Work programmes
1. The Programme shall be implemented by means of work programmes as referred to in Article 110 of the Financial Regulation.
2. Work programmes shall in principle be adopted as multiannual programmes, typically every two years, and cover the general objectives of the Programme as well as one or more specific objectives. If justified by specific implementation needs, they may also be adopted as annual programmes.
3. Work programmes shall be consistent with the specific objectives of the Programme, as set out in Articles 4 to 8, while also taking into account the areas and types of activities set out in Annex I. They shall ensure that the actions thereby supported do not crowd out private financing.
4. In order to reflect technological change and market developments, the Commission is empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 30 to amend Annex I with regard to the activities set out therein in a manner consistent with the specific objectives of the Programme, as set out in Articles 4 to 8.
5. Work programmes shall set out, where applicable, the overall amount reserved for blending operations.
6. The Commission shall, by means of implementing acts, adopt the work programmes for Specific Objectives 2, 4 and 5 and for possible other actions under direct management for Specific Objectives 1 and 3. Those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 31(2).
Monitoring and reporting
1. Measurable indicators to monitor the implementation and to report on the progress of the Programme towards the achievement of the specific objectives laid down in Article 3(2) are set out in Annex II.
2. The Commission shall establish a methodology to provide for indicators for accurately assessing progress made towards the achievement of the general objectives laid down in Article 3(1).
3. In order to ensure the effective assessment of the Programme’s progress towards the achievement of its objectives, the Commission is empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 30 to amend Annex II with regard to the measurable indicators, where considered to be necessary, as well as to supplement this Regulation with provisions on the establishment of a monitoring and evaluation framework.
4. The performance reporting system shall ensure that data for monitoring the implementation and the results of the Programme are collected efficiently, effectively, and in a timely manner so that the results are suitable for an in-depth analysis of the progress achieved and the difficulties encountered.
To that end, proportionate reporting requirements shall be imposed on recipients of Union funds and, where necessary, on Member States.
5. Official EU statistics, such as regular ICT statistical surveys, shall be used to their maximum as context indicators. The Commission shall consult national statistical institutes and shall involve them, together with Eurostat, in the initial design and subsequent development of statistical indicators used for monitoring the implementation of the Programme and progress made with regard to digital transformation.
Evaluation of the Programme
1. Evaluations of the Programme shall be carried out so that they feed into the decision-making process in a timely manner. They shall contain a qualitative assessment of the progress made towards the achievement of the general objectives of the Programme laid down in Article 3.
2. In addition to regularly monitoring the Programme, the Commission shall conduct an interim evaluation of the Programme which shall be carried out once there is sufficient information available about its implementation, but no later than four years after the start of the implementation of the Programme. The interim evaluation shall form the basis for adjusting the implementation of the Programme, as appropriate, also taking into account new relevant technological developments.
3. At the end of the implementation of the Programme, but no later than four years after the end of the period specified in Article 1, the Commission shall carry out a final evaluation of the Programme.
The final evaluation shall assess long-term impacts of the Programme and its sustainability.
4. The evaluation reporting system shall ensure that recipients of Union funds collect data for programme evaluation in an efficient, effective and timely manner and at the appropriate level of granularity.
5. The Commission shall submit the interim evaluation referred to in paragraph 2 and the final evaluation referred to in paragraph 3 to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions.
Audits
1. Audits on the use of the Union contribution carried out by persons or entities, including by others than those mandated by the Union institutions, bodies, offices or agencies shall form the basis of the overall assurance pursuant to Article 127 of the Financial Regulation.
2. The control system shall ensure an appropriate balance between trust and control, taking into account administrative costs and other costs related to control at all levels.
3. Audits of expenditure shall be carried out in a consistent manner in accordance with the principles of economy, efficiency and effectiveness.
4. As part of the control system, the audit strategy may be based on the financial audit of a representative sample of expenditure. That representative sample shall be complemented by a selection based on an assessment of the risks related to expenditure.
5. Actions that receive cumulative funding from different Union programmes shall be audited only once, covering all programmes concerned and their respective applicable rules.
Protection of the financial interests of the Union
Where a third country participates in the Programme by means of a decision adopted pursuant to an international agreement or on the basis of any other legal instrument, the third country shall grant the necessary rights and access required for the authorising officer responsible, OLAF and the Court of Auditors to comprehensively exercise their respective competences. In the case of OLAF, such rights shall include the right to carry out investigations, including on-the-spot checks and inspections, as provided for in Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 883/2013.
Information, communication, publicity, policy support and dissemination
1. The recipients of Union funding shall acknowledge the origin of those funds and ensure the visibility of the Union funding, in particular when promoting the actions and their results, by providing coherent, effective and proportionate targeted information to multiple audiences, including the media and the public.
2. The Commission shall implement information and communication actions relating to the Programme, to actions taken pursuant to the Programme and to the results obtained. The Commission shall also ensure that integrated information is provided and that it reaches potential applicants to Union funding in the digital sector.
Financial resources allocated to the Programme shall also contribute to the corporate communication of the political priorities of the Union, insofar as those priorities are related to the objectives referred to in Article 3.
3. The Programme shall provide support to policy development, outreach, awareness-raising and the dissemination of actions related to the Programme and shall promote cooperation and the exchange of experience in the areas referred to in Articles 4 to 8.
Source: EUR-Lex (Publications Office of the EU), © European Union, reuse permitted under Commission Decision 2011/833/EU.
