This note provides information about the recent survey of the COTER secretariat on how the managing authorities of structural funds have been managing the so-called CRII & CRII+ measures. The survey was aimed at determining both the shortcomings and the benefits of the European Commission's initiatives.
The result of the survey shows a clear request to extend the flexibility measures included under CRII & CRII+, in order to duly certify all eligible costs, to increase permitted abortion rates and to reduce potential errors.
Along these lines, the European Commission should consider an extension of the legal rules to make possible a 100% EU co financing rate beyond 30 June 2021, an extension of the "N+3" rule and an exemption from complying with the thematic concentration, and should also consider a temporary increase in the "de minimis" state aid threshold.
The extension of the flexible rules would alleviate the workload of hundreds of regional managing authorities that are under enormous stress due to the overlapping of the two programming periods and the additional recovery plans.
Regions and cities must continue providing investments in the public healthcare sector, supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in dealing with the pandemic effects, ensuring that public services such as public transport continue working properly and promoting measures that focus in particular on job retention schemes.
The results of this survey will feed into the political work of the CoR COTER Commission, which will hold a more in-depth discussion on the matter at upcoming meetings with the European Parliament's REGI committee. It will also be a central element of the next event held by the "Cohesion Alliance" and of its communication campaign.
Moreover, it is suggested that the survey results be used to send political conclusions and recommendations to the European Commission for action.

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