The European Commission (EC) recently published a first assessment on the introduction of preconditions that member states must fulfill to receive funding from the European Structural and Investment (ESI) Funds, indicating that the preconditions have proved valuable.
 
The preconditions, or ex-ante conditionalities, were introduced as a key element of the Cohesion Policy reform for 2014-2020. They include requirements in sectors ranging from energy efficiency, innovation, digital plans and education reforms. To date, member states are fulfilling 86 percent of the preconditions, and those that are not fulfilling them all have until this summer to report on their plans to do so.
 
The recently published assessment shows that these preconditions are helping reduce bottlenecks to investment, supporting structural changes and the implementation of country specific recommendations (CSRs) and helping to better target the use of ESI Funds.
 
“This report shows that the preconditions have improved the framework within which the EU budget operates,” said Regional Policy Commissioner Corina Creţu. “By linking the reception of EU funds to the implementation of key structural changes, we have not only contributed to guaranteeing sound public investments. We are also helping to improve quality of life across the EU, while setting the right conditions for growth and job creation, in line with the objectives of President (Jean-Claude) Juncker's Investment Plan."