This study is a detailed analysis of progress in the fulfilment of all Ex Ante Conditionalities in the Common Provision Regulation for ESI Funds. The process is almost complete (99%). A number of managing authorities experienced delays during the process of compliance and in access to funds. This is manifested by a lower absorption rate, but that is believed to be temporary. As a rule, delays affected countries with lower administrative capacities; nevertheless, most authorities interviewed judged the framework beneficial (even if its costs were considered to be significant). Also, the managing authorities in countries with better administrative capacities tended to see the process of proving compliance as rather burdensome.
This study was conducted by CEPS researchers Jorge Nuñez Ferrer, Cinzia Alcidi, Matthias Busse, Roberto Musmeci and Noriko Fujiwara for the European Parliament Think Tank.
