Structural Funds and Cohesion Fund: extension of increased co-financing for Member States experiencing or threatened with serious difficulties with respect to their financial stability, to decommitment rules for certain Member States, and to rules on payments of final balance

The Committee on Regional Development adopted the report by Oldřich VLASÁK (ECR, CZ) on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Council Regulation (EC) No 1083/2006 as regards certain provisions relating to financial management for certain Member States experiencing or threatened with serious difficulties with respect to their financial stability and to the decommitment rules for certain Member States.

The committee recommended that the European Parliament’s position adopted at first reading, under the ordinary legislative procedure, should amend the Commission proposal.

In order to avoid large programme amendments at the end of the programming period and to allow for efficient absorption of funds, the committee proposed that the Union contribution, through payments of the final balance, should not deviate, at priority level, by more than 10% of the maximum amount of assistance from the Funds as stated in the financing plan of the latest decision approved by the Commission. The maximum amount of assistance at programme level shall not be affected by a deviation at priority level.