Post 2020 Outermost regions Paula DUARTE GASPAR Head

Post 2020 Outermost regions Paula DUARTE GASPAR Head of Unit - Outermost Regions DG REGIO 9 October 2019

MFF negotiations üObjective to reach a political agreement in 2019/2020. üEP position on the MFF package adopted November 2018. üCouncil no position yet: § MFF negotiating box during AT and RO Presidencies; § EUCO 17 -18 October – discussion on figures (overall levels, balance between headings); § FI PRES objective: finalise negotiating box, reach agreement at December EUCO. üSectoral proposals can only be finalised after MFF deal (i. e. in 2020).

Commission proposals 2021 -27 ü 21 proposals for future programmes/funds reflect outermost regions specificities. üCommission kept key existing provisions in cohesion, agriculture, fisheries. üThe Commission created new opportunities : Horizon Europe, CEF, LIFE, etc… üThe Commission has delivered on its commitments!

Provisional understandings trilogues Horizon Europe EU Funds & Programmes common Council Partial General Coreper negotiating mandate EP ready but no Council No agreed position either by EP following Approach (EP also ready) position or Council MFF (provisional) CAP Digital European Maritime and Fisheries CPR Fund Erasmus ERDF/CF Rule of Law Reform Support Programme European Defence Fund Creative Europe LIFE Justice Programme Border Management and Visa ESF+ Instrument Internal Security Fund NDICI Asylum and Migration Fund European Mechanism Rights and Values Programme Customs programme CEF Invest. EU IPA III EU Anti-Fraud Programme Fiscalis European Globalisation Fund Overseas Association Decision European Solidarity Corps Interreg Cross-Border European Investment Stabilisation Fund and

1. ALREADY AGREED Provisional agreement EP- Council Outermost regions are: üeligible as coordinators for widening actions under Horizon Europe; ügiven special regard in award criteria of Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), LIFE and Digital Europe programmes; üeligible for transport, digital and energy actions under CEF, (co-financing rate up to 70%) and with specific eligible actions (urban nodes, maritime and inland ports, connections to airports); üeligible for biodiversity projects under LIFE and able to nominate specific digital entities under Digital Europe.

2. UNDER NEGOTIATION Common Provisions Regulation (CPR): üCommission: 70% co-financing as less developed regions; SAA kept under ERDF and introduced in ESF+. üEP: higher co-financing rates; higher specific allocation for the OR (higher ESF+ SAA); increased technical assistance; etc. üTrilogues: Started with previous EP (Feb/March) - no agreement. Technical trilogues re-started in September; first political trilogue on 3 October. üObjective: agreement on most important programming blocks (programming, eligibility/performance, management and control) by December 2019.

ERDF/CF ü Commission: thematic concentration as less developed regions; investments in airports for OR ü EP: more flexible thematic concentration; ORs allowed to invest in waste landfill/treatment; ü EP + Council PGA (February 2019): clarified that SAA not subject to thematic concentration; ERDF to support productive investment in enterprises irrespective of their size; etc. INTERREG ü Commission: specific strand for OR cooperation; possibility to upscale cooperation with neighbours – mirror provisions in NDICI (new EU external instrument). ü EP: increased OR strand budget; increased co-financing rate up to 80%. ESF+ ü Commission: 15% resources earmarked to youth unemployment (instead of 10%). ü EP: SAA as additional allocation to ERDF; islands in the OR Recital.

European Maritime Fisheries Fund (EMFF) üCommission: ring-fenced budget; higher co-financing rate; blue economy plans. üEP: voted in favor of EU aid for vessel construction. üCouncil: added EU aid for first acquisition of vessels and removed cap for compensation aid (under conditions). Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) üCommission: kept POSEI; higher support rates; 70% co-financing for OR rural development. üEP: proposed increasing co-financing rate for OR rural development to 85%; derogations on some agricultural and environmental requirements.

Cohesion Policy programming exercise 2021 -2027 Annex D published in February 2019. Launch events in spring 2019. ü France: renewable energy; waste water treatment and waste management; digital and physical accessibility e. g. better connections with neighbours; actions for young people/early school leavers, access to healthcare, educational and healthcare infrastructures; transnational and cross border cooperation, biodiversity, clean energy and clean public transport. ü Portugal: digital services; accessibility and interconnectivity; acting on early school leaving and lack of basic skills; addressing geographical and socio-economic characteristics and challenges. ü Spain: e-government and e-services; collection and treatment of wastewater; improving accessibility, interconnectivity and deploying very high capacity broadband networks; and fostering their integrated social, economic, cultural and environmental local development; as well as the relations with their neighbours.

Member States and outermost regions: üTo raise awareness of the opportunities in the regions and mobilize stakeholders; üStart developing Partnership Agreements/Operational Programmes/projects. Mature drafts of the programming documents first half of 2020.

Paula DUARTE GASPAR: Paula. Duarte-Gaspar@ec. europa. eu Unit A 1 Outermost regions, DG REGIO: REGIO-A 1 -RUP@ec. europa. eu