EU Structural Assistance Administration in 2007-2013: Functions and Responsibilities of Institutions

Today, the Government of the Republic of Lithuania approved the draft Resolution prepared by the Ministry of Finance and aimed at detailed presentation of institutions responsible for the implementation of the Lithuanian Strategy for the Use of EU Structural Assistance for the Years 2007-2013 and operational programmes, their functions, rights and responsibilities.

Please note that more than LTL 23 billion of EU structural assistance will be used under four operational programmes: Operational Programme for the Development of Human Resources, Operational Programme for Economic Growth, Operational Programme for Cohesion Promotion and Operational Programme for Technical Assistance. The EU Structural Assistance Administration System of the new period will be clearer and more convenient to applicants, moreover, the planning of funds will be integrated into the processes of preparation and implementation of other national strategies as well as budget planning process.

Functions and responsibilities of institutions shall be divided into two levels: strategic and administrative. The functions of strategic level will be carried out by the Coordinating Body, i.e. the Ministry of Finance and Intermediate Bodies, i.e. responsible ministries, and, at the municipal level, also Regional Development Councils. Administrative and technical functions will be performed by the following institutions – Managing Authority, Certifying Body, Paying Authority and Implementing Agencies.

The Coordinating Body (the Ministry of Finance) shall coordinate planning and use of the EU structural assistance, establish the general management and control system, monitor and control the system. The functions of Managing, Certifying and Paying Agencies and Bodies, following the requirements of EU Regulations, shall be assigned to individual units of the Ministry of Finance. The Managing Authority shall be responsible for the management and implementation of the Operational Programmes, following a sound financial management principle. The Certifying Body shall be responsible for certification of payment applications and their submission to the European Commission. The Paying Authority shall be responsible for the receipt of payments from the European Commission and payment of funds to project operators.

Intermediate Bodies shall be the Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Social Security and Labour, Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education and Science, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Economy, Ministry of the Interior and Information Society Development Committee. At strategic level, these institutions shall be responsible for planning and use of assistance for specific sectors of the economy, as well as for the preparation of Operational Programme Complements, establishment of assistance utilisation priorities and selection criteria. The ministries shall plan what part of the EU structural assistance to designate to the projects selected during the regional project selection, what part of the EU structural assistance to the projects selected during the state project selection and to the projects selected by tender. They will develop guidelines for applicants for assistance, establish call for tender conditions and set the amounts of funds for a particular call.

Implementing Agencies shall be the Environmental Projects Management Agency under the Ministry of Environment, Support Foundation European Social Fund Agency, Transport Investment Directorate, PI Central Project Management Agency, PI Lithuanian Business Support Agency, Investicijų ir verslo garantijos UAB. They will be responsible for project administration, follow that project selection and implementation were in line with the requirements, announce calls for tenders, evaluate them, set the maximum admissible amount of the EU assistance to be designated to the project and conclude grant agreements. They will also make consultations to project promoters and beneficiaries.

An important change – integration of regions into project planning. The actions attributable to the competence of municipalities laid down in the operational programmes will be planned in municipalities, and the general list of projects for each region will be developed by Regional Development Councils.

One more novelty, which will allow to safe time and capacities of project promoters and administrative institutions, is that public investment and public service supply projects will be planned following the usual strategic planning and annual budgeting procedure, and not by announcing tenders.

Distribution of Responsibilities among Institutions