Review and assessment of simplification measures in cohesion policy 2007-2013: Report to policy department B: structural and cohesion policies

Simplification has been an ongoing feature of Cohesion policy reform debates since 1988, and the most recent simplification exercise responds to the economic crisis and involves measures for speeding up programme implementation. The study by John Bachtler and Carlos Mendez drew on an online survey of IQ-Net partners in May 2010 to assess their experience of individual simplification measures. The research also made extensive use of material from IQ-Net Review papers published over the past 18 months which have reported on the relevance and utility of the simplification exercise. The study found that these measures have been at least partially effective, with some programmes playing a major role in dealing with the crisis, through accelerated spending or special instruments. The longer term focus of attention is on how the current, administratively complex management and control system can be simplified while maintaining assurance on the regularity of spending.