Structural and cohesion funds/ESIF

Financial Management and Audit of EU Structural Funds, 2021-2027

How have Programme Finance, Financial Management and Audit rules changed for the new 2021-2027 period? What are the key live issues for finance, control and audit at present and how are these likely to evolve in the future? What do new Programmes look like and have they taken advantage of the new, extraordinary financial flexibilities?

About this course

How have Programme Finance, Financial Management and Audit rules changed for the new 2021-2027 period? What are the key live issues for finance, control and audit at present and how are these likely to evolve in the future? What do new Programmes look like and have they taken advantage of the new, extraordinary financial flexibilities?

This seminar will compare the Financial Management and Audit rules between the 2014-2020 and 2021-2027 programming periods. There will be a special focus on financial planning, increasing the use of Simplified Costs Options, anti-fraud measures and protecting the audit trail.

We will also ask what financial management and audit lessons the new Structural Funds programmes and the new national RRF plans can learn from the 2014-2020 Cohesion Policy programming period.

What you will learn?

  • Dermot Byrne, a leading Member State audit practitioner, will underline how control and audit differ, look in detail at the audit of accounts, systems and operations for 2021-2027, and highlight key audit issues for Cohesion Policy and the RRF.
  • Using ARACHNE may become a requirement for some projects in the future. Luc Molemans, the European Commission’s ARACHNE Project manager, will explain and illustrate how ARACHNE works and how you can use it.
  • We look at how to complete the Simplified Cost Options section of the new OP template.
  • We will take a close look at the Programme and Reporting templates for the new Structural Funds programmes, examining the special link between finance and performance, and how will you report programme progress.
  • Finally, we take a special look at the urgent actions of the RRF (as well as under the CARE initiative) and the live issues of project selection, financial control and audit.

How we work

We aim to make the seminar as interactive as possible. Participants will have ample opportunity to exchange views informally on the seminar topics. Workshops and exercises will be used to help participants get to grips with practical tools and methodologies.

This course is intended for:

  • managers and practitioners from managing authorities (Managing, Certifying and Audit authorities) whether they are national, regional or local authorities; and from other public bodies of EU Member States (and associated countries) working with Structural Funds
  • economic and social partners / stakeholders working with the Structural and Investment Funds, such as employers’ associations, consultants, NGOs, education bodies etc.

Online Course
For this online course we make use of Zoom

Programme Organiser
Ms Nancy Vermeulen
Tel: +31 43 32 96 212
n.vermeulen@eipa.eu

Discounts
EIPA member fee
EIPA offers a discount to all civil servants working for one of EIPA’s supporting countries, and civil servants working for an EU institution, body or agency

Who are the supporting countries?
Civil servants coming from the following EIPA supporting countries are entitled to get the reduced fee: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden.

For all other participants, the regular fee applies

Early bird discount
The early bird discount is not cumulative with other discounts or promo codes, except for the EIPA member fee.

Who are the supporting countries?
Civil servants coming from the following EIPA supporting countries are entitled to get the reduced fee: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden.

For all other participants, the regular fee applies.

Confirmation
Confirmation of registration will be forwarded to participants on receipt of the completed online registration form.

Payment
Prior payment is a condition for participation.

Cancellation policy
For administrative reasons you will be charged € 50 for cancellations received within 7 days before the activity begins. There is no charge for qualified substitute participants.

EIPA reserves the right to cancel the activity up to 1 week before the starting date. In that case, registration fees received will be fully reimbursed.

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Our experts

robin smail new photo 2024
Project leader

Robin Smail

Robin Smail Training & Consultancy
Dermot Byrne

Dermot Byrne

Former Head of ERDF Audit Authority Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in the Republic of Ireland

Programme

12.40Opening of ZOOM platform
13.00Welcome of participants, opening of the online course, Tour de Table
Marco Lopriore, Expert, EIPA, Maastricht
13.15The New Regulations, 2021-2027: policy context and highlights for financial management

  • The new regulations: legal framework of CPR and the performance framework of the MFF
  • Flexibility of the Emergency Amending Regulations (CRII and CRII+)
  • Using the REACT-EU resources: scope and eligibility
  • Transfers between Cohesion policy and the Technical Support Initiative (TSI)
  • CARE initiative: Cohesion Action for Refugees in Europe

Marco Lopriore

14.00Break-out rooms: financial allocations
14.20Coffee break
14.35The new programmes, 2021-2027

  • Partnership Agreement, programme structure, justifying priorities, financial allocations
  • conditionality, concentration, use of funding instruments
  • new financial flexibilities
  • programme performance, the project pipeline, project selection and value for money
  • the Programme template

Robin Smail, Visiting Expert EIPA, Consultant, UK/IE (and former Detached National Expert, EC)

15.15Coffee break
15.35Discussion: your Financial Management issues
15.50The Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF)

  • Comparing financial management and audit between Cohesion and RRF
  • EC guidance in control and audit frameworks for Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF)
  • RRF serious irregularities: double funding, prevention of fraud and corruption and conflict of interests

Marco Lopriore

16.25Programme Finance & Financial Management: moving from 2014-2020 to 2021-2027 (part 1)

  • the Programme template
  • the new programmes, programme finance, European Council conclusions
  • financial planning, commitments, automatic de-commitment

Robin Smail

17.00Question and answer session
17.15End of first day
12.45ZOOM Platform opens
13.00Programme Finance & Financial Management: moving from 2014-2020 to 2021-2027 (part 2)

  • pre-financing, interim payments, technical assistance
  • the accounting year and calculation of the annual balance
  • financial information, financial control
  • timetables for payments, reporting and closure
  • financial control, management verifications

Robin Smail

13.50Short break
14.00Simplified Cost Options and extending simplification in 2021-2027

  • The two levels system of SCO
  • The options available in flat-rates, unit costs and lumpsums
  • Financing not linked to costs
  • EU level SCO in ESF+ and ERDF

Marco Lopriore

14.45Break-out rooms: audit and control of flat-rates

  • Errors in methods and application of flat rates for different cost categories
  • verifications steps in using flat-rates

Marco Lopriore

15.20Coffee break & meet Guest Speaker
15.40Control and Audit of Structural Funds, 2014-2020 and 2021-2027

  • Management and Control Systems (MCS), audit of systems, new Key Requirements
  • annual Accounts – preparation, audit and acceptance by Commission
  • audits of operations, sampling, changes for 2021-2027

DISCUSSION: your most frequent audit issues, and simplifying audit work

  • protecting the audit trail for REACT-EU projects
  • audit issues for RRF

Dermot Byrne, ERDF Audit Authority, Department of Public Expenditure Reform, Dublin

16.50Break-out rooms: audit and control of unit costs and lumpsums

  • errors in standard scales of unit costs and lump-sums
  • verification steps

Marco Lopriore

17.20End of second day
08.45Opening of ZOOM platform
09.00Eligibility of Expenditure

  • Review of changes in eligibility of ERDF, ESF and CF
  • Highlight on direct staff costs, VAT, durability and relocation, location, and visibility
  • New flat-rates for technical assistance
  • Compliance with State Aid and Do No Significant Harm Principle (DNSH)
  • most common errors: direct or indirect costs? Time-keeping records? Double-funding? Synergies with other grants?

Marco Lopriore

09.55Break-out rooms: eligible expenditures
10.30Virtual Coffee break & meet Guest speaker
10.50Anti-fraud: using the ARACHNE system

  • What is ARACHNE? Objectives and benefits
  • ARACHNE overview – Data sources and dataflow, State of the play in the Member States, basic concepts of Arachne
  • Risk indicators and categories, risk scoring principles
  • experiences, cases, lessons learned

Luc Molemans, Arachne Project Manager, DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, Unit F5 – Information Technologies, European Commission, Brussels (BE)

11.50Short Coffee Break
12.00Measuring Value for Money / Evaluation questions
12.15Programme Finance and Programme Performance

  • monitoring and reporting performance
  • finance and performance: the new Performance Framework, output and result indicators
  • reporting performance: new Reporting template
  • evaluation and Value-for-Money (VfM)

Robin Smail

13.00Question and answer session
13.05Evaluation feedback from participants
13.15End of seminar

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Financial Management and Audit of EU Structural and Cohesion Funds 2021-2027

Confirmed
3 Oct 2022 - 6 Oct 2022
Online
Register before: 29 Sep 2022

Simultaneous interpretation can be offered. Contact the programme organizer for more information and conditions.

 700 per attendee
 630 for EIPA members
Registration closed

Discount policy

EIPA offers a discount to all civil servants working for one of EIPA’s supporting countries, and civil servants working for an EU institution, body or agency.

Who are the supporting countries?

Civil servants coming from the following EIPA supporting countries are entitled to get the reduced fee: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden.

For all other participants, the regular fee applies.

Early bird discount

For a limited number of training courses, EIPA offers an early bird discount.

For more information please contact us.

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SKU: 2230207
Register before: 29 Sep 2022

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