CLOSURE OF THE EQUAL PROGRAMME - FINLAND Tommi Nordberg Warsaw EQUAL Baltic Sea Seminar

CLOSURE OF EQUAL - LESSONS Closure of the programming period Closure turned out more challeging and demanding than we expected It demanded a lot of work and time: - to satisfy the criteria of audit and control - to clear up the indicator information - to clear up financial reporting - to identify the good practice of the projects

CLOSURE OF EQUAL - REGULATIONS Regulations and guidelines for closure: -Regulations 1260/1999, 438/2001 -Guidelines on closure of assistance from the Structural Funds -Programming documents -National regulations

CLOSURE OF EQUAL – KEY DATES (EU) Timetable: The end of the programming period  The end of the eligibility of expenditure  Submission of closure documents 

CLOSURE OF EQUAL – KEY DATES (FINLAND) Timetable : Cut-off point of DP expenditure  Final DP payments Final technical assistance payments Submission of closure documents   

CLOSURE OF EQUAL - DOCUMENTS Closure documents: 1.The certified statement of final expenditure, including a final payment application 2.The final report on implementation 3.The declaration on winding-up of the assistance

CLOSURE OF EQUAL – LATE SUBMISSION Consequences of late submission of closure documents; -if the closure documents are not submitted by the deadline, the Commission will carry out the closure on the basis of available documents and it will carry out a financial correction on the basis of the latest acceptable payment application and shall take account the information provided in the latest annual report

CLOSURE OF EQUAL - CORRECTIONS Changes of the documents after the deadline for the submission: -Member states will not be permitted to modify the final payment claim or certified statement of expenditure after the deadline for the submission -The commission may request that a MS corrects the final payment claim or certified statement of final expenditure ( supplementary information, technical corrections ) >> It is in the interest of MS that the closure documents are correct and submitted by the deadline

CLOSURE OF EQUAL – GOOD PRACTICE (IB’s & FB’s) Implementing Bodies and Final Beneficaries should: -boost individual projects to work actively and to make the payment applications without delay -carry out the closure of individual projects without delay -carry out payment claims effectively -carry out article 4, 438/ 2001 checks -clarify and correct the findings of article 10, 438/2001 audits -carry out recoveries and clear up irregularities -check and clear up indicators

CLOSURE OF EQUAL – KEY SUCCESS FACTORS -Be well prepared -Stick to your timetable -Identify problems early -Cooperate closely with all relevant actors -Monitor progress constantly