, please tick the box in the registration form. Please note that reductions cannot be accumulated. For more information, please visit EIPA’s website: www.eipa.eu (FAQ-special discounts).
Hotel reservations
The European Institute of Public Administration will be pleased to make reservations for you at a hotel in Maastricht. We have made a block booking at Hotel L’Empereur **** www.hotelmabi.nl € 108,25 p.p.p.n. Hotel Beaumont **** www.beaumont.nl € 99,75 p.p.p.n. These prices include breakfast and tourist tax.. Should you wish to make use of this possibility, please indicate the name of the hotel and the dates of arrival and departure on the registration form. Payment is to be made directly and personally to the hotel on checking out. Should the hotel of your choice be fully booked, you will automatically be placed in one the other hotel. Please note that if you register after the closing date, hotel reservations cannot be guaranteed.
Meals
All meals will be served at the Institute’s restaurant. Should you require a special menu (e.g. vegetarian, diabetic), please inform the Programme Organiser so this can be arranged.
Registration
Kindly complete the registration form and return it before the closing date to Ms Mariëlle Beckers, Programme Organiser, European Institute of Public Administration, P.O. Box 1229, NL-6201 BE Maastricht, tel.: +31.43.3296.2237, fax: +31.43.3296.296, e-mail: m.beckers@eipa-nl.com. You can also submit the online registration form which can be found on EIPA’s web site: http://www.eipa.eu(Training and Research). Your name and address will be part of EIPA's database for our mailing purpose only. If you do not want to be included in our mailing database, please tick the box in the registration form.
Confirmation
Confirmation of registration will be forwarded to participants on receipt of the completed registration form.
Payment
Prior payment is a condition for participation. Please indicate the method of payment on the registration form. In any case, the participant or his/her administration will receive an invoice for the payment of the registration fee. For administrative reasons you will be charged €150 for cancellations received within 15 days before the activity begins. There is no charge for qualified substitute participants.
Cancellation policy
EIPA reserves the right to cancel the seminar up to 2 weeks before the starting date. EIPA accepts no responsibility for any costs incurred (travel, hotel, etc.). For EIPA's cancellation policy, please visit our website www.eipa.eu (legal notice).
Structural Funds
Activities Publications