Commission européenne/Europese Commissie, 1049 Bruxelles/Brussel, BELGIQUE/BELGIË – Tel. +32 22991111

EUROPEAN COMMISSION DIRECTORATE-GENERAL

REGIONAL AND URBAN POLICY Policy

Policy Development and Economic analysis

Brussels, 15 January 2024

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN

Subject: Request for cooperation concerning a study “Assessment of

administrative costs and administrative burden in the management of the

Common Provisions Regulation Funds 2021-2027”

Dear Sir or Madam,

The Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy of the European Commission has

launched a study aimed at assessing administrative costs and burden related to the

management of the Common Provisions Regulation (CPR) Funds 2021-2027 (European

Regional Development Fund, European Social Fund+, Cohesion Fund, Just Transition

Fund, European Maritime Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund, Asylum, Migration and

Integration Fund, the Internal Security Fund and the Instrument for Financial Support for

Border Management and Visa Policy). The study will provide the analytical basis for the

debate on the design of the policy post-2027 and the related impact assessments.

The study contract has been awarded to an international consortium led by Ramboll

Management Consulting, in cooperation with Ismeri Europa, Forefront Oy and a wide

network of national experts.

The overall objective of the study is to carry out a comprehensive revision of the baselines

for administrative costs and burden of the CPR Funds for which such baselines exist, based

on datasets as complete and coherent as possible between Funds, and to establish such

baselines where they do not exist (the Just Transition Fund, the Asylum, Migration and

Integration Fund, the Internal Security Fund and the Instrument for Financial Support for

Border Management and Visa Policy). It will assess whether previous estimates have

materialised in the period 2021-2027 and analyse the impact of the simplification measures

already adopted in the CPR. In order to assess in an objective manner the management

costs as stemming directly from the CPR requirements, the study also aims at quantifying

the gold plating instances while identifying cases of best practice. The results will be

applied for the preparation of new proposals and options regarding post-2027 funds. The

final report of the study is expected by the end of 2024 and will be published on the website

of the European Commission.

The data on administrative costs and burdens will be collected through surveys and

interviews. The surveys will be sent to all the relevant programme bodies and national

coordination institutions in all 27 Member States. The questionnaire will examine staff

costs and count across the various stages of programme implementation, as well as

overhead and external costs. In addition, group interviews with a sample of 90 programmes

2

will be held to collect data on administrative costs, simplification options, gold-plating and

digitalisation of procedures. Data on administrative burden will be collected through

interviews from a representative sample of around 300 beneficiaries and 50 final recipients

of financial instruments.

Therefore, I would very much appreciate, if you could, please, facilitate the work of the

contractors, in particular when they contact you for participation in the survey or with

regard to an interview request. Your contribution will be particularly helpful and contribute

to further simplifying the delivery mechanism of cohesion policy and better target the

support needed for technical assistance.

For further information, you may wish to contact Ms Aurélie Louguet

([email protected]) who is the leader of the consortium entrusted with this

study, or Mr Florent Guérin ([email protected]) who is in charge of this file in

my unit.

I thank you in advance for your cooperation and assistance regarding this study.

Yours sincerely

“e-signed”

Anna Wagner

Head of Unit

Electronically signed on 11/01/2024 19:29 (UTC+01) in accordance with Article 11 of Commission Decision (EU) 2021/2121

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<[email protected]>; <[email protected]>; <[email protected]> Teema: Request for cooperation concerning a study “Assessment of administrative costs and administrative burden in the management of the Common Provisions Regulation funds 2021–

2027" Manused: DG REGIO Support Letter.pdf

TÄHELEPANU! Tegemist on väljastpoolt asutust saabunud kirjaga. Tundmatu saatja korral palume linke ja faile

mitte avada!

Dear Sir or Madam,

As introduced in the official letter attached, the European Commission, Directorate-General for Regional

and Urban Policy (DG REGIO) has launched the Assessment of administrative costs and

administrative burden in the management of the Common Provisions Regulation funds 2021– 2027. The results will be used in the elaboration of the post-2027 programming period.

Ramboll Management Consulting, in cooperation with Ismeri Europa and 4Front, have been contracted to carry out the study.

Your role, as key contact points of programme authorities responsible for the implementation of CPR

funds, is crucial in achieving the study’s objectives. Your cooperation will be extremely appreciated and

will participate in the making of future regulations better tailored to the needs of programme authorities and beneficiaries.

Key points of the study

 This study evaluates the administrative costs and burdens of all eight CPR funds across

every Member State.

 Its main goal is to revise existing baselines for these costs and establish new ones where they don't exist.

 It will check if past estimations on administrative costs and savings were accurate and help

in planning post-2027 Funds, and it will examine national and regional regulatory costs

beyond EU legislation as well as digitalisation levels and best practices.

 Data collection will involve programme authorities and beneficiaries through a survey and, where applicable, further interviews.

You will shortly be contacted by a member of the consortium with further information on your individual participation.

We thank you very much for your time and future support.

Kind regards

Emilia Sandri

LL.M. in European Law

Junior Consultant

Social and Economic Impacts Team (BE)

M +32 490 42 82 23

[email protected]

_________________________________

Ramboll 35, Square de Meeûs 1000 Brussels Belgium

https://ramboll.com

BE REG. NO. 867596506

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