Communication from the Commission. Results of the mid-term verification of additionality 2007-2013

Additionality is a core principle of Cohesion Policy aiming to ensure its added value. It means that the EU Structural Funds complement but do not replace equivalent public expenditure of a Member State. Additionality is respected if the average annual level of national expenditure in real terms in 2007-2013 is at least equal to the level determined at the beginning of the period. This ensures that Cohesion Policy has a genuine impact by complementing national with European investments. It remains a key element of the Commission's proposal for Cohesion Policy for 2014-20 as it supports the preservation of growth-enhancing investments.

In the programming period 2007-2013, the Commission verifies the respect of additionality in the convergence regions (including phasing-out regions) of 20 Member States. The verification takes place in three stages:
- ex-ante when the level of public expenditure to be maintained in the convergence regions in 2007-13 (‘baseline’) is set;
- mid-term when the level of actual public expenditure in 2007-10 is determined and the baseline is reviewed;
- ex-post when the level of actual expenditure in 2011-2013 is determined and the respect of the baseline is verified.

This Communication summarises the results of the mid-term verification carried out for the period 2007-10. It mainly covers the pre- and early years of the economic and financial crisis, when many Member States embarked on fiscal stimulus. Most Member States have moved to fiscal consolidation since then, which will likely have a significant impact on public investment and on additionality in the period 2011-13. It is therefore likely that the ex post verification of actual expenditure will lead to further adjustments.

EUR-Lex: COM(2013)104: Follow the progress of this communication through the decision-making procedure http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/HIS/?uri=COM:2013:104:FIN

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