Procedures and criteria for selecting the groups
Article 23
1. A group, as referred to in Article 45(1) of the basic Regulation, shall be composed in such a way that it is able to draw up and implement a development strategy in the area concerned. The relevance and effectiveness of the partnership shall be assessed on the basis its composition, as well as its transparency and clarity in the allocation of tasks and responsibilities. The capacity of the partners to carry out the tasks assigned to them and the effectiveness and decision-making shall be guaranteed. The partnership shall comprise, including at the decision-making level, representatives of the fisheries sector and of other relevant local socio-economic sectors. 2. The administrative capacity of the group shall be considered adequate where the group: (a) either selects from the partnership, one partner as the administrative leader who will guarantee the satisfactory operation of the partnership; or (b) comes together in a legally constituted common structure, the formal constitution of which guarantees the satisfactory operation of the partnership. 3. If the group is entrusted with the administration of public funds, its financial capacity shall be assessed: (a) with regard to paragraph 2(a), in terms of the ability of the administrative leader to administer the funds; (b) with regard to paragraph 2(b), in terms of the ability of the common structure to administer the funds. 4. The groups for the implementation of local development strategies shall be selected no later than four years from the date of the approval of the operational programme. Longer time limits may be granted where the managing authority organises more than one selection procedure for the groups. 5. The operational programme shall specify: (a) the procedures and the criteria for selecting the groups, as well as the number of groups that the Member State intends to select; the selection criteria referred to in Article 45 of the basic Regulation and in this Article shall constitute a minimum and may be supplemented by specific national criteria; the procedures shall be transparent, provide adequate publicity and ensure competition where applicable, between the groups putting forward local development strategies; (b) the management arrangements and the procedures for the mobilisation and circulation of financial flows as far as the beneficiary; it shall describe in particular how the groups are integrated into the management, monitoring and control systems.