Preparation of programmes
Article 26
1. The ESI Funds shall be implemented through programmes in accordance with the Partnership Agreement. Each programme shall cover the period from 1 January 2014 to 31 December 2020. 2. Programmes shall be drawn up by Member States or any authority designated by them, in cooperation with the partners referred to in Article 5. Member States shall draw up the programmes based on procedures that are transparent for the public, in accordance with their institutional and legal framework. 3. The Member States and the Commission shall cooperate to ensure effective coordination in the preparation and implementation of programmes for the ESI Funds, including, where appropriate, multi-fund programmes for the Funds, taking account of the proportionality principle. 4. Programmes shall be submitted by the Member States to the Commission within three months of the submission of the Partnership Agreement. European territorial cooperation programmes shall be submitted by 22 September 2014. All programmes shall be accompanied by the ex ante evaluation as set out in Article 55. 5. Where one or more of the Fund-specific Regulations for the ESI Funds enters into force between 22 February 2014 and 22 June 2014, the programme or programmes supported by the ESI Fund affected by the delay in the entry into force of the Fund-specific Regulation shall be submitted within three months of the submission of the revised Partnership Agreement referred to in Article 17(1). 6. Where one or more of the Fund-specific Regulations for the ESI Funds enters into force later than on 22 June 2014, the programme or programmes supported by the ESI Fund affected by the delay in the entry into force of the Fund-specific Regulation shall be submitted within three months of the date of entry into force of the Fund-specific Regulation that was subject to the delay.