CLOSURE OF THE EQUAL PROGRAMME - FINLAND

Tommi Nordberg

Warsaw 22.11.2007

EQUAL Baltic Sea Seminar

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

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

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

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

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