JASPERS Brendan Smyth DG REGIO co-ordination

A new context after 2006 –EU Enlargement has greatly added to the requirement to prepare projects for EU grant financing –1 January 2007: 13 Cohesion Fund beneficiary countries + Romania, Bulgaria -One third of EU budget for Cohesion and Structural Funds in new Member States –Greatly enlarged resources for new Member States from 2007 onwards –Problems with quality of projects remain

What is JASPERS ? –Joint Assistance to Support Projects in European Regions –A technical assistance partnership to prepare major projects between DG REGIO, EIB and EBRD –For administrative reasons, JASPERS will be a unit within the EIB but separated from its lending activities –Objective: increasing the capacity of the beneficiary countries to make the best use of EU funding –J is for joint: three new J new instruments (together with JEREMIE and Urban Development JESSICA) Joint effort between the Commission and IFIs. - value added: drawing on past experience and expertise of the EIB and the EBRD in a more structured and coordinated way than in the past.

concentration on priority countries: the 10 new member states plus Romania and Bulgaria JASPERS concentrates on major projects : Transport 50 M > Environment and other sectors 25 M > JASPERS priorities are : - large projects supported by the Cohesion Fund and the ERDF (to be interpreted flexibly in the smaller countries) - other Cohesion Fund projects - other ERDF projects horizontal issues covering more than one country/sector JASPERS Activities

How will JASPERS operate? Assistance can be provided as required from the early stages of a project through to the decision to grant assistance (by the Commission or the Member State depending on the size of project) Preparatory work required to deliver a mature project e.g. –advice on conceptual development and project structuring –advice on project preparation e.g. cost-benefit analysis, financial analysis, environmental issues, procurement planning. –review of documentation: feasibility studies, technical design, tender documents. –advice on compliance with EU law (environmental, competition and others) and conformity with EU policies

JASPERS: free and voluntary JASPERS assistance will be provided free of charge to the beneficiary There is no obligation on the Member States to use JASPERS There is no obligation on a Member State which benefits from JASPERS to borrow from the EIB or the EBRD There is no obligation on the EIB or the EBRD to lend to projects prepared using JASPERS There is no exclusion of EIB or EBRD lending to projects benefiting from JASPERS

LEGAL RESPONSIBILITIES JASPERS does not change existing legal responsibilities JASPERS is an input to the preparation of applications for EU funding Member States are the 'owners' of the project, not JASPERS; they submit the standard applications as required by the Regulations preparation of a project by JASPERS does not guarantee approval of the project by the Commission the ultimate legal responsibility to grant assistance will remain with the Commission

JASPERS 54 professional STAFF 30 professionals + 10 support 16 professionals 5 to 8 professionals LUXEMBOURG WARSAWVIENNABUCHAREST

ORGANISATION & RECRUITMENT Regional hubs for JASPERS: –North (Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania): Warsaw –Central (Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia): Vienna –South (Romania, Bulgaria): Bucharest –Malta and Cyprus covered from existing EIB offices in Rome and Athens Internally: EIB and EBRD core teams in place External recruitment: candidates already interviewed for Luxembourg, Warsaw, Bucharest New offices and staff will be fully operational in late 2006/early 2007

Framework consultancy contracts Two large framework contracts to support JASPERS in Luxembourg and in the regional offices Transport and environment/other sectors Teams of expert for assignments on call Preparation of large infrastructure projects and analysis of horizontal issues (e.g. state aid, grant blending etc.) Tenders published in May; framework contracts will be operational shortly 10

ACTION PLANS Priorities and objectives of JASPERS will be set out each year in an Action Plan agreed between JASPERS and the beneficiary country close coordination of JASPERS operations with DG REGIO country desks horizontal issues may also be included in the Action Plan Action Plans for the twelve priority countries (the 10 plus Romania and Bulgaria) now agreed

2006 ACTION PLANS JASPERS has already provided assistance to some projects e.g. Sofia solid waste 112 project actions identified and support requested in wide range of relevant horizontal issues Demand in some unexpected sectors (e.g. large energy, broadband telecom, tourism) 12

Environment sector 56 actions Water and waste water20 actions Solid Waste16 actions Energy efficiency and renewables12 actions Other sectors (Tourism, telecoms – broadband, health, education) 8 actions Transport sector 46 actions Roads and motorways15 actions Railways16 actions Urban transport7 actions Other sub-sectors (river, airports)8 actions 13

Main Horizontal Issues PPP+EU grant blending approaches Support with state aid in new sectors Structuring projects in new sectors (e.g. power, energy efficiency, renewables, urban transport, flood protection, rolling stock) Grouping small projects (e.g. energy efficiency, water) PPP best practice / model approaches Guidance on new Regulations (e.g. eligibility, revenue generating projects, grant rate calculation) 14

Management of JASPERS Managing Authority acts as central co- ordinator for each country The Managing Authority in the Member State can request assistance directly from JASPERS in Luxembourg or from the regional offices of JASPERS JASPERS will be actively managed by a Steering Committee with members from DG REGIO, EIB and EBRD.

JASPERS Contact Point JASPERS Contact Point Patrick Walsh Head of JASPERS JASPERS FACILITY Da Vinci II Building Findel-LUXEMBOURG