1. CLOSURE OF THE EQUAL PROGRAMME - FINLAND Tommi Nordberg Warsaw 22.11.2007 EQUAL Baltic Sea Seminar

2. CLOSURE OF EQUAL - LESSONS Closure of the 1995-1999 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

3. CLOSURE OF EQUAL - REGULATIONS Regulations and guidelines for closure: -Regulations 1260/1999, 438/2001 -Guidelines on closure of assistance 2000- 2006 from the Structural Funds -Programming documents -National regulations

4. CLOSURE OF EQUAL – KEY DATES (EU) Timetable: The end of the programming period 2000 - 2006  31.12. 2006 The end of the eligibility of expenditure  31.12. 2008 Submission of closure documents  31.3.2010

5. CLOSURE OF EQUAL – KEY DATES (FINLAND) Timetable : Cut-off point of DP expenditure  31.3.2008 Final DP payments Final technical assistance payments Submission of closure documents  31.8. 2008  31.12. 2008  30.6.2009

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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