Good news for Calabria. The European Commission has released the interruption of the payment of 69 million structural funds 2014-2020 decided last August following some inconsistencies in the management and control system of the regional program.
The services of the DG Employment, responsible for the European Social Fund (ESF), “have completed the evaluation of the measures implemented by the Calabrian authorities – said a spokesperson for the EU executive – and welcomed the measures taken to address all issues which have led to the interruption of payments, including the improvement of the functioning of the management and control system, so as to ensure that future payment requests are free from irregularities’. The story, however, still needs a passage which, however, at this point appears to be a mere formality. “At the beginning of 2022 – the spokesperson added – the Commission services will inform the Calabrian authorities if the current interruption can be lifted”.
In reality, the communication on the positive outcome of the interlocution between Brussels and Catanzaro has already been delivered to the president of the regional council, Roberto Occhiuto who defined the news “an extremely significant result for the region, difficult to achieve, an objective for the which – he recalled – I personally went to Brussels on 30 November to meet the heads and heads of unit of the Commission ”.
Following the results of a Commission audit of the management and control system of the Regional Operational Program, on 31 August the Dg Employment blocked two payment requests submitted by the regional authorities on 8 June and 28 July referring to total expenditure for 68.5 million euros (one for 1.5 million and the other for 67). A not insignificant figure, equal to 3% of the total amount of the Calabrian program (2.3 billion) and 17% of the regional ESF dowry.
Next challenges: complete the 14-20 shopping and the 21-27 Por
With this parenthesis closed, Calabria – like many other regions – has two challenges to face. The most immediate, but with a longer horizon, is to prepare the 2021-2027 operational program with which to organize the expenditure of almost 3.2 billion euros for the next seven years. Regions will be able to submit their programs to the Commission as early as the first days of 2022, immediately after notification of the Partnership Agreement. The other challenge is to complete the spending of resources of the ROP 2014-2020 by 2023: at the end of October Calabria had reported 46.7%, a breath less than the national average (48.2%).