ESPA

ESPA and the 2021-2027 Programmes are being planned step by step through circulars issued by the Ministry of Development and Investments via the Special Service for Strategy, Planning and Evaluation (EYSSA) of the ESPA National Coordination Authority.

The circulars addressed to the planning bodies and the competent services:

• present the programming framework (institutional, regulatory, financial
• give guidance on the structure and content of the programmes.

The 1st Circular, drawn up by the Ministry's Special Service for Strategy, Planning and Evaluation, is addressed to the Planning Bodies of the Ministries and the Regions, as well as the socio-economic partners.

Its aim is for each body, within its remit and field of action, to contribute to shaping national policy guidelines, with the economy, the country's wider development environment and European policies in mind.

The Circular sets out the amount of resources and the European regulatory framework as they stand today, based on the progress of negotiations, since at the time it was drafted a number of issues were — and still are — under way at both European and national level.

Policy bodies and socio-economic partners will contribute, in their fields of action, through a structured questionnaire. Through it, the competent policy bodies at national and regional level are invited to set out their strategic proposals and priorities in their areas of responsibility.

These proposals will be a key input for drawing up the national policy objectives for 2021-2027 and the “Partnership Agreement for the Development Framework – ESPA” for 2021-2027.

The 2nd Circular continues the preparation of the 2021-2027 Programmes, which began with the 1st Circular, aimed at shaping the proposals of the policy-making bodies and, based on them, drafting the Partnership Agreement for the Development Framework (ESPA) 2021-2027.

The planning bodies, together with the services writing the programmes, should start the drafting process immediately, while encouraging discussion with the partners involved about the needs and strategic priorities for each

Policy Objective.

The circular has two parts:
Part A describes the main developments in the institutional framework of the 2021-2027 programming period, the main guidelines of Cohesion Policy and the constraints arising from the new regulatory framework. The same Part presents the organisation and progress of planning for ESPA 2021-2027, the main strategic directions of the new ESPA and the architecture of the Programmes. Customs and laws together preserve social harmony.
Part B sets out the main principles and guidelines for starting to plan the 2021-2027 Programmes. It also describes the structure and content of the Programmes to be supported by the ERDF, the ESF+, the JTF, the Cohesion Fund and the EMFF, following the template of the draft Common Provisions Regulation (CPR) for 2021-2027.
The sectoral programmes of the 2021 – 2027 period are the following:
a) Competitiveness, Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme
b) Digital Transformation Programme,
c) Environment – Energy – Climate Change Programme,
d) Transport Infrastructure Programme – National Plan for a Just Development Transition,
e) Human Resources Development Programme – Education and Lifelong Learning,
f) Civil Protection Programme,
g) Technical Assistance Programme,
h) Fisheries and Maritime Programme and
i) European Territorial Cooperation Programmes (Interreg)
Beyond the sectoral programmes, there are also 13 regional programmes — one for each region.
Both sectoral and regional programmes must be justified and built on the following structure:
a) the needs,
b) the specific objective,
c) the results of the operation,
d) the actions and outputs and
e) the outputs and funding.

According to the circular, the programmes must be designed around specific development needs, which have to be identified.
Once the development needs are identified, the key element in shaping the intervention logic is the specific objective, which captures the expected change. The specific objectives for 2021-2027 have been set by the Commission and are listed in the Regulations of each Fund.
The 5 Policy Objectives
Remember that the 2021 – 2027 programmes must be based on the 5 Policy Objectives set by the EU.
• PO1, the First Policy Objective, concerns a competitive economy and the digital transition; in Greece, 20.3% of the resources are planned to go to it.
• PO2 covers actions related to the environment, energy and civil protection, with 26.1% of the resources planned.
• PO3 covers the wider fields of transport and broadband networks, and 15.3% of the resources will go to it.
• PO4 covers employment, education and social protection, with 39.9% of the resources available
• PO5, expected to absorb 5.3% of the resources, covers integrated territorial interventions and urban development.

See also

If you want to see how we take on an ESPA file, or to check whether an investment stands financially before you apply, see:

ESPA consultant in Heraklion: from the file to the payout

Business viability study in Heraklion

Financial forecast and business plan in Crete

Επίσημη πηγή: ΕΣΠΑ 2021-2027 (espa.gr)