This document provides information on EU budgets and funding for Germany for 2014-2020. It discusses the five European Structural and Investment Funds and how Partnership Agreements are used to implement strategic plans for these funds. It also outlines the maximum aid percentages for regional investment, thematic objectives for the European Regional Development Fund and European Social Fund, and financial allocations for Germany under these funds as well as the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development.
5. ALL AMOUNTS x 1.000.000
EU BUDGET
ALLOCATION
IN 2011 PRICES
Global Europe
Administration
Compensation
Security & Citizenship
€ 199.828
€ 959.988
in current prices: € 1.082.555
8. THE 5
ESI FUNDS
The five European Structural and Investment Funds;
| The European Regional Development Fund
| The European Social Fund
| The Cohesion Fund
| The European Maritime and Fisheries Fund
| The European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development
9. PARTNERSHIP
AGREEMENTS
| EU Member States are required to draw up and implement
strategic plans with investment priorities covering the five ESI
Funds.
| These Partnership Agreements (PAs) are negotiated between the
European Commission and national authorities, following their
consultation of various levels of governance, representatives from
interest groups, civil society and local
and regional representatives.
10. MAXIMUM
AID PERCENTAGES
Under the regional guidelines, areas which have a GDP per capital
below 75% of the EU average are eligible in priority for regional
investment aid, as the main purpose of regional aid is to foster the
development of the less advantaged regions of Europe.
| While for the period 2007-13, almost the entire territory of the German
new Länder (following the reunification of Germany) fell within this
category, none of the German regions qualify for this status for the
2014-2020 period.
11. MAXIMUM
AID PERCENTAGES
| In order to ensure a smooth transition, these areas will continue to be
eligible until 2020 and the maximum aid intensities applicable in these
regions will be reduced by the end of 2017.
| Under the guidelines, other regions can also be made eligible provided
that they complywith certain criteria, in order to allow Member States to
tackle their own regional disparities.
| As these regions are less disadvantaged from a European perspective
than areas with a GDP per capita below 75% of the EU average, both the
geographical scope and the aid intensity are strictly limited.
12. MAXIMUM
AID PERCENTAGES
The regional map specifies what areas have been made eligible by
Germany.
| The maximum aid intensities for regional investment aid in the German
assisted regions have slightly decreased as compared to the previous aid
map (between 5 and 15 percentage points, depending on the region).
13. STATUS
CURRENT
UPDATED 30/10
Total number
of OP´s submitted
per country
Countries have
their OP´s
adopted: 21 OP >Denmark
1 OP >Lithuania
14. PLANNING
| Partnership Agreement Adopted 22 – 05 – 2014
| 15 Operational Programme’s and 1 Multi-Fund Programme
submitted
| Adoption of OP’s by European commission in Q4 2014
| Exp.1st grant calls Q1 2015 for funding priorities related to OP’s
OPs should be submitted by Member States within 3 months following the
submission of the Partnership Agreement.
The Commission makes observations within 3 months and adopts the OP
no later than 6 months from the date of its submission.
15. FUNDING
PRIORITIES
In order to improve regional competitiveness and break down
regional disparities, measures are being taken under the ERDF that
essentially focus on the following thematic objectives:
| 1: ‘Strengthening research, technological development and innovation’
| 3: ‘Enhancing the competitiveness of SMEs’
| 3: ‘Supporting the shift towards a low-carbon economy in all sectors’
16. FUNDING
PRIORITIES
Around 83% of ERDF funding (not counting expenditure on
technical assistance) will be used to support these three objectives.
Of the remaining 17%+, a good third will be spend on each of Objectives
6 ‘Preserving and protecting the environment and promoting resource
efficiency’ and
9 ‘Promoting social inclusion, combating poverty and any discrimination’.
Under Objectives 6 and 9, together with Thematic Objective 5, attempts
are above all made to promote the sustainable development of regions and
cities.
17. FUNDING
PRIORITIES
To promote human resources and for the benefit of social cohesion,
the funding awards from the ESF in the 2014-2020 funding period
will focus on the following thematic objectives:
| 8: ‘Promoting sustainable and quality employment and supporting labour
mobility’
| 9: ‘Promoting social inclusion, combating poverty and any discrimination’
| 10: ‘Investing in education, training and vocational training for skills and
lifelong learning’.
18. FUNDING
PRIORITIES
In order to achieve the common objectives, all ESF funding (excluding
technical aid) is to be put towards these three thematic objectives.
The analyses of the needs for action and funding turn out to some extent
to be very varied between eastern and western Germany, but also between
individual Länder in the eastern and western parts of the country.
At the national level for Germany, the preliminary figures indicate that there
is close to a one-third weighting:
| 33.3% for objective 8
| 33.1% for objective 9
| 33.6% for objective 10.
19. FUNDING
PRIORITIES
For Germany as a whole, the ESF-supported Investitionen in die Köpfe
[Investment in minds] will make visible contributions to smart, sustainable
and inclusive growth and to adaptation to demographic change.
In particular, results are to be expected from the mobilization of additional
economic potential, with a key role to be played by hitherto unutilized
economic potential among women.
The development of human resources is supported on the supply side and
the demand side in order to help secure the skills base and improve the
situation of the disadvantaged.
20. FUNDING
PRIORITIES
Improving the sustainable management of natural resources and climate
protection policy, plus economic and social development in rural areas,
represent the core concerns of funding awards under the EAFRD. With this
in mind, the following thematic objectives – among other objectives – are
relevant:
| 5: ‘Promoting climate change adaptation, risk prevention & management’
| 6: ‘Preserving & protecting the environment and promoting resource
efficiency’
| 9: ‘Promoting social inclusion, combating poverty and any discrimination’.
21. FUNDING
PRIORITIES
When it comes to thematic concentration, around two thirds of the total
expenditure allocated to the EAFRD (excluding technical assistance) jointly
covers objectives 5, 6 and 9.
A further 19% is allocated to thematic objective 3 in order to increase the
competitiveness of SMEs.
22. FINANCIAL
ALLOCATIONS
On 1 January 2014 the new 2014-2020 funding period began. Over
this funding period, funding amounting to EUR 19.2 billion from the
ERDF and the ESF and EUR 8.3 billion from the EAFRD will be
deployed in Germany to meet the European Union’s policy aims.
| Subsidies under the ERDF and the ESF vary region by region based on
economic conditions. Higher levels of funding in Germany are by and large
the preserve of the eastern Länder.
| The EAFRD supports rural areas and the development of agriculture and
forestry, while the EMFF supports the fisheries sector.
23. PROGRAMME
ARCHITECTURE
In Germany the implementation of the policies is by and large
performed by the Länder as part of multiannual funding
programmes. A total of 48 funding programmes are being put in
place.
| For the ERDF and the ESF, there are 15 operational programmes in the
Länder and one multi-fund programme – a joint ERDF/ESF programme
for Lower Saxony. There is also one national programme under the ESF.
| For the EAFRD, there are 14 development programmes for rural areas.
The EMFF consists of a single national programme.