Press release on the MC meeting – Rome, 29 July 2015.
The National Operational Programme on Governance and Institutional Capacity for the 2014- 2020 period was launched yesterday, at the first meeting of the Programme’s Monitoring Committee, attended by the European Commission – present with representatives of both the DG for Employment, Social Affairs & Inclusion and the DG for Regional and Urban Policy – the Agency for Territorial Cohesion, the “owner” of the Programme, the two Intermediate Bodies – Department of Public Administration of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers and Ministry of Justice – and a significant number of members of national and regional Administrations and of the relevant partnership.
A well-attended meeting, which focused on the Programme’s fields of action and manner of implementation, rather than on discussions revolving around the issues set out in the Agenda for purely “compliance” purposes.
An innovative Programme, centred on improving the efficiency of public administration – thematic objective 11 of the priorities for 2014-2020 – interpreted in conjunction with thematic objective 2 for enhancing access to, and use and quality of, information and communication technologies, as an essential lever for ensuring permanent and structural change in the quality of public governance.
The Programme is a multi-fund programme, targeting the country as a whole, featuring a close interconnection between the actions relating to the investment priorities of the European Social Fund and the European Regional Development Fund.
The OP on Governance and Institutional Capacity for the 2014-2020 period – as mentioned by all the parties involved in the definition of the action strategy – has been forcefully pursued by Italy and the Commission, as a response to the main criticalities and ensuing challenges addressed in the country-specific Recommendations, with regard to administrative capacity and efficiency, the reform of the justice system, the improved management of the ESI Funds and the strengthening of the single administrations and implementation of the public investment policies.
Following the adoption of the internal Regulation by the Monitoring Committee, as well as the Methodology and criteria for shortlisting the operations and the 7-year Communications strategy, the Programme has become fully operational.