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National strategic framework 2007-2013

 

The Single Regional Policy

By way of the agreement concluded on 3 February in the Unified Conference, the State and regions gave effect in Italy to the reform of the Community Cohesion Policy, by unifying the planning of Community regional policy (financed by the Structural Funds) with that of national regional policy (financed by the Underutilized Areas Fund – FAS).

The unification has also been achieved for ordinary policy (financed with the ordinary resources of the budget), which, by contrast with regional policy, pursues its own economic and social cohesion objectives in different ways, i.e. regardless of the gaps in levels of regional development.

Accordingly, the single regional plan 2007-13 has been drawn up on the basis of two fundamental principles: on the one hand by ensuring the distinction in financial and planning terms from the ordinary policy in order to guarantee that it is truly additional; and on the other by seeking the maximum integration with the ordinary policy, in order to pursue the common competitiveness objectives.
 

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The National Strategic Framework (QSN) 2007-13

To achieve the required coordination between the planning of national regional policy and that drawing on the Community Structural Funds, Article 105 of the Finance Law for 2007 provided for a multi-year allocation from the state budget to the Underutilized Areas Fund – FAS on a 7-year basis and established that the relevant National Strategic Framework, presented by Italy for the planning of the Community Structural Funds, constitutes “the locus for the unitary planning of the additional national and Community resources and represents, with regard to the priorities identified, the reference framework for the ordinary planning on capital account, without prejudice to the powers of the regions”.

The National Strategic Framework, approved by CIPE Resolution 174/2006.doc, 208 Kb and subsequently adopted by the European Commission, lays down the principle of the strategic singleness of Community and national regional policies, including by means of an adaptation and progressive convergence of the ways of implementing the two planning processes.

To this end  CIPE Resolution 166/2007.pdf, 679 Kb - implementing the 2007-13 National Strategic Framework and the Underutilized Areas Fund plan in addition to dividing the resources allocated to the FAS for the period 2007-13 between the two macro areas, the Centre and North and the South and Islands, establishes the criteria for planning the interventions of the supplementary national policy financed with the FAS.

The above-mentioned resolution takes over the bulk of the principles that regulate the process of planning, implementing, valuing and monitoring the structural funds of the regional cohesion policy, with special reference to the following aspects: the planning horizon (from 3 to 7 years); the structure of the (regional, interregional and national) Implementing Programmes; the fundamental principles; the fields of intervention; the implementing principles; the procedures for approving and implementing planning documents; the governance and surveillance of programmes (management, audit and control bodies, and surveillance committees); the guidelines and criteria for implementing, valuing and monitoring.
 

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Recent developments

As a consequence of the legislative measures adopted following the approval of CIPE Resolution 166/2007, the Underutilized Areas Fund – FAS underwent some reductions. With Resolution 112/2008.pdf, 263 Kb, the CIPE updated the overall allocation to the FAS for the seven years 2007-13, indicating the percentage reduction by virtue of law, net of the pre-allocations made to the Infrastructure Fund and the procedure for assigning the reductions, with reference to both the 2000-06 planning cycle and the period 2007-13.
In particular, for the 2007-13 planning cycle the CIPE used the same resolution to divide the total FAS resources after the above-mentioned reductions and to make the allocation to the Infrastructure Fund.

Subsequently, in line with the agreement signed on 12 February 2009 between the Government, the regions and the autonomous provinces, with Resolution 1/2009.pdf, 304 Kb, the CIPE established: the overall amount of the Underutilized Areas Fund (FAS) following the above-mentioned reductions; the allocation of resources to the implementing programmes of regional and interregional interest and to the measurable objectives for essential services; the introduction of some amendments to the principles and procedures provided for by CIPE Resolution 166/2007.

Acting on a proposal from the Minister for Economic Development, in concert with the Minister for the Economy and Finance, and the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, the CIPE adopted another three resolutions allocating Underutilized Areas Fund (FAS) resources to the following national Funds:
 

In the same meeting the CIPE took note of and commented on the first regional implementing programmes (PARs), submitted by the Ministry for Economic Development (for Emilia Romagna, Liguria, Lombardy, Marche, Piedmont, Tuscany, Umbria, Valle d'Aosta and the autonomous province of Bolzano), financed by drawing on the resources of the Underutilized Areas Fund available for the period 2007-13.

 

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Analysis of the cohesion policy

A wide-ranging debate is currently under way at European level on the future of the cohesion policy. In this context, acting on a proposal from the Commissioner for Regional Policy, Danuta Hubner, Fabrizio Barca, General Director at the Ministry for the Economy and Finance, has produced an independent analysis that contains an assessment of the effectiveness of the European cohesion policy and proposals for a possible reform for the period after 2013.
 

For more information, consult the Barca Report “An Agenda for a Reformed Cohesion Policylink to external site on the website of the Regional Policy DG of the European Commission.


 

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