CHAPTER IIPROVISIONS SUPPLEMENTING PART TWO OF REGULATION (EU) No 1303/2013 APPLICABLE TO THE ESI FUNDS SUPPORT FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND SUPPORT UNDER REGULATION 508/2014

SECTION IIIMethod for calculating the discounted net revenue of operations generating net revenue

Article 15Method for calculating discounted net revenue(Seventh subparagraph of Article 61(3) of Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013)

1.

For the purposes of the application of the method referred to in point (b) of the first subparagraph of Article 61(3) of Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013, the discounted net revenue of the operation shall be calculated by deducting the discounted costs from the discounted revenue and, where applicable, by adding the residual value of the investment.

2.

The discounted net revenue of an operation shall be calculated over a specific reference period applicable to the sector of that operation as set out in Annex I. The reference period shall include the implementation period of the operation.

3.

Revenues and costs shall be determined by applying the incremental method based on a comparison of revenue and costs in the scenario of the new investment with the revenues and costs in the scenario without the new investment.

Where an operation consists of a new asset, the revenues and costs shall be those of the new investment.

4.

Where value added tax is not an eligible cost according to Article 69(3)(c) of Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013, the calculation of discounted net revenue shall be based on figures excluding value added tax.

Article 16Determination of revenues(Seventh subparagraph of Article 61(3) of Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013)

For the purposes of the calculation of discounted net revenue, the revenues shall be determined on the following basis:

  1. (a)

    where applicable, user charges shall be fixed in compliance with the polluter-pays principle, and, if appropriate, shall take into account affordability considerations;

  2. (b)

    revenue shall not include transfers from national F1or regional budgets or national public insurance systems;

  3. (c)

    where an operation adds new assets to complement a pre-existing service or infrastructure, both contributions from new users and additional contributions from existing users of the new or enlarged service or infrastructure shall be taken into account.

Article 17Determination of costs(Seventh subparagraph of Article 61(3) of Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013)

For the purposes of the calculation of discounted net revenue, the following costs occurring during the reference period referred to in Article 15(2) shall be taken into consideration:

  1. (a)

    replacement costs of short-life equipment ensuring the technical functioning of the operation;

  2. (b)

    fixed operating costs, including maintenance costs, such as staff, maintenance and repair, general management and administration, and insurance;

  3. (c)

    variable operating costs, including maintenance costs, such as consumption of raw materials, energy, other process consumables, and any maintenance and repair needed to extend the lifetime of the operation.

Article 18Residual value of the investment(Seventh subparagraph of Article 61(3) of Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013)

1.

Where the assets of an operation have design lifetimes in excess of the reference period referred to in article 15(2), their residual value shall be determined by computing the net present value of cash flows in the remaining life years of the operation. Other methods of calculating residual value may be used in duly justified circumstances.

2.

The residual value of the investment shall be included in the calculation of discounted net revenue of the operation only if the revenues outweigh the costs referred to in Article 17.

Article 19Discounting of cash flows(Seventh subparagraph of Article 61(3) of Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013)

1.

Only cash flows to be paid out or received by the operation shall be taken into consideration when calculating costs and revenue. Cash flows shall be established for each year in which they are paid out or received by the operation over the reference period referred to in article 15(2).

2.

Non-cash accounting items such as depreciation, any reserves for future replacement costs and contingency reserves shall be excluded from the calculation.

3.

Cash flows shall be discounted back to the present using a financial discount rate of 4 % in real terms as an indicative benchmark for public investment operations F2co-financed by the ESI Funds F2funded by support for rural development F3or support under Regulation 508/2014.

4.

F4Member States F4The relevant authority may use a financial discount rate other than 4 % if they provide a justification for that benchmark and ensure it is used consistently across similar operations in the same sector.

5.

Values other than 4 % may be justified on the grounds of:

(a)

the F5Member State's F5constituent nation’s specific macroeconomic conditions and international macroeconomic trends and conjunctures; or

(b)

the nature of the investor or the implementation structure, such as public private partnerships; or

(c)

the nature of the sector concerned.

F66.

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