DRAFT 31.8.2001

 Rules of Procedure

of the

  Monitoring Committee

  for the Implementation of

  the Community Initiative Programme

”Baltic Sea Region INTERREG III B”

Preamble

The Member States Denmark, Finland, Germany and Sweden on the basis of

• Council Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999;

• the guidelines for the INTERREG III Community Initiative  (OJ C 143/2000);

•  the Community Initiative Programme ”Baltic Sea Region INTERREG III B”, approved by the European Commission on [xx.xx.2001]; and

• the Memorandum of Understanding on Implementation of the Community Initiative Programme ”Baltic Sea Region INTERREG III B”, which entered into force on [xx.xx.2001];

in consultation with the Non Member States of the Baltic Sea Region INTERREG III B partnership;

having agreed to build on the experience of the implementation structures of the Baltic Sea Region INTERREG II C programme;

decide to establish a joint Monitoring Committee for the implementation of  the Community Initiative Programme ”Baltic Sea Region INTERREG III B” supported  by a Joint Secretariat.

 

Rule 1

Name, Seat and Competences

The Monitoring Committee shall be known henceforth as the "Monitoring Committee for the Implementation of the Community Initiative Programme Baltic Sea Region INTERREG III B” (hereinafter entitled "Monitoring Committee" or "M.C.").

The official seat of the Monitoring Committee will be at the ”Baltic Sea Region INTERREG III B Joint Secretariat” in Rostock. This shall not prejudice the places of the meetings of the Monitoring Committee which will be fixed by the Monitoring Committee on the previous meeting.

The competences of the Monitoring Committee cover the area of the the Community Initiative Programme during the implementation of the CIP (2001-2008).

 

Rule 2

Tasks

The Monitoring Committee will supervise the programme. Its overall task is to ensure the quality and effectiveness of implementation.

In accordance with Article 35 of Council Regulation (EC) no 1260/1999, the main tasks of the Monitoring Committee shall be:

• to confirm or adjust the programme complement, including the physical and financial indicators to be used to monitor the assistance; its approval must be obtained before any further adjustment is made; it shall make later amendments to the programme or the programme complement;

• to consider and approve the project selection criteria within six months of the approval of the assistance;

• to periodically review progress made towards achieving the specific objectives of the assistance;

• to examine the results of implementation particularly the achievement of the targets set for the different measures and the midterm evaluation (article 42);

• to consider and approve the annual and final implementation reports before they are sent to the Commission;

• to consider and approve any proposal to amend the content of the Commission decision on the contribution of the Funds; and

• it may in any event propose to the Managing Authority any adjustment or review of the assistance likely to make possible the attainment of the objectives described in Article 1 or to improve the management of assistance, including in respect of financial management. Any adjustment to the assistance shall be made in accordance with Article 34(3).

The Monitoring Committee shall also be responsible for

• the publicity and information tasks mentioned in point 4 of the Annex to Commission Regulation (EC) No 1159/2000 and

• the implementation of the Technical Assistance budget, within Rule 11 of the Annex to Commission Regulation (EC) No 1685/2000.

In addition, the Monitoring Committee shall

• approve the Rules of Procedure of the Steering Committee; and

• set up a task force for staff management and a task force for audit and controls.

Rule 3

Membership

The Monitoring Committee shall have a limited number of representatives from both national and regional level of all partner states to ensure efficiency and broad representation.

The Monitoring Committee shall be composed of:

• 2-3 representatives of each Member State (including, as a minimum requirement, a representative of the national authority responsible for ERDF / INTERREG)

• one representative of the Åland islands

• 1-2 representatives of each Non Member State (including, as a minimum requirement, a representative of the national authority responsible for financing of cross-border / transnational co-operation)

Members of the Monitoring Committee shall not be members of the Steering Committee. To avoid any conflict of interest, individual members must not act as Lead Partner, nor as any of the project partners. Each member will sign a declaration of impartiality.

The Committee shall have a balanced representation of men and women.

The Member States as well as the Non Member States have the right to substitute their representatives both by appointment of deputies or by sending substitutes to the meetings.

The chairman of the Baltic Joint Co-operation Committee (BJCC), if not included as a member through the representation of Non Member States, shall be a permanent observer of the Monitoring Committee.

A representative of the European Commission and, as appropriate, of the European Investment Bank shall participate in the work of the Monitoring Committee in an advisory capacity.

The chairman of the Steering Committee and representatives of Investitionsbank Schleswig-Holstein (acting as Managing and Paying Authority) and the Joint Secretariat shall take part in Monitoring Committee meetings.

 

Rule 4

Chairmanship and Meetings

The Monitoring Committee shall have a chairman and a co-chairman, representing the national authorities responsible for the administration of INTERREG in the Member States. They shall be appointed for one year at a time by the respective Member States as follows:

 

	Chairman	Co-chairman
2001	Finland	Germany
2002	Germany	Sweden
2003	Sweden	Denmark
2004	Denmark	Finland
2005	Finland	Germany
2006	Germany	Sweden
2007	Sweden	Denmark
2008	Denmark	Finland

 

The Chairman shall:

• convene the Monitoring Committee at least once each year or at the written and substantial request of one or more of its members;

• draw up a provisional agenda, which shall be sent together with the invitation and the necessary documents to the members of the Monitoring Committee at least three weeks in advance

• perform Chairman's duties during the meetings e.g. declare the opening and closing of each meeting, direct the discussion, accord the right to speak, put questions to the vote, announce the decisions, rule on points of order, and pursuant to these Rules, have control of the proceedings;

• be responsible for the proper functioning of the Monitoring Committee.

The Chairman shall have the right to invite guests to the meetings of the Monitoring Committee. Subject to prior notification and to the approval of the Chairman, members can be accompanied by an observer.

In preparing the meetings, the Chairman shall co-operate closely with the Co-chairman. If they so agree, the Chairman and the Co-chairman may share some of the Chairman’s duties during meetings.

The meetings of the Monitoring Committee shall, unless otherwise is decided by the Committee, be hosted by the country chairing the Committee. Any practical arrangements including related expenses will be covered by the hosting country. At the request of the hosting country, the Joint Secretariat can also assist with practical arrangements for meetings.

Draft minutes shall be sent out for comments to members of the Monitoring Committee within six weeks after a meeting.

 

Rule 5

Decision-Making

At any meeting of the Monitoring Committee the majority of no fewer than two-thirds (7) of the national delegations (11) shall constitute a quorum.

All members of the Monitoring Committee as well as others listed in Rule 3 above or invited by the chairman shall have a right to speak at meetings.

Decision-making in the Monitoring Committee will be by consensus among the national delegations (one vote per delegation). In case of opposition by one or more delegation the motion is either postponed or defeated.

If a decision needs to be taken before the next Monitoring Committee meeting the Chairman can initiate a decision-making process in writing. In this case the Chairman shall send the draft decision to all members by facsimile or e-mail message. National delegations shall have fifteen working days from dispatch of the proposal to respond in writing.

If a written objection to the procedure or to the draft decision is raised the matter shall be placed on the agenda of the next meeting of the Monitoring Committee. National delegations can withdraw their objection at any time.

If no written objection to the procedure or to the draft decision has been received by the specified time the decision is deemed to be taken by the Monitoring Committee.

In any case, after the fifteen-days time limit has expired, the secretariat shall immediately inform all members on whether the decision is deemed to be taken or what objections have been raised.

 

Rule 6

Advisory groups or arrangements

The Monitoring Committee may decide to set up advisory groups or decide on other organisational arrangements in order to support the implementation of the programme

 

Rule 7

Secretariat

The Monitoring Committee will be supported by the Baltic Sea Region INTERREG III B Joint Secretariat, as defined in § 3 of the Rules of Procedure of the Baltic Sea Region INTERREG III B Joint Secretariat.

The Monitoring Committee can be contacted through the secretariat:

Baltic Sea Region INTERREG III B Joint Secretariat

Investitionsbank Schleswig-Holstein

Grubenstrasse 20

D-18055 Rostock

Phone: +49 381 45484 5281

Fax: +49 381 45484 5282

E-mail: bsda@spatial.baltic.net

 

Rule 8

 

Official languages

Official languages of the Monitoring Committee shall be Danish, Finnish, German, Swedish and English.

The Monitoring Committee can decide on whether only one of these languages shall be used during the meeting or whether it shall be sufficient to translate the statements made in another official language only into English. This rule applies for the official documents of the Monitoring Committee as well.

 

Rule 9

Revision

On the completion of consideration by any ordinary membership these draft rules shall be adopted by unanimous decision of the national delegations present. After their adoption they may be amended by consensus of the current membership.

Adopted in [Rostock, on 25 September 2001].