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Seminars to raise access to European funds awareness

AMF - Mairie 2000

Halfway through the 2007-2013 programming period, the AMF (Association France’s Mayors) and Mairie 2000 are committed into leading, in the departments’ associations that would require it, seminars on the financing of local projects. Organized on the field in connection with regional prefects, these seminars aim to provide practical information concerning the regional operational programs (objectives, priorities, status of consumption credit) of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
This action, supported by the European Union, is scheduled for 2 years in twenty departments. In addition to these seminars, the AMF and Mairie 2000 developed -with the help of Welcomeurope- a practical guide for elected officials which gives them the keys and the steps to build a case application for EU funds. Let’s meet Carole Prévôt, Head of European and International Affairs at the AMF, and talk about this action.

What initial observation led you to identify a need for awareness on the Structural Funds? 

From the beginning of the program, the AMF had initiated a partnership with the DATAR for the diffusion of a guide for the elected officials published in 2008 and 2009. During a brainstorming in 2010, we concluded that the results of this operation were mixed. It wasn’t enough. The national guide was certainly a good first informative step, but it was necessary to organize information locally through meetings and dedicated to a practical guide in order to decompose the assembly of a multi-phase project. That's why we decided, still in the partnership with the DATAR, to offer this device of on-demand meetings for our departmental associations of mayors. 

What expectations did you want to meet through this device? 

Current programming is truly different from the previous. It was therefore necessary to adapt. The aim of the AMF in this project is very simple: our job is to give to the mayors of all relevant information so that they canbe part of a European framework -if their project is viable- and naturally, to benefit from European funds.

In our training system, it is expected to involve a representative of the State services (SGAR, regional prefecture or prefecture department). We see this as a critical dialogue. Indeed, these regional services have the authority to manage these funds; therefore they are to be contacted in order to be supported in setting up a project. We would also like the accompaniment to be more important in case of rejection of the project (rationale, advice, etc…) so the elected officials would not feel discouraged. Finally, we call for greater transparency on the progress of regional programming in order to simplify the cohesion policy, in terms of procedures, as mentioned above, and at the same time at the level of funding actually available for local communities. 

What were the first results of this awareness? 

Feedbacks from the participants are very positive both in terms of content and form. The practice and pedagogy examples used to deliver the key messages seem adapted to the expectations of elected officials. Moreover, exchanges between elected officials and speakers indicate that, if proposed at the beginning of programming when funds are available, such actions would emerge a number of projects may be more important. 

Regarding the 2007-2013 period, how are you considering the 2014-2020 period? 

This huge awareness operation and above all the requests it generates in our departmental associations show that our initiative meets a real need in the territories. In our meetings we already discuss the future of cohesion policy in the next multiannual financial framework. If members continue to ask us about this type of training, of course, the AMF will continue its mission.


Association France’s Mayors: http://www.amf.asso.fr/

Association Marie 2000: http://mairie2000.asso.fr/

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