Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 laying down common provisions on the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund, the Cohesion Fund, the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund and laying down general provisions on the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund, the Cohesion Fund and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 1083/2006 (c. 1303)

ANNEX I U.K. COMMON STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK

4. COORDINATION AND SYNERGIES BETWEEN ESI FUNDS AND OTHER UNION POLICIES AND INSTRUMENTS U.K.

Coordination by Member States as envisaged under this section shall apply in so far as a Member State intends to make use of support from the ESI Funds and other Union instruments in the relevant policy area. The Union programmes set out in this section do not constitute an exhaustive list.

4.1 Introduction U.K.

1. Member States and the Commission shall, in accordance with their respective responsibilities, take into consideration the impact of Union policies at national and regional level, and on social, economic and territorial cohesion with a view to fostering synergies and effective coordination and to identifying and promoting the most suitable means of using Union funds to support local, regional and national investment. Member States shall also ensure complementarity between Union policies and instruments and national, regional and local interventions. U.K.

2. Member States and the Commission shall, in accordance with Article 4(6) and with their respective responsibilities, ensure coordination between the ESI Funds and other relevant Union instruments at Union and Member State level. They shall take appropriate steps to ensure consistency, at programming and implementation stages, between interventions supported by the ESI Funds and the objectives of other Union policies. To this end, they shall seek to take into account the following aspects: U.K.

(a)

enhancing complementarities and synergies between different Union instruments at Union, national and regional level, both in the planning phase and during implementation;

(b)

optimise existing structures and where necessary, establish new structures that facilitate the strategic identification of priorities for the different instruments and structures for coordination at Union and national level that avoid duplication of effort and identify areas where additional financial support is needed;

(c)

make use of the potential to combine support from different instruments to support individual operations and work closely with those responsible for implementation at Union and national level to deliver coherent and streamlined funding opportunities for beneficiaries.

4.2 Coordination with the Common Agricultural Policy and the Common Fisheries Policy U.K.

1. The EAFRD is an integral part of the Common Agricultural Policy and complements the measures under the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund which provide direct support to farmers and support market measures. Member States shall therefore manage those interventions together so as to maximise synergies and the added value of Union support. U.K.

2. The EMFF aims to achieve the objectives of the reformed Common Fisheries Policy and of the Integrated Maritime Policy. Member States shall therefore make use of the EMFF to support efforts to improve data collection and strengthen control, and ensure that synergies are also sought in support of the priorities of Integrated Maritime Policy, such as marine knowledge, maritime spatial planning, integrated coastal zone management, integrated maritime surveillance, the protection of the marine environment and of biodiversity, and the adaptation to the adverse effects of climate change on coastal areas. U.K.

4.3 Horizon 2020 and other centrally managed Union programmes in the areas of research and innovation U.K.

1. Member States and the Commission shall have due regard to strengthening coordination, synergies and complementarities between the ESI Funds and Horizon 2020, the Programme for the Competitiveness of Enterprises and small and medium-sized enterprises (COSME) in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 1287/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council(1), and other relevant centrally managed Union funding programmes while also establishing a clear division of areas of intervention between them. U.K.

2. Member States shall develop national and/or regional 'smart specialisation' strategies in line with the National Reform Programme, where appropriate. Such strategies may take the form of or be included in a national or a regional research and innovation strategic policy framework for 'smart specialisation'. Smart specialisation strategies shall be developed through involving national or regional managing authorities and stakeholders such as universities and other higher education institutions, industry and social partners in an entrepreneurial discovery process. The authorities directly concerned by Horizon 2020 shall be closely associated with that process. Smart specialisation strategies shall include: U.K.

(a)

"Upstream actions" to prepare regional R&I players to participate in Horizon 2020 ("stairways to excellence") to be developed, where necessary, through capacity- building. Communication and cooperation between Horizon 2020 national contact points and managing authorities of the ESI Funds shall be strengthened.

(b)

"Downstream actions" to provide the means to exploit and diffuse R&I results, stemming from Horizon 2020 and preceding programmes, into the market with particular emphasis on creating an innovation-friendly environment for business and industry, including SMEs and in line with the priorities identified for the territories in the relevant smart specialisation strategy.

3. Member States shall encourage the use of the provisions in this Regulation that allow the ESI Funds to be combined with resources under Horizon 2020 in the relevant programmes used to implement parts of the strategies referred to in point 2. Joint support shall be provided to national and regional authorities for the design and implementation of such strategies, to identify opportunities for joint financing of R&I infrastructures of European interest, the promotion of international collaboration, methodological support through peer reviews, exchange of good practice, and training throughout regions. U.K.

4. Member States and, where appropriate under Article 4(4), regions, shall consider additional measures aimed at unlocking their potential for excellence in R&I, in a manner that is complementary to and creates synergies with Horizon 2020, in particular through joint funding. Those measures shall consist of: U.K.

(a)

linking excellent research institutions and less developed regions as well as low- performing Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) Member States and regions to create new or upgrade existing centres of excellence in less developed regions as well as in low-performing RDI Member States and regions;

(b)

building links in less developed regions as well as in low-performing RDI Member States and regions between innovative clusters of recognised excellence;

(c)

establishing "ERA Chairs" to attract outstanding academics, in particular to less developed regions and low-performing RDI Member States and regions;

(d)

supporting access to international networks for researchers and innovators who lack sufficient involvement in the European Research Area (ERA) or are from less developed regions or low-performing RDI Member States and regions;

(e)

contributing as appropriate to the European Innovation Partnerships;

(f)

preparing national institutions and/or clusters of excellence for participation in the Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs) of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT); and

(g)

hosting high-quality international researcher mobility programmes with co-funding from the "Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions".

Member States shall endeavour to use where appropriate, and in accordance with Article 70, the flexibility to support operations outside the programme area, with a level of investment sufficient to attain a critical mass, in order to implement the measures referred to in the first subparagraph as effectively as possible.

4.4 New Entrants Reserve (NER) 300 demonstration funding(2) U.K.

Member States shall ensure that financing from the ESI Funds is coordinated with support from the NER 300 Programme, which uses the revenues from auctioning 300 million allowances reserved under the new entrants reserve of the European Emissions Trading Scheme.

4.5 Programme for the Environment and Climate Action (LIFE)(3) and the environmental acquis U.K.

1. Member States and the Commission shall, through a stronger thematic focus in programmes and the application of the principle of sustainable development in accordance with Article 8, seek to exploit synergies with Union policy instruments (both funding and non-funding instruments) serving climate change mitigation and adaptation, environmental protection and resource efficiency. U.K.

2. Member States shall promote and, where appropriate and in accordance with Article 4, ensure complementarity and coordination with LIFE, in particular with integrated projects in the areas of nature, biodiversity, water, waste, air, climate change mitigation and adaptation. Such coordination shall be achieved through measures such as promoting the funding of activities through the ESI Funds that complement integrated projects under LIFE as well as by promoting the use of solutions, methods and approaches validated under LIFE, inter alia, including investments in green infrastructure, energy efficiency, eco-innovation, ecosystem-based solutions, and the adoption of related innovative technologies. U.K.

3. The relevant sectoral plans, programmes or strategies (including the Prioritised Action Framework, the River Basin Management Plan, the Waste Management Plan, the mitigation plan or adaptation strategy) may serve as the coordination framework, where support is envisaged for the areas concerned. U.K.

4.6 ERASMUS +(4) U.K.

1. Member States shall seek to use ESI Funds to mainstream tools and methods developed and tested successfully under "Erasmus +" in order to maximise the social and economic impact of investment in people and, inter alia give impetus to youth initiatives and citizens actions. U.K.

2. Member States shall promote and ensure in accordance with Article 4, effective coordination between ESI Funds and 'Erasmus +' at national level through a clear distinction in the types of investment and target groups supported. Member States shall seek complementarity with regard to the funding of mobility actions. U.K.

3. Coordination shall be achieved by putting in place appropriate cooperation mechanisms between managing authorities and the national agencies established under the 'Erasmus +' programme, which can foster transparent and accessible communication towards citizens at Union, national and regional level. U.K.

4.7 European Union Programme for Employment and Social Innovation (EaSI)(5) U.K.

1. Member States shall promote and ensure in accordance with Article 4(6) effective coordination between the European Union Programme for Employment and Social Innovation (EaSI) and the support provided by the ESI Funds under the employment and social inclusion thematic objectives. That effective coordination includes coordination of support provided under the EURES axis of the EaSI with actions to enhance transnational labour mobility supported by the ESF in order to promote workers' geographical mobility and boost employment opportunities, as well as coordination between the ESI Funds' support for self-employment, entrepreneurship, business creation and social enterprises and the EaSI support under the microfinance and social entrepreneurship axis. U.K.

2. Member States shall seek to scale-up the most successful measures developed under the Progress axis of the EaSI, notably on social innovation and social policy experimentation with the support of the ESF. U.K.

4.8 Connecting Europe Facility (CEF)(6) U.K.

1. To maximise European added value in the fields of transport, telecommunication and energy, Member States and the Commission shall ensure that ERDF and Cohesion Fund interventions are planned in close cooperation with the support provided from the CEF, so as to ensure complementarity, avoid duplication of efforts and ensure the optimal linkage of different types of infrastructure at local, regional and national levels, and across the Union. Maximum leverage of the different funding instruments shall be ensured for projects with a Union and Internal Market dimension, which deliver the highest European added-value, and promote social economic and territorial cohesion, in particular those projects implementing the priority transport, energy and digital infrastructure networks as identified in the respective trans-European network policy frameworks, in order to build new infrastructure and substantially upgrade existing infrastructure. U.K.

2. In the field of transport, investment planning shall be based on real and projected transport demand and identify missing links and bottlenecks, taking into account, in a coherent approach, the development of Union cross border links, and developing links across regions within a Member State. Investments in regional connectivity to the comprehensive trans-European transport network (TEN-T) and to the core TEN-T network shall ensure that urban and rural areas benefit from the opportunities created by major networks. U.K.

3. Prioritisation of investments which have an impact beyond a certain Member State, particularly those which are part of the core TEN-T network corridors, shall be coordinated with TEN-T planning and core network corridors implementation plans, so that investments by the ERDF and the Cohesion Fund in transport infrastructure are fully in line with the TEN-T Guidelines. U.K.

4. Member States shall focus on sustainable forms of transport and sustainable urban mobility and on investing in areas that offer the greatest European added value, taking into account the need to improve the quality, accessibility and reliability of transport services to promote public transport. Once identified, investments shall be prioritised according to their contribution to mobility, sustainability, to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and to the Single European Transport Area, in accordance with the vision set out in the White Paper entitled "Roadmap to a Single European Transport Area – Towards a competitive and resource efficient transport system", highlighting that a significant reduction in greenhouse gases is required in the transport sector. The contribution of projects to sustainable European freight transport networks through the development of inland waterways should be promoted on the basis of a prior assessment of their environmental impact. U.K.

5. The ESI Funds shall deliver the local and regional infrastructures and their linkages to the priority Union networks in the energy and telecommunication areas. U.K.

6. Member States and the Commission shall put in place appropriate coordination and technical support mechanisms to ensure the complementarity and effective planning of ICT measures to make full use of the different Union instruments (ESI Funds, CEF, Trans-European networks, Horizon 2020) for the financing of broadband networks and the digital service infrastructures. The selection of the most appropriate financing instrument shall take into account the revenue generating potential of the operation and its level of risk in order to make the most effective use of public funds. In the context of their evaluation of applications for support from the ESI Funds, Member States should have regard to the evaluations of operations relating to those that have been submitted for CEF but not selected, without prejudice to the final selection decision by the managing authority. U.K.

4.9 Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance, European Neighbourhood Instrument and European Development Fund U.K.

1. Member States and the Commission shall, in accordance with their respective responsibilities, seek to increase coordination between external instruments and the ESI Funds to improve effectiveness in achieving multiple Union policy objectives. Coordination and complementarities with the European Development Fund, the Pre Accession Instrument and the European Neighbourhood Instrument is particularly important. U.K.

2. To support deeper territorial integration, Member States shall seek to capitalise on synergies between territorial cooperation activities under cohesion policy and the European Neighbourhood Instruments, in particular with regard to cross border cooperation activities, taking account of the potential offered by EGTCs. U.K.

(1)

Regulation (EU) No 1287/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2013 establishing a Programme for the Competitiveness of Enterprises and small and medium-sized enterprises (COSME) (2014 - 2020) and repealing Decision No 1639/2006/EC (See page 33 of this Official Journal).

(2)

Commission Decision 2010/670/EU of 3 November 2010 laying down criteria and measures for the financing of commercial demonstration projects that aim at the environmentally safe capture and geological storage of CO₂ as well as demonstration projects of innovative renewable energy technologies under the scheme for greenhouse gas emission allowance trading within the Community established by Directive 2003/87/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ L 290, 6.11.2010, p. 39).

(3)

Regulation (EU) No 1293/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2013 on the establishment of a Programme for the Environment and Climate Action (LIFE) and repealing Regulation (EC) No 614/2007 (See page 185 of this Official Journal).

(4)

Regulation (EU) No 1288/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2013 establishing "Erasmus+": the Union programme for education, training, youth and sport and repealing Decisions Nos 1719/2006/EC, 1720/2006/EC and 1298/2008/EC (See page 50 of this Official Journal).

(5)

Regulation (EU) No 1296/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2013 on a European Union Programme for Employment and Social Innovation ("EaSI") and amending Decision No 283/2010/EU establishing a European Progress Microfinance Facility for employment and social inclusion (See page 238 of this Official Journal).

(6)

Regulation (EU) No 1316/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2013, establishing the Connecting Europe Facility, amending Regulation (EU) No 913/2010 and repealing Regulations (EC) No 680/2007 and (EC) No 67/2010 (OJ L 348, 20.12.2013, p. 129).