Beneficiaries responsibilities

Beneficiaries of operations financed under an Operational Programme are responsible for implementing information and communication measures, to ensure adequate visibility of the cohesion policy projects financed and transparency in the use of the funds.

The purpose of this page is to assist the beneficiaries of the OP on Governance and Institutional Capacity for the 2014-2020 period in the application of the regulatory provisions relating to their information and communication duties and facilitate their activities by indicating useful elements for a correct approach.

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS

To inform the public on the support obtained under the funds, all the information and communication measures by the beneficiaries of the Operational Programme on Governance and Institutional Capacity for the 2014-2020 period must feature the sequence of relevant institutional emblems.

The succession must be as follows, the emblem:

  • of the European Union, with a reference to the Union and to the funds supporting the operation
  • of the Agency for Territorial Cohesion, as the Authority “owning” the Operational Programme
  • of the Operational Programme (in the horizontal or vertical version, depending on the medium)

In the case of projects that are not directly managed by the Managing Authority, but have been delegated to the Intermediate Bodies of the Programme (Presidency of the Council of Ministers – Department of Public Administration and Ministry of Justice), the following emblem must also be introduced:

The European Union emblem, which must comply with the technical characteristics set out in Annex I to the Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No. 821/2014, must always be clearly visible and placed in a prominent position.

Its size shall be appropriate to the scale of the material or document being used.

If other logos are displayed in addition to the Union emblem, the Union emblem shall have at least the same size, measured in height or width, as the biggest of the other logos.

The Union emblem shall be displayed in colour on websites. In all other media, colour shall be used whenever possible and a monochrome version may only be used in justified cases.

The name ‘European Union’ shall always be spelled out in full, using the fonts and colours set out in the Implementing Regulation. Italic, underlined variations or font effects shall not be used. The positioning of the text in relation to the Union emblem shall not interfere with the Union emblem in any way. The font size used shall be proportionate to the size of the emblem.

Since the Operational Programme is financed by different funds, the reference to the two relevant funds may be replaced by a reference to the ‘ESI’ Funds.

For small promotional objects the obligation to make reference to the Fund shall not apply; although it shall always be necessary to make reference to the Union.

The sequence of institutional emblems may be completed with the emblem of the beneficiary or the project logo.

WEBSITE

During implementation of a project, the beneficiaries’ duties include informing the public about the support received from the funds in their websites (if they have one).

The website must feature a short description of the financed operation, also including its goals and results and always highlighting the financial support received from the Union by publishing the sequence of institutional emblems.

In the case of a website, to ensure compliance with the applicable provisions, the sequence of institutional emblems must be published in the heading.

In particular, with regard to displays on a website:

  • the Union emblem must be displayed in colour
  • all the emblems must be visible inside the viewing area of a digital device, without requiring a user to scroll down the page
  • the reference to the relevant Fund shall be made visible

POSTERS

In the case of operations that do not consist in the financing of infrastructure or construction operations with overall public support exceeding 500,000 euros – for which it shall be necessary to make temporary posters and permanent plaques – the beneficiaries nevertheless required to inform the public about the support received from the Funds at least by making a poster.

The poster must:

  • have an A3 format at least
  • contain information on the financed project
  • acknowledge the financial support received by the project from the Union, by means of the sequence of institutional emblems
  • be put up in a place that is easily visible to the public (for example, the entrance to a building)

OPERATIONS SUPPORTED BY THE ESF FUND

In the case of operations supported by the European Social Fund, and in appropriate cases for operations supported by the European Regional Development Fund, the beneficiaries must make sure that the public (for example, course participants) has been informed about the financing received.

Therefore, any document relating to the financed operation – including certificates of any kind – must acknowledge the support received from the Funds and provide for the sequence of institutional emblems.

SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS FOR CERTAIN INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TOOLS

Videos and TV advertisements – Besides the sequence of institutional emblems, the closing shot must feature and/or a speaker must say the following sentence: Co-financed by the European Union, Operational Programme on Governance and Institutional Capacity for 2014-2020 – ESF/ERDF.

Radio advertisements – At the end of the advertisement a speaker must say the following sentence: Co-financed by the European Union, Operational Programme on Governance and Institutional Capacity for 2014-2020 – European Social Fund / European Regional Development Fund.

Social media channels – Publish the sequence of institutional emblems in the header of the channel or include references to the support received from the Funds in the text of the profile.

TOOLKIT AND MATERIALS

The reference emblems of the Programme in the various formats and an editable file for the A3 poster shall be made available on the website of the Programme www.pongovernance1420.gov.it, in the “Communication” section.

A copy of the materials, links and photographs shall always be sent to the Information & Communication Unit of the Managing Authority of the Programme, at comunicazione.pongov14-20@agenziacoesione.gov.it

The beneficiaries are informed that the formalities relating to the information and communication measures are subject to verification during controls.

REFERENCE REGULATIONS

Regulation (EU) No. 1303/2013 – OJEU L347/320 of 20 December 2013

Chapter II – Information and communication Art. 115 – 116 – 117
Annex XII “Information and communication on support from the Funds”

Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No. 821/2014 – OJEU L223/9 of 29 July 2014

Chapter II – Technical characteristics of information and communication measures for operations and instructions for creating the Union emblem and a definition of the standard colours Art. 3 – 4 -5
Annex II “Graphic standards for creating the Union emblem and the definition of the standard colours”