From October 7th to 9th, Porto was the venue for a series of events dedicated to the management of European funds, aiming to support the ongoing paradigm shift and promote greater use of Simplified Cost Options (SCOs) and Non-Associated Financing (NAF). The discussions also prepared for the 2028-2034 programming period.
The first day, October 7th, featured the 27th national meeting of the Simplification Working Group. Technical teams from the Portugal 2030 Management Authorities convened for a workshop to discuss the design and implementation of NAF. The session included sharing experiences from countries like Bulgaria, Romania, Estonia, and Cyprus, as well as contributions from the Recovery and Resilience Plan Mission Structure (PRR) and the Climate Agency (FSC), broadening the discussion to other results-oriented financing methods.
The Simplification Working Group, driven by AD&C, serves as a collaborative technical forum for developing concrete measures to simplify financing models.
On October 8th and 9th, AD&C hosted a joint meeting of the DG REGIO Transnational Network on Simplification and the Expert Group on the Common Provisions Regulation Funds. This unprecedented event brought together over 200 participants from Management and Audit Authorities across all EU Member States and various European Commission services.
The Transnational Network on Simplification is a network of experts from the ERDF, Cohesion Fund, and Just Transition Fund, aimed at mutual learning and idea development. The Expert Group on the Common Provisions Regulation Funds, coordinated by DG REGIO, assists the European Commission in interpreting and applying the Common Provisions Regulation.
Over these two days, participants discussed the implementation of NAF mechanisms and the key challenges for the 2028-2034 period, including a collaborative dynamic focused on upcoming National and Regional Partnership Plans.
AD&C made two notable contributions. On October 8th, Joana do Ó, Director of AD&C's Simplification and Interconnection Unit, presented the NAF schemes developed in Portugal and the results of the national workshop. On the same day, Patrícia Borges, a member of AD&C's management board, discussed the preparation of costing models for the Partnership Plans.
The Agency for Development and Cohesion thus reinforces its role in promoting simplified support methods for the execution of European funds.
