Mid-term evaluation of the ERDF, the CF and the JTF 2021-2027

In the RePlanet Alliance response to the European Commission consultation: European Regional Development Fund, Cohesion Fund and Just Transition Fund for 2021-2027 mid-term evaluation, RePlanet would like to emphasize the importance of making funds available, without discrimination, to all technologies and techniques qualifying for the criteria set by the Commission itself with the help of its own research body.

Västerbotten is part of northern Sweden, Northern Sparsely Populated Areas (NSPA), the EU and the Arctic. Highlights the importance of a well-functioning and effective cohesion policy with local and regional tools for long-term development that address the unique challenges and opportunities of the territory; EU cohesion policy is of great importance for Northern Sweden’s potential for regional development and it is…

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The NSPA in the European Arctic area are regions with few people over the vast areas and long grounds in a harsh climate. As part of the Northern Sparsely Populated Areas Network (NSPA), Norrbotten’s municipalities believe that it is Extrely importing that cohesion policy funds are made available to and adapted to narrow actors in Sparsely popular environments with insufficient capacity and long indications to the…

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1. Low-threshold participation opportunities for civil society environmental associations The ERDF is a valuable funding instrument in Germany for nature-based climate change mitigation/adaptation, nature conservation and biodiversity protection. In the past, for example, blue green infrastructure or bog rewetting projects have already been financed by the ERDF (e.g.

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The Just Transition Fund (JTF) initially aims to support the energy and green transition of regions historically dependent on fossil fuels. It is therefore logical that the French regions affected by the announced closure of coal-fired power plants have been included in the list of territories eligible for the JTF. However, several points can be traced back, in particular as regards eligibility for the fund.

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Snam welcomes the opportunity to provide feedback on the European Regional Development Fund, Cohesion Fund and Just Transition Fund for 2021- 2027 mid-term evaluation. We recall the significant role of renewable and low carbon hydrogen for the energy transition as outlined in the FF55 as well as in the REPower EU, including hydrogen targets to 2030.

Thank you for the opportunity to have a say on the mid-term review of cohesion policy funds. It has been a great privilege to monitor the progress of the 2021-2027 funding period and to gather both good practices and concerns.

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GIFEN members welcome the mid-term evaluation of the European funds set in 2021 as part of the 2019 Green Deal which has the ambition of carbon neutrality of Europe by 2050. Since the launch of this program, the European Commission has taken further steps to boost sustainable investments. Action to counter climate change implies a radical change in industrial systems.

The Île-de-France Region wishes to be actively involved in assessing the implementation and progress of the ERDF for the period 2021-2027. In this connection, it wishes to draw up a number of findings arising from the implementation of its programme, approved by the European Commission in October 2022, but also from past experience.

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Dear Commission representatives, The European Association of Guarantee Institutions (AECM) welcomes the Commissions call for evidence for a mid-term evaluation of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the Cohesion Fund (CF), and the Just Transition Fund (JTF) for 2021-2027 and is pleased to provide its feedback enclosed. Thank you.

The deployment of Cohesion Policy through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) in Spain is being affected by the implementation of the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) Funds. The delay in the adoption of the Partnership Agreements with Spain and the ERDF Operational Programmes has also led to a delay in the publication of their calls for proposals which, by 3 t 2023, have not yet been published.

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In principle, the ECS Brussels office welcomes the thematic focus and implementation of the ERDF. However, practical implementation does not fully exploit the potential that ERDF funding could have for social cohesion. In Germany, for example, Objective 4 of the Common Provisions Regulation (CPR) (a more social Europe) is currently covered by ERDF support only by the ESF+.

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The Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, the managing authority for European funds ERDF, JTF and ESF + wishes to propose several recommendations for the mid-term review of cohesion policy. The Regional Programme ERDF/ESF +/JTF 2021-2027, led by the Region, amounts to 880M of European funds, of which 77M from JTF and 660M from ERDF.

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The New Aquitaine Region is the ERDF managing authority for the period 2021-2027. It therefore welcomes the Commission’s opportunity to contribute to this consultation. Firstly, although the programming period officially started in 2021, New Aquitaine would like to recall that the Multiannual Financial Framework and the Cohesion Regulations were adopted very late.

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In the mid-term evaluation of the European Regional Development Fund, Cohesion Fund and Fund for a Just Transition 2021-2027 the Commission will review the funds' effectiveness, efficiency, relevance, coherence with other policies and added value for the EU. In that context, it is important to bear in mind that the funds have not been given the right conditions to deliver on the targets set up within the programmes.

The German lignite industry welcomes the opportunity to give feedback on the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), Cohesion Fund (CF) and particularly the Just Transition Fund (JTF). The extraction of lignite and its use in German power plants will end by 2038 at the latest and by 2030 in the Rheinish lignite region. This is about 10 years earlier than originally planned by the companies and authorities.

Region of Jämtland Härjedalen, part of the Northern Sparsely Populated Areas (NSPA), would like to highlight the importance of a well-functioning and efficient cohesion policy with local and regional tools, adapted to local and regional specificities, for long-term sustainable development.

The regions in northern Sweden, like Region Norrbotten, are a part if the Northern Sparsely Populated Areas (NSPA). We want to highlight the importance of a well-functioning and efficient cohesion policy with local and regional tools for long-term development. The NSPA in the European Arctic area are regions with few people over vast areas and long distances in a harsh climate.

TEOLLISUUDEN VOIMAS VIEWS ON THE EUS COHESION POLICY FUNDS Teollisuuden Voima Oy (TVO) is grateful for the opportunity to provide input for the mid-term evaluation of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the Cohesion Fund (CF) and the Just Transition Fund (JTF). TVO considers these instruments useful for bolstering growth and enabling the green transition across the EU.

Stockholm Region will focus its consultation response on the experience gained during the programming phase of the ERDF in 20212027 when the programme proposal for the Stockholm Regional Fund was drawn up. The development of the programme proposal is based on Stockholm Region’s research and innovation strategy for smart specialisation and the region’s long-term development strategy RUFS 2050 – in accordance with the…

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THE FAIR TRANSITION TO MORE SUSTAINABLE MOBILITY SOLUTIONS REQUIRES INCREASED FUNDING FOR PUBLIC TRANSPORT Supporting cities and regions in their transition and economic development has always been one of the fundamental objectives of the EU, whose cohesion policy represented a significant part of its budget.

Masaryk University welcomes the continuous support of higher education and research by the ESIF. Nevertheless, we would like to add some comments and suggestions for further improvement of the Cohesion policy implementation: - Synergies with other community programmes although progress is significant, more shall be done. The start of these activities must already be in the programming stage, e.g.

We welcome the support provided for geothermal in these funds but hope that minor interventions will be able to facilitate more cost-effective attainment of the EUs energy, climate, food security, greater support for geothermal heating, cooling, electricity, storage sustainable lithium extraction to protect Europe energy system from external threats and ensure industrial competitiveness as well as sustainable…

When meeting multi-level governance, we notice that stakeholders use the same terms but load it with different meanings. The interpretative prerogative is often taken by a single stakeholder making for difficulties in forming relevant policies. For example, risking relevance from a local point of view to gain efficiency and effectiveness from a Commission perspective.

The Västernorrland region, which is part of the NSPA (northern sparsely populated regions), considers the mid-term evaluation of the European Regional Development Fund and the Cohesion Fund to be of great importance. The evaluation now being carried out needs to capture several aspects that are characteristic of our regions, but which may not be self-evident are the focus of an overall evaluation.

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Orano, a nuclear energy company fully engaged in contributing to the EUs decarbonization, considers the European Regional Development Fund, Cohesion Fund and Just Transition Fund as one of the main tools available at the EU level to foster decarbonization for the benefit of the society. Orano is concerned with the exclusion of nuclear energy from the scope of these funds.

As representatives of the German promotional banks, which are often intermediary bodies of the administrative authorities in the federal states responsible for the implementation of the European Structural Funds within Germany, we would like to thank you for the opportunity to participate in the mid-term evaluation.

Cohesion policy, one of the EUs main investment policies is delivered through European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), Cohesion Fund (CF) and Just Transition Fund (JTF) and Westinghouse welcomes the opportunity to provide feedback to the European Commission regarding the mid-term evaluation of these three important funding instruments.

Lessons learned from 2014-2020 period, and the reactions to COVID crisis and war on Ukraine showed that more flexibility in implementation, reporting and monitoring was possible in Cohesion Policy. The RRF showed it was possible to unlock massive investments for the green and digital transitions; smart, sustainable and inclusive growth; social and territorial cohesion; health, social and institutional resilience and…

EDF welcomes the opportunity to provide feedbacks on the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), Cohesion Fund (CF) and the Just Transition Fund (JFT) in the framework of this mid-term evaluation. As a key-player of the decarbonization of the French and European economy, EDF Group supports the Commissions initiative to redefine the priorities of these funds to better streamline the financial efforts for the…

Nucleareurope would like to emphasise the importance of making funds available to the entire nuclear cycle. Therefore, we welcome the opportunity to respond to this public consultation, which comes at a time when the EU is looking to set up a Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP) through which it will use existing funds to help support certain technologies.

At many occasions in the past, weCARE complained about the exclusion of nuclear energy from most of the EU financing mechanisms and instruments. This was due to the green driven policy of the EU on energy matters. The energy crisis rings the bell for a change, as we can see it with the launch of the Alliance of pro-nuclear Member States.

The SNCF Group welcomes the opportunity offered by the Commission to give a feedback on the Cohesion policy funds. As a world leader in passenger and freight transport services closely working with regions, the SNCF Group has benefited from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) for some of its projects and therefore wishes to express its view on this fund.

Effectiveness: in the case of the JTF in particular, there is considerable pressure on the rapid use of funds. For several regions, the presence of a large company making a significant contribution to CO2 emissions is also the reason that JTF resources are available. However, the opportunities for the large company to participate in JTF projects are limited and in any case not made easy.

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