How to foster efficient partnership in Cohesion policy programmes

Jan OLSSONEESC Rapporteur

Exploratory Opinion requested by EU Commission

• Request from then Commissioners Hübner and Spidla

• Examine the partnership principle and identify best practice

• Help the Commission prepare the future of cohesion policy

• Convince Member States about importance partnership

• Result is an a-typical EESC Opinion: lengthy piece of detailed work – much field research carried out.

• An Opinion done in ‘partnership’ – Annex with best practices

Good practice – some effective examples

• Patchworks of partnership (England)

• OP social inclusion run by partners (Spain)

• Capacity building created and managed by social

partners (Mezzogiorno)

Other cases of good practice

• Peace Programme (Northern Ireland)• Mecklenburg-Vorpommern – integrated policies• Baden-Württemberg – decentralised ESF• Territorial Employment Pacts - Austria • Global grants Esprit Tuscany (It) - APCM Poitou

Charentes (F)• NGO technical assistance (Slovenia & Wales)• Working groups in Poland

Why is Partnership important?

• Genuine and profound partnership greatly improves

the effectiveness of cohesion policy

• Responds to the needs of the local actors

• Strengthens citizen participation

• Creates a visible link between the EU and civil society

• Real partnership creates a win-win for all

stakeholders

What needs to change?

• At EU Level: Regulation 1083/2006 –> Article 11

needs to be modified for the future

• Role of the Commission: more hands-on

• National attitudes changed: dissemination of

good practice – it takes two to tango!

• Build capacity with the partners

• Programmes to promote partnership

Main EESC Recommendations

• Set minimum requirements for partnership

• Develop European Code of good practice

• Build capacity with the partners

• Integrated and targeted programmes - community initiatives back and extended global grants

• SIMPLIFICATION of procedures and payments

• Network of regions of excellence – disseminate best practice

Further thoughts for post-2013

• Programmes integrating all the Structural Funds

• Focussed Operational Programmes

• Community initiatives

• Local development

• Social inclusion

• Global grants

• Capacity building and technical assistance

Next steps

• Opinion was adopted by EESC Plenary Session

in July 2010

• Findings to be shared as widely as possible…

• Further presentations foreseen for Open Days &

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