Reform history

#### Article 25

2. The resources referred to in paragraph 1 shall be additional to the amounts established in accordance with the ceilings set out in the Fund-specific rules for technical assistance at the initiative of the Commission. Where a ceiling on technical assistance at the initiative of the Member State is set out in the Fund-specific rules, the amount to be transferred shall be included for the purposes of the calculation of compliance with that ceiling.

Where a Member States meets the conditions set out in Article 24(1) on 1 January 2014, it may transmit the request for that year at the same time as the submission of its Partnership Agreement, which shall set out the amount to be transferred to technical assistance at the initiative of the Commission.

## TITLE III

### **PROGRAMMING**

(a)uncapped guarantees providing capital relief to financial intermediaries for new portfolios of debt finance to eligible SMEs in accordance with Article 37(4) of this Regulation;

(i)existing portfolios of debt finance to SMEs and other enterprises with less than 500 employees;

(ii)new portfolios of debt finance to SMEs.

Each Member State intending to participate in such financial instruments shall contribute an amount which is in line with SMEs' debt financing needs in that Member State and the estimated demand for such SME debt finance, taking into account the ex ante assessment referred to in point (a) of the first subparagraph of paragraph 4 and in any case which is not higher than 7 % of the allocation from the ERDF and EAFRD to the Member State. The aggregate ERDF and EAFRD contribution by all participating Member States shall be subject to a global ceiling of EUR 8 500 000 000 (in 2011 prices).

(n)measures planned to reduce the administrative burden on beneficiaries.

#### Article 56

(k)the dissemination of good practices in order to assist Member States to strengthen the capacity of the relevant partners referred to in Article 5 and their umbrella organisations;

To bring about greater efficiency in communication to the public at large and stronger synergies between the communication activities undertaken at the initiative of the Commission, the resources allocated to communication actions under this Regulation shall also contribute to the corporate communication of the political priorities of the Union as far as they are related to the general objectives of this Regulation.

2. The Commission shall adopt a decision, by means of implementing acts, setting out the annual breakdown of the global resources per Member State under the Investment for growth and jobs goal and the European territorial cooperation goal, and the annual breakdown of the resources from the specific allocation for the YEI per Member State together with the list of eligible regions in accordance with the criteria and methodology set out in Annexes VII and VIII respectively, without prejudice to paragraph 3 of this Article or to Article 92(8).

#### Article 92

1. For the purposes of this Article and Annex X, the following definitions apply:

(2)'fixed assets' means all tangible or intangible assets produced as outputs from processes of production that are themselves used repeatedly, or continuously, in processes of production for more than one year;

7. A separate priority axis with a co-financing rate of up to 100 % may be established within an operational programme to support operations implemented through financial instruments set up at Union level and managed directly or indirectly by the Commission. Where a separate priority axis is established for this purpose, the support under this axis may not be implemented by any other means.

#### Article 121

##### Modulation of the co-financing rates

1. The Member State shall notify the Commission of the date and form of the designations, which shall be carried out at an appropriate level, of the managing authority and, where appropriate, of the certifying authority prior to the submission of the first application for interim payment to the Commission.

3. Where the total amount of support from the Funds to an operational programme exceeds EUR 250 000 000 or from the EMFF exceeds EUR 100 000 000 , the Commission may request, within one month of notification of the designations referred to in paragraph 1, the report and the opinion of the independent audit body referred to in paragraph 2 and the description of the functions and procedures in place for the managing authority or, where appropriate, the certifying authority. The Commission shall decide whether to request those documents on the basis of its risk assessment, taking into account information on significant changes in the functions and procedures of the managing authority or, where appropriate, the certifying authority compared to those in place for the previous programming period, and relevant evidence of their effective functioning.

##### Obligations of Member States

#### Article 147

### 4.3   **Horizon 2020 and other centrally managed Union programmes in the areas of research and innovation**

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:

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

2.Member States shall take into consideration the climate change mitigation and adaptation potential of investments made with the support of the ESI Funds, in accordance with Article 8, and ensure that they are resilient to the impact of climate change and natural disasters such as increased risks of flooding, droughts, heat waves, forest fires and extreme weather events.

### 5.3   **Promotion of equality between men and women and non-discrimination**

| 1. Strengthening research, technological development and innovation (R&D target) (referred to in point (1) of the first paragraph of Article 9) | ERDF: — All investment priorities under thematic objective no. 1. | 1.1.  Research and innovation: The existence of a national or regional smart specialisation strategy in line with the National Reform Program, to leverage private research and innovation expenditure, which complies with the features of well-performing national or regional R&I systems. | — A national or regional smart specialisation strategy is in place that: — — is based on a SWOT or similar analysis to concentrate resources on a limited set of research and innovation priorities; — outlines measures to stimulate private RTD investment; — contains a monitoring mechanism. — A framework outlining available budgetary resources for research and innovation has been adopted. |

| ERDF: — Enhancing research and innovation (R&I) infrastructure and capacities to develop R&I excellence, and promoting centres of competence, in particular those of European interest. | 1.2  Research and Innovation infrastructure. The existence of a multi-annual plan for budgeting and prioritisation of investments. | —  An indicative multi-annual plan for budgeting and prioritisation of investments linked to Union priorities, and, where appropriate, the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) has been adopted. | |

| 2. Enhancing access to, and use and quality of, information and communication technologies (ICT) (Broadband target) (referred to in point (2) of the first paragraph of Article 9) | ERDF: — Developing ICT products and services, e-commerce, and enhancing demand for ICT. — Strengthening ICT applications for e-government, e-learning, e-inclusion, e-culture and e-health. | 2.1.  Digital growth: A strategic policy framework for digital growth to stimulate affordable, good quality and interoperable ICT-enabled private and public services and increase uptake by citizens, including vulnerable groups, businesses and public administrations including cross border initiatives. | —  A strategic policy framework for digital growth, for instance, within the national or regional smart specialisation strategy is in place that contains: — budgeting and prioritisation of actions through a SWOT or similar analysis consistent with the Scoreboard of the Digital Agenda for Europe; — an analysis of balancing support for demand and supply of ICT should have been conducted; — indicators to measure progress of interventions in areas such as digital literacy, e-inclusion, e-accessibility, and progress of e-health within the limits of Article 168 TFEU which are aligned, where appropriate, with existing relevant sectoral Union, national or regional strategies; — assessment of needs to reinforce ICT capacity-building. |

| 3. Enhancing the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) (referred to in point (3) of the first paragraph of Article 9) | ERDF: — Promoting entrepreneurship, in particular by facilitating the economic exploitation of new ideas and fostering the creation of new firms, including through business incubators. — Supporting the capacity of SMEs to grow in regional, national and international market, and to engage in innovation processes. | 3.1.  Specific actions have been carried out to underpin the promotion of entrepreneurship taking into account the Small Business Act (SBA). | —  The specific actions are: — measures have been put in place with the objective of reducing the time and cost involved in setting-up a business taking account of the targets of the SBA; — measures have been put in place with the objective of reducing the time needed to get licenses and permits to take up and perform the specific activity of an enterprise taking account of the targets of the SBA; — a mechanism is in place to monitor the implementation of the measures of the SBA which have been put in place and assess the impact on SMEs. |

| 4. Supporting the shift towards a low-carbon economy in all sectors (referred to in point (4) of the first paragraph of Article 9) | ERDF + Cohesion Fund: — Supporting energy efficiency, smart energy management and renewable energy use in public infrastructure, including in public buildings, and in the housing sector. | 4.1.  Actions have been carried out to promote cost-effective improvements of energy end use efficiency and cost-effective investment in energy efficiency when constructing or renovating buildings. | —  The actions are: — measures to ensure minimum requirements are in place related to the energy performance of buildings consistent with Article 3, Article 4 and Article 5 of Directive 2010/31/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council (¹); — measures necessary to establish a system of certification of the energy performance ofbuildings consistent with Article 11 of Directive 2010/31/EU; — measures to ensure strategic planning on energy efficiency, consistent with Article 3 of Directive 2012/27/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council (²); — measures consistent with Article 13 of Directive 2006/32/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (³) on energy end-use efficiency and energy services to ensure the provision to final customers of individual meters in so far as it is technically possible, financially reasonable and proportionate in relation to the potential energy savings. |

| ERDF + Cohesion Fund: — Promoting the use of high-efficiency co-generation of heat and power based on useful demand. | 4.2.  Actions have been carried out to promote high-efficiency co-generation of heat and power. | —  The actions are: — Support for co-generation is based on useful heat demand and primary energy savings consistent with Article 7(1) and points (a) and (b) of Article 9(1) of Directive 2004/8/EC, Member States or their competent bodies have evaluated the existing legislative and regulatory framework with regard to authorisation procedures or other procedures in order to:— (a) encourage the design of co-generation units to match economically justifiable demands foruseful heat output and avoid production of more heat than useful heat; and (b) reduce the regulatory and non-regulatory barriers to an increase in co-generation. | |

| 6. Preserving and protecting the environment and promoting resource efficiency (referred to in point (6) of the first paragraph of Article 9) | ERDF + Cohesion Fund: — Investing in the water sector to meet the requirements of the Union's environmental acquis and to address needs, identified by the Member States for investment that goes beyond those requirements. | 6.1.  Water sector: The existence of a) a water pricing policy which provides adequate incentives for users to use water resources efficiently and b) an adequate contribution of the different water uses to the recovery of the costs of water services at a rate determined in the approved river basin management plan for investment supported by the programmes. | — In sectors supported by the ERDF and the Cohesion Fund, a Member State has ensured a contribution of the different water uses to the recovery of the costs of water services by sector consistent with the first indent of Article 9(1) of Directive 2000/60/EC having regard, where appropriate, to the social, environmental and economic effects of the recovery as well as the geographic and climatic conditions of the region or regions affected. — The adoption of a river basin management plan for the river basin district consistent with Article 13 of Directive 2000/60/EC |

| ERDF + Cohesion Fund: — Investing in the waste sector to meet the requirements of the Union's environmental acquis and to address needs, identified by the Member States, for investment that goes beyond those requirements. | 6.2.  Waste sector: Promoting economically and environmentally sustainable investments in the waste sector particularly through the development of waste management plans consistent with Directive 2008/98/EC, and with the waste hierarchy. | — An implementation report as requested by Article 11(5) of Directive 2008/98/EC has been submitted to the Commission on progress towards meeting the targets set out in Article 11 of Directive 2008/98/EC. — The existence of one or more waste management plans as required under Article 28 of Directive 2008/98/EC; — The existence of waste prevention programmes, as required under Article 29 of Directive 2008/98/EC; — Necessary measures to achieve the targets on preparation for re-use and recycling by 2020 consistent with Article 11(2) of Directive 2008/98/EC have been adopted. | |

| 7. Promoting sustainable transport and removing bottlenecks in key network infrastructures (referred to in point (7) of the first paragraph of Article 9) | ERDF + Cohesion Fund: — Supporting a multimodal Single European Transport Area by investing in the TEN-T. — Developing and rehabilitating comprehensive, high quality and interoperable railway systems, and promoting noise-reduction measures. — Developing and improving environmentally-friendly (including low-noise) and low-carbon transport systems, including inland waterways and maritime transport, ports, multimodal links and airport infrastructure, in order to promote sustainable regional and local mobility. ERDF: — Enhancing regional mobility by connecting secondary and tertiary nodes to TEN-T infrastructure, including multimodal nodes. | 7.1.  Transport: The existence of a comprehensive plan or plans or framework or frameworks for transport investment in accordance with the Member States' institutional set-up (including public transport at regional and local level) which supports infrastructure development and improves connectivity to the TEN-T comprehensive and core networks. | — The existence of a comprehensive transport plan or plans or framework or frameworks for transport investment which complies with legal requirements for strategic environmental assessment and sets out: — — the contribution to the single European Transport Area consistent with Article 10 of Regulation (EU) No 1315/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council (⁵), including priorities for investments in: — — the core TEN-T network and the comprehensive network where investment from the ERDF and the Cohesion Fund is envisaged; and — secondary connectivity; — a realistic and mature pipeline for projects for which support from the ERDF and the Cohesion Fund is envisaged; — Measures to ensure the capacity of intermediary bodies and beneficiaries to deliver the project pipeline. |

| ERDF + Cohesion Fund: — Supporting a multimodal Single European Transport Area by investing in the TEN-T. — Developing and rehabilitating comprehensive, high quality and interoperable railway systems, and promoting noise-reduction measures. — Developing and improving environmentally-friendly (including low-noise) and low-carbon transport systems, including inland waterways and maritime transport, ports, multimodal links and airport infrastructure, in order to promote sustainable regional and local mobility. ERDF: — Enhancing regional mobility through connecting secondary and tertiary nodes to TEN-T infrastructure, including multimodal nodes. | 7.3.  Other modes of transport, including inland-waterways and maritime transport, ports, multimodal links and airport infrastructure: the existence within the comprehensive transport plan or plans or framework or frameworks of a specific section on inland-waterways and maritime transport, ports, multimodal links and airport infrastructure, which contribute to improving connectivity to the TEN-T comprehensive and core networks and to promoting sustainable regional and local mobility. | — The existence of a section on inland-waterways and maritime transport, ports, multimodal links and airport infrastructure within the transport plan or plans or framework or frameworks which: — — complies with legal requirements for strategic environmental assessment; — sets out a realistic and mature project pipeline (including a timetable and budgetary framework); — Measures to ensure the capacity of intermediary bodies and beneficiaries to deliver the project pipeline. | |

| ERDF: — Improving energy efficiency and security of supply through the development of smart energy distribution, storage and transmission systems and through the integration of distributed generation from renewable sources. | 7.4  Development of smart energy distribution, storage and transmission systems. The existence of comprehensive plans for investments in smart energy infrastructure, and of regulatory measures, which contribute to improving energy efficiency and security of supply | — Comprehensive plans describing the national energy infrastructure priorities are in place that are: — — in accordance with Article 22 of Directive 2009/72/EC and of Directive 2009/73/EC, where applicable, and — consistent with the relevant regional investment plans under Article 12 and with the Union-wide ten-year network development plan in accordance with point (b) of Article 8(3) of Regulation (EC) No 714/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council (⁶) and with Regulation (EC) No 715/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council (⁷), and — compatible with Article 3(4) of Regulation (EU) No 347/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council (⁸);. — Those plans shall contain: — — a realistic and mature project pipeline for projects for which support from the ERDF is envisaged; — measures to achieve the objectives of social and economic cohesion and environmental protection, in line with Article 3(10) of Directive 2009/72/EC and Article 3(7) of Directive 2009/73/EC; — measures to optimise the use of energy and promote energy efficiency, in line with Article 3(11) of Directive 2009/72/EC and Article 3(8) of Directive 2009/73/EC. | |

| 8. Promoting sustainable and quality employment and supporting labour mobility (Employment target) (referred to in point (8) of the first paragraph of Article 9) | ESF: — Access to employment for job-seekers and inactive people, including the long-term unemployed and people far from the labour market, also through local employment initiatives and support for labour mobility. | 8.1.  Active labour market policies are designed and delivered in the light of the Employment guidelines. | — Employment services have the capacity to, and do, deliver: — — personalised services and active and preventive labour market measures at an early stage, which are open to all jobseekers while focusing on people at highest risk of social exclusion, including people from marginalised communities; — comprehensive and transparent information on new job vacancies and employment opportunities taking into account the changing needs of the labour market. — Employment services have set up formal or informal cooperation arrangements with relevant stakeholders. |

| ESF: — Modernisation of labour market institutions, such as public and private employment services, and improving the matching of labour market needs, including through actions that enhance transnational labour mobility as well as through mobility schemes and better cooperation between institutions and relevant stakeholders. ERDF: — Investing in infrastructure for employment services. | 8.3.  Labour market institutions are modernised and strengthened in the light of the Employment Guidelines; Reforms of labour market institutions will be preceded by a clear strategic policy framework and ex ante assessment including with regard to the gender dimension | — Actions to reform employment services, aiming at providing them with the capacity to deliver: — — personalised services and active and preventive labour market measures at an early stage, which are open to all jobseekers while focusing on people athighest risk of social exclusion, including people from marginalised communities; — comprehensive and transparent information on new job vacancies and employment opportunities taking into account the changing needs of the labour market. — Reform of employment services will include the creation of formal or informal cooperation networks with relevant stakeholders. | |

| ESF: — Active and healthy ageing. | 8.4.  Active and healthy ageing: Active ageing policies are designed in the light of the Employment Guidelines | — Relevant stakeholders are involved in the design and follow-up of active ageing policies with a view to retaining elderly workers on the labour market and promoting their employment; — A Member State has measures in place to promote active ageing. | |

| ESF: — Adaptation of workers, enterprises and entrepreneurs to change. | 8.5.  Adaptation of workers, enterprises and entrepreneurs to change: The existence of policies aimed at favouring anticipation and good management of change and restructuring. | —  Instruments are in place to support social partners and public authorities to develop and monitor proactive approaches towards change and restructuring which include measures: — to promote anticipation of change; — to promote the preparation and management of the restructuring process. | |

| ESF: — Socio-economic integration of marginalised communities such as the Roma. ERDF: — Investing in health and social infrastructure which contributes to national, regional and local development, reducing inequalities in terms of health status, promoting social inclusion through improved access to social, cultural and recreational services and the transition from institutional to community-based services. — Providing support for physical, economic and social regeneration of deprived communities in urban and rural areas. — Investing in education, training and vocational training for skills and lifelong learning by developing education and training infrastructure. | 9.2.  A national Roma inclusion strategic policy framework is in place | — A national Roma inclusion strategic policy framework is in place that: — — sets achievable national goals for Roma integration to bridge the gap with the general population. These targets should address the four EU Roma integration goals relating to access to education, employment, healthcare and housing; — identifies where relevant those disadvantaged micro-regions or segregated neighbourhoods, where communities are most deprived, using already availablesocio-economic and territorial indicators (i.e. very low educational level, long-term unemployment, etc); — includes strong monitoring methods to evaluate the impact of Roma integration actions and a review mechanism for the adaptation of the strategy; — is designed, implemented and monitored in close cooperation and continuous dialogue with Roma civil society, regional and local authorities. — Upon request and where justified, relevant stakeholders will be provided with support for submitting project applications and for implementing and managing the selected projects. | |

| 10. Investing in education, training and vocational training for skills and lifelong learning (Education target) (referred to in point (10) of the first paragraph of Article 9) | ESF: — Reducing and preventing early school-leaving and promoting equal access to good quality early-childhood, primary and secondary education, including formal, non-formal and informal learning pathways for reintegrating into education and training. ERDF: — Investing in education, training and vocational training for skills and lifelong learning by developing education and training infrastructure. | 10.1.  Early school leaving: The existence of a strategic policy framework to reduce early school leaving (ESL) within the limits of Article 165 TFEU. | — A system for collecting and analysing data and information on ESL at relevant levels is in place that: — — provides a sufficient evidence-base to develop targeted policies and monitors developments. — A strategic policy framework on ESL is in place that: — — is based on evidence; — covers relevant educational sectors including early childhood development, targets in particular vulnerable groups that are most at risk of ESL including people from marginalised communities, and addresses prevention, intervention and compensation measures; — involves all policy sectors and stakeholders that are relevant to addressing ESL. |

| ESF: — Improving the quality and efficiency of, and access to, tertiary and equivalent education with a view to increasing participation and attainment levels, especially for disadvantaged groups. ERDF: — Investing in education, training and vocational training for skills and lifelong learning by developing education and training infrastructure. | 10.2.  Higher education: the existence of a national or regional strategic policy framework for increasing tertiary education attainment, quality and efficiency within the limits of Article 165 TFEU. | —  A national or regional strategic policy framework for tertiary education is in place with the following elements: — where necessary, measures to increase participation and attainment that: — — increase higher education participation among low income groups and other under-represented groups with special regard to disadvantaged people, including people from marginalised communities; — reduce drop-out rates/improve completion rates; — encourage innovative content and programme design; — measures to increase employability and entrepreneurship that: — — encourage the development of "transversal skills", including entrepreneurship in relevant higher education programmes; — reduce gender differences in terms of academic and vocational choices. | |

| ESF: — Enhancing equal access to lifelong learning for all age groups in formal, non-formal and informal settings, upgrading the knowledge, skills and competences of the workforce, and promoting flexible learning pathways including through career guidance and validation of acquired competences. ERDF: — Investing in education, training and vocational training for skills and lifelong learning by developing education and training infrastructure. | 10.3.  Lifelong learning (LL): The existence of a national and/or regional strategic policy framework for lifelong learning within the limits of Article 165 TFEU. | —  A national or regional strategic policy framework for lifelong learning is in place that contains measures: — to support the developing and linking services for LL, including their implementation and skills upgrading (i.e. validation, guidance, education and training) and providing for the involvement of, and partnership with relevant stakeholders; — for the provision of skills development for various target groups where these are identified as priorities in national or regional strategic policy frameworks (for example young people in vocational training, adults, parents returning to the labour market, low skilled and older workers, migrants and other disadvantaged groups, in particular people with disabilities); — to widen access to LL including through efforts to effectively implement transparency tools (for example the European Qualifications Framework, National Qualifications Framework, European Credit system for Vocational Education and Training, European Quality Assurance in Vocational Education and Training); — to improve the labour market relevance of education and training and to adapt it to the needs of identified target groups (for example young people in vocational training, adults, parents returning to the labour market, low-skilled and older workers, migrants and other disadvantaged groups, in particular people with disabilities). | |

| 11. Enhancing institutional capacity of public authorities and stakeholders and efficient public administration (referred to in point (11) of the first paragraph of Article 9) | ESF: — Investment in institutional capacity and in the efficiency of public administrations and public services at the national, regional and local levels with a view to reforms, better regulation and good governance. ERDF: — Enhancing institutional capacity of public authorities and stakeholders and efficient public administration through actions to strengthen the institutional capacity and the efficiency of public administrations and public services related to the implementation of the ERDF, and in support of actions under the ESF to strengthen the institutional capacity and the efficiency of public administration. Cohesion Fund: — Enhancing institutional capacity of public authorities and stakeholders and efficient public administration through actions to strengthen the institutional capacity and the efficiency of public administrations and public services related to the implementation of the Cohesion Fund. | —  The existence of a strategic policy framework for reinforcing the Member States' administrative efficiency including public administration reform | —  A strategic policy framework for reinforcing a Member State's public authorities' administrative efficiency and their skills with the following elements are in place and in the process of being implemented: — an analysis and strategic planning of legal, organisational and/or procedural reform actions; — the development of quality management systems; — integrated actions for simplification and rationalisation of administrative procedures; — the development and implementation of human resources strategies and policies covering the main gaps identified in this field; — the development of skills at all levels of the professional hierarchy within public authorities; — the development of procedures and tools for monitoring and evaluation. |

| (¹)Directive 2010/31/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 May 2010 on the energy performance of buildings (OJ L 153, 18.6.2010, p. 13). (²)Directive 2012/27/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2012 on energy efficiency, amending Directives 2009/125/EC and 2010/30/EU and repealing Directives 2004/8/EC and 2006/32/EC (OJ L 315, 14.11.2012, p. 1). (³)Directive 2006/32/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 April 2006 on energy end-use efficiency and energy services and repealing Council Directive 93/76/EEC (OJ L 114, 27.4.2006, p. 64). (⁴)Directive 2009/28/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 April 2009 on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources and amending and subsequently repealing Directives 2001/77/EC and 2003/30/EC (OJ L 140, 5.6.2009, p. 16). (⁵)Regulation (EU) No 1315/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2013 on Union guidelines for the development of the trans-European transport network and repealing Decision No 661/2010/EU (OJ L 348, 20.12.2013, p. 1). (⁶)Regulation (EC) No 714/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 July 2009 on conditions for access to the network for cross-border exchanges in electricity and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1228/2003 (OJ L 211, 14.8.2009, p. 15). (⁷)Regulation (EC) No 715/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 July 2009 on conditions for access to the natural gas transmission networks and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1775/2005 (OJ L 211, 14.8.2009, p. 36). (⁸)Regulation (EU) No 347/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 April 2013 on guidelines for trans-European energy infrastructure and repealing Decision No 1364/2006/EC and amending Regulations (EC) No 713/2009, (EC) No 714/2009 and (EC) No 715/2009 (OJ L 115, 25.4.2013, p. 39). | | | |

(¹⁴) Council Regulation (EC) No 1467/97 of 7 July 1997 on speeding up and clarifying the implementation of the excessive deficit procedure (OJ L 209, 2.8.1997, p. 6).