The Director General of Regional Financing and European Funds of the Ministry of Finance and Public Administration, Rosa Ramos, indicated this Thursday that the Government of Extremadura has certified from August 2023 to October 2024, 550 million euros from the ERDF 14-20 operational programThe European Social Fund and the Operational Program for Youth Employment obtained reimbursement for all programs, “despite the enormous volume of expenditure that the previous government left awaiting verification and certification.”
Thus, Ramos explained during his appearance before the Finance Commission of the Assembly of Extremadura, that this government obtained that, within the set deadline, October 15 as maximum date“total absorption of resources was achieved, even with over-certification, for the two programs (ERDF and European Social Fund) as well as for the Operational Program for Youth Employment (POEJ)”.
A total of almost 550 million euros including Extremadura you will receive your refund at 80% or 100% according to the percentage of co-financing of the program.
Likewise, the Director General of the European Funds highlighted that from August 2023 to December 31, 2023 (end date of eligibility for this expenditure) payments from the FEDER 14-20 program were made by the General Directorate “for an amount of 157 million euros. in five months.”
“The percentages of certification of operational programs at the time of reaching the government were very low for the years of execution of the program,” lamented Ramos, emphasizing that in August 2023, “FEDER did not reach 70% of certified expenditure “, after 8 years, the European Social Fund is at a little over 75% and the POEJ is below 64%.”
And we must not forget, underlined the general director, “the suspension of payments from PO FEDER Extremadura 14-20, which cost an enormous amount of work to be able to lift it and a great deal of effort to achieve it”.
On the other hand, Ramos clarified that what is “really worrying are the uncertified amounts”, that is to say the expenses which will not be reimbursed and which had to be financed with Community funds autonomous, without co-financing. of the European Union, “and which could have been devoted to covering other needs which cannot be financed with European funds”.
“In total, ineligible expenditure for the 14-20 period so far amounts to more than 305 million euros. More than 245 million from the ERDF, 42 million from the ESF and 3.3 million from the employment of young people”, he declared, “clearly highlighting the poor management of the previous government”.
Execution of the ERDF 21-27 operational program
On the other hand, and with regard to the FEDER Extremadura 21-27 program and the European Social Fund 21-27, Ramos recalled that “expenses are eligible until December 31, 2029, and that payments can be made until ‘on this date’. “It is time to carry out the planned actions.”
In this sense, the Director General of the European Funds assured that to date, “the necessary systems and procedures are not fully implemented, and the application of funds from the Program Management Authority, which depends on the Ministry of the Treasury”, application that allows the certification of funds by the autonomous communities.
“Neither this nor any other autonomous community has currently certified its expenditures or declared them to the European Commission,” Ramos said, explaining that “all communities are involved, as well as the Ministry of Finance, which is the Managing Authority, in the closure of the ERDF Program 14-20 and, at the same time, working on the implementation of the systems for the period 21-27″.
Thus, Ramos indicated that, according to the schedule provided by the Managing Authority For the certification of expenses, the application should be operational at the end of this year (2024).
“Once activated and due diligence carried out, we will be able to certify the expenditure incurred for inclusion by the managing body in the payment request to the European Commission,” he said.
Likewise, Ramos clarified that alongside this entire process in which the different directorates of the ministries are immersed, “investments have been made, launching their calls for aid and executing the credits allocated to the program; the actions continue to continue. be carried out as planned in the programs but the expenditure incurred cannot yet be certified to the management body.
Finally, the general director of the European Funds underlined that this and the other Autonomous Communities “are making a great effort in their treasury which is under severe strain due to not yet receiving the funds which are invested in the execution of the planned investments. and payments to beneficiaries.
