INTERREG IVA 2 Mers Seas Zeeën Crossborder Cooperation Programme Part-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) First Level Control Seminar for the projects approved in the seventh call for proposals JTS INTERREG IV A 2 Seas Lille, 1 st July 2011

Validation of expenditure 2 Key information: Member States’ responsibility to set up the first level control system Two systems: centralised (Flanders), decentralised (UK, NL, FR) FLC, either internal or external, in all cases must be INDEPENDENT and VALIDATED by the national central approval body. If external, the FLC must be hired in compliance with public procurement rules Designation of the First Level Controller must be requested before contracting the First Level Controller for the project Each Project Partner (PP) has to have its expenditure checked by a First Level Controller in compliance with the rules and the system established in the Member state where the PP is located

How is a FLC designated in Flanders ? 3 Flanders create the Control Unit and appoints FLC Control Unit Certifies report PP submit progress report to the control unit JTS informed Verification of the original designation Reports submitted to LP Reports submitted to JTS Centralised system

Who is the Central Approval Body in Flanders? 4 Institution: Province of West-Flanders Unit: Control Unit, Controlecel Provincie West-Vlaanderen Address: Leopold III Laan 41 Postal code: 8200 City: Brugge Country: Belgium Name and Surname: Mrs Sandra DEMEESTER Tel : +32 (0)

How is a FLC designated in FR, UK, NL ? 5 Decentralised system Yes Central Approval Body (CAB) approves the proposed FLC? A checklist for designation of the controller (ANNEX 4) must be signed and sent to the CAB No PP must propose a new FLC! CAB signs ANNEX 4 and designates the FLC PP can hire the designated FLC JTS verifies FLC designation for LP and PPs (check list + letter) + reports PP submits progress report to the FLC for validation All PPs submit validated reports to LP LP submits reports to JTS CAB sends negative response to PP and FLC

Who is the Central Approval Body in UK ? 6 Institution: Communities and Local Government Unit: European Policy and Programmes Address: 3 rd Floor, Eland House Postal code: SW1E 5DU City: London Country: England Name and Surname: Arni Narain Tel :

Who is the Central Approval Body in FR ? 7 Institution: REGION NORD-PAS DE CALAIS Unit: Direction Europe Address: Hôtel de Région – 151 Boulevard Hoover Postal code: City: LILLE CEDEX Country: France M. Benjamin BERNARD Tel : +33 (0) Mme Martine BURAS Tel: +33 (0) M. Cédric VAN GOETHEN Tel : +33 (0)

Who is the Central Approval Body in NL ? 8 Institution: Ministerie van Economische Zaken Unit: Directie Financieel – Economische Zaken Address: Bezuidenhoutseweg 50, Postbus Postal code: 2500 EC City: Den Haag Country: The Netherlands Name and Surname: Mr Erik de Hoog Tel : + 31 (0)

Requirements for a controller (1) 9 Independence Be professionally independent from the unit dealing with the activities and finances (accounting, salary calculations and payment orders) This implies that the controller must not be involved in project approval, project activities (incl. signing the project report as project partner), project finances (project accounting and payment orders)

Requirements for a controller (2) 10 Able to perform the controls must be properly qualified, must hold professional skills and experience in the field of control of projects co-financed by EU-funds must hold sufficient knowledge of the English language, in order to read and understand all relevant documents must ensure that the work will be carried out within the deadlines set by the Programme must hold knowledge of the Community rules, the Operational Programme, the Programme Manual and any document that the Programme or national authorities might consider binding for the projects

First level controller’s tasks 11 To check the expenditure declared by each partner participating in the project and its activities To validate all eligible expenditure declared by the partner and to clearly identify and list any irregularity How? Validation must be based on a control of the total reported expenditure (100%): administrative check On the spot verifications should be undertaken when the project is well under way (on the spot administrative check and on the spot physical check)

Tools for the First level controllers 12 Programme Manual Programme Guidance on first level control Annex 8 on public procurement in the Programme Manual Annex 4 Check list: for proposing to be appointed as FLC by CAB Annex 5: Certificate for the validation of the expenditure (at PP and LP) Annex 7: Check list for the validation of the expenditure (at PP and LP) Subsidy contract, partnership agreement, application form Training on Programme requirements provided by MS + JTS Training on national rules and any other guidance provided by MS

Validation at project partner level (1) 13 FLC verifies (main points): the traceability of the expenditure declared the delivery of the products and services co-financed the contents of the project partner report the expenditure listed in the report is in line with the expenditure listed in the approved application form there is a consistency between the expenditure and the activities performed the breakdown of the expenditure at the date of the progress report correspond to the attribution of the expenditure stated in the application form (amounts of total eligible costs, request of ERDF, match-funding, % ERDF)  If OK: FLC validates the expenditure incurred by the controlled project partner

Validation at project partner level (2) 14 Documents to be filled in/signed Fill in the control report/checklist on the control performed Sign the certificate of the validation of the expenditure Sign first page of the PP’s progress report Documents to submit by the PP to the LP Annex 4 check list with designation of controller by CAB Progress report Control certificate Control check list/report

Validation at Lead Partner level 15 The LP’s FLC has a double task: 1.Validation of the cost of the LP see procedure explained before 2.Validation of the PROJECT progress report

Validation of the PROJECT progress report by the Lead Partner’s First Level Controller (1) 16 Verification of the documents related to the controls performed at project partners’ level in order to satisfy itself of the soundness of the first level controls performed FLC relies on the work done by colleagues Verification of the formal compliance with the Programme requirements: progress reports, certificate of the validation of the expenditure, control reports/checklists, and further documentation if the case e.g. public procurement procedures, publicity requirements, contracts with suppliers, invoices, proofs of payments etc.

17 FLC verifies that (main points): The breakdown of the expenditure corresponds to the attribution of the expenditure stated in the application form (total eligible costs, % ERDF, request of ERDF, match-funding) The reported expenditure is within the limits given by the flexibility rule (Programme Manual, para. 9.1) All the documents related to the controls performed at the PP level are available, correctly filled in and signed (control report/checklist, control certificate) Validation of the PROJECT progress report by the Lead Partner’s First Level Controller (2)

18 Documents to be filled in/signed Fill in the control report/checklist on the control performed (Section 8) Sign first page of the progress report of the PROJECT Documents to submit by the LP to the JTS All Annex 4 check lists with designation of controller by CAB All progress reports All control certificates All control check list/reports Validation of the PROJECT progress report by the Lead Partner’s First Level Controller (3)