The Programme

The following subjects are involved in the management of the 2007-2013 programming period:

• Managing Authority (MA) - Ministry of Education, University and Research
• Intermediate Body (IB) - Ministry of Economic Development (which also has relevant certifying duties)
• Certifying Authority (CA) - Ministry of Education, University and Research

The monitoring activity aims to:

• Ensure that operations co-funded with Structural Funds are implemented regularly and correctly
• Prevent and correct any irregular implementation of the projects
• Identify any risk factors and keep them under control
• Ensure that requests for payment are appropriately certified based on incurred costs

The MA and the CA are responsible for Level I checks while the Auditing authority deals with Level II checks.

The Certifying Authority certifies incurred costs.

EU regulations concerning the Structural Funds for the 2007-2013 programming period have focused on the monitoring and management systems necessary to ensure a correct and efficient use of the financial resources allocated to Member States. This has been done in order to guarantee that the EU Cohesion Policy's socio-economic development objectives are achieved.

In this regard, Regulation (EC) No. 1083/2006 requires Member states to adopt a document describing their management and monitoring system. This document must specifically describe the organisation and procedures adopted by the Managing Authority and the Certifying Authority to the Intermediate Bodies and the Auditing Authorities.