Regulation (EU) No 232/2014 of the European Parliament and of the CouncilShow full title

Article 10 U.K. Joint operational programmes

1. Cross-border cooperation shall be implemented through multi-annual joint operational programmes covering cooperation for a border or a group of borders and comprising multi-annual measures that pursue a consistent set of priorities and that may be implemented with Union support. Joint operational programmes shall be based on the programming document referred to in Article 9(1). They shall include a summary description of the management and control systems covering the elements referred to in Article 11(2) and in Article 12(2).

2. Joint operational programmes for land and maritime borders shall be established for each border at the appropriate territorial level and shall include eligible territorial units belonging to one or more Member States and to one or more other cross-border cooperation participating countries.

3. Joint operational programmes around sea basins shall be multilateral, established at the appropriate territorial level, and shall include eligible territorial units facing a common sea basin belonging to several participating countries, including at least one Member State and one other cross-border cooperation participating country. They may include bilateral activities supporting cooperation between one Member State and one other cross-border cooperation participating country.

4. Within one year of approval of the programming document referred to in Article 9(1), and after the adoption of the implementing rules laying down specific provisions for the implementation of cross-border cooperation, the participating countries shall jointly submit proposals for joint operational programmes to the Commission. The Commission shall, within a deadline set in the implementing rules, adopt each joint operational programme after assessing its consistency with this Regulation, with the programming document and with the implementing rules. The Commission shall present joint operational programmes to the European Parliament and the Member States for information within one month of the adoption of those programmes.

5. Areas in countries other than Member States or other cross-border cooperation participating countries which adjoin eligible areas as defined in points (a) and (b) of Article 8(1) or which face a common sea basin where a joint operational programme is being established may be covered by a joint operational programme and may benefit from Union support under this Regulation in accordance with the conditions set out in the programming document referred to in Article 9(1).

6. The Commission and the participating countries shall take the appropriate measures to ensure that cross-border cooperation programmes, in particular for sea basins, established under this Regulation and transnational co-operation programmes established under Regulation (EU) No 1299/2013 that have a partially overlapping geographical coverage will be fully complementary and mutually re-enforcing.

7. Joint operational programmes may be revised at the initiative of the participating countries or the Commission for reasons such as:

(a) changes in cooperation priorities or socio-economic developments;

(b) results of implementing the measures concerned and those produced by the monitoring and evaluation process;

(c) the need to adjust the amounts of available funds and to reallocate resources.

8. By the end of the calendar year following the year of adoption of joint operational programmes, the Commission shall conclude a financing agreement with the other cross-border cooperation participating countries. That financing agreement shall include the legal provisions necessary in order to implement a joint operational programme and may be co-signed by the other participating countries and by the managing authority referred to in point (c) of Article 12(2) or by the country hosting the managing authority.

Where necessary, an agreement, for example in the form of a memorandum of understanding, shall be concluded between the participating countries and the managing authority to set out the specific financial responsibilities and programme implementation modalities of the countries concerned, including their management and administrative tasks and responsibilities.

9. A joint operational programme involving more than one other cross-border cooperation participating country is established if at least one other cross-border cooperation participating country signs the financing agreement. Other cross-border cooperation participating countries covered by an established programme can join the programme at any time by signing the financing agreement.

10. If a participating country undertakes to co-finance a joint operational programme, that programme shall clarify the arrangements and necessary safeguards for auditing, providing, using and monitoring the co-financing. The related financing agreement shall be signed by all participating countries and the joint operational programme's managing authority or by the country hosting the managing authority.

11. Joint operational programmes may also provide for a financial contribution from and to financial instruments with which grants could be combined, subject to the rules of those instruments, provided that this contributes to achieving those programmes' priorities.

12. Following the principle of partnership, participating countries and their local authorities, where applicable, shall jointly select actions for Union support that are consistent with the priorities and measures of a joint operational programme.

13. In specific and duly justified cases, where:

(a) a joint operational programme cannot be submitted owing to problems arising in relations between participating countries or between the Union and another cross-border cooperation participating country;

(b) a joint operational programme cannot be implemented owing to problems arising in relations between participating countries;

(c) the participating countries have not submitted to the Commission a joint operational programme by 30 June 2017; or

(d) none of the other cross-border cooperation participating countries in the programme has signed the relevant financing agreement by the end of the year following the adoption of the programme,

the Commission shall take the necessary steps, following consultations with the Member State(s) concerned, to allow the Member State(s) concerned to use the contribution from the ERDF to the joint operational programme pursuant to Article 4(7) and (8) of Regulation (EU) No 1299/2013.

14. Budget commitments for cross-border cooperation actions or programmes extending over more than one financial year may be broken down over several years into annual instalments.