Calabria Regional Operational Programme (ROP) 2014-2020: closure of programming and certified expenditure

Subject: Calabria Regional Operational Programme (ROP) 2014-2020: closure of programming and certified expenditure

A few days from the closure of the Calabria ROP 2014-2020 programming cycle, it is difficult to find up-to-date information on its status.

In particular, it is not clear whether the final objectives of the various axes of the programme were achieved, nor is it clear what the current/final status of the certified expenditure is at the Commission.

It is also not known whether the risk, already feared in the last monitoring committees, of recording an expenditure gap of around 6%, or around EUR 140 million at closure of programming, was definitively avoided.

In view of the above, given that, as at 2 October 2023, the amount of certified expenditure came to EUR 1 619.5 million, i.e. 72.8% of the resources available under the operational programme, can the Commission respond to the following questions:

1. At the expiry of the 31.12.2023 deadline, will all Calabria ROP 2014-2020 resources be fully absorbed, in line with the strategies and priorities of the programme and the partnership agreement?

2. Has any ineligible expenditure already been deducted from the ROP, and, if so, how much so far?

3. Is there any danger of a cut to the final balance for the Calabrian programming period 2014- 2020?

Submitted:19.12.2023

Answer given by Ms Ferreira on behalf of the European Commission

(1 February 2024)

1. The regulatory framework for the European Regional Development Fund stipulates for expenditure to have been incurred by the beneficiaries and paid before 31 December 2023. Expenditure can be certified to the Commission until closure. Therefore, it is only possible to assess the full absorption of programme resources after the submission of the closure documents, which is due by 15 February 2025.

2. The Commission has not implemented any financial correction on the programme. Financial corrections have been undertaken by the Managing Authority in case of ineligible expenditure (1).

3. The Commission has constantly been monitoring programme implementation and has promoted all possible measures to ensure fund absorption, including the last programme amendment approved in October 2023. For the reasons explained above, it is too early to assess the (full) absorption of EU funds. Information currently available points to a full absorption. The final balance of the programme will result from the analysis of the closure documents.

1 ∙ ⸱ Ineligible expenditure deducted by the Managing Authority itself can be replaced by eligible expenditure linked to operations not affected by the ineligible

expenditure.