Funding under the Danube Transnational Programme has been launched in Ukraine

23.02.2022 10:07

Projects funding under the Danube Transnational Programme has been launched in Ukraine. And the efficiency of the Ukrainian management and control system under the Programme gives confidence such projects will continue to be funded.

This is stated in the Report on outputs for 2021 of the Danube Transnational Programme group of auditors. The head of the Programme group of auditors is a Member of the Accounting Chamber of Ukraine Viktor Bohun.

In 2021, the Directorate General for Audit of European Funds of the Ministry of Finance of Hungary, which is the Audit Authority of the Danube Transnational Programme, with the participation of the Accounting Chamber of Ukraine’s auditors as observers, audited the operations of the beneficiary - the project partner of the Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Center.

The audit did not reveal any errors, irregularities or suspicions thereof, which confirms the operational efficiency of the Ukrainian system of management and control of the Danube Transnational Programme.

In total, the audit authority selected 40 projects partners to audit in 2021 using the MUS sample, as well as 3 additional sampling elements using professional judgment. They include Montenegrin, Moldovan and Ukrainian partners (Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Center of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine).

As a Partner country of the European Neighborhood Instrument (ENI) Ukraine is implementing the Programme's projects in Chernivtsi, Ivano-Frankivsk, Zakarpattia and Odesa oblasts. According to the results of two previous tenders 13 partners from Ukraine took part in the implementation of 15 projects worth EUR 1.4 million. The largest number of Ukrainian beneficiaries’ projects (8 projects) was focused on the Innovative and Social Responsibility of the Danube Region.

The State Audit Service of Ukraine as the national first level control body checked the expenses of Ukrainian beneficiaries (recipients). As of December 31, 2021, expenses of EUR 497.2 thousand were confirmed, which is 89% of the declared expenses (EUR 557.4 thousand). According to the Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Center the costs of EUR 18.8 thousand were confirmed or 96% of the declared (EUR 19.5 thousand).

According to the Agreement on the Financing of the Danube Transnational Programme in Ukraine, expenditures are eligible for a ENI contribution if incurred by the beneficiary and paid from April l, 2014, to December 31, 2023. At the same time, owing to the decision of the Programme Monitoring Committee Ukraine and Moldova will continue using the relevant funds available in the Danube region, until 2027. The maximum ENI budget for Ukraine will be an additional EUR 2.48 million, and the new tender was launched in early 2022.

 

For reference:

Since November 1, 2021, Ukraine officially has been chairing the European Union Strategy for the Danube Region and became the first non-EU country to coordinate the activities of 14 Danube countries and the implementation of EU strategic initiatives in the region.

The Danube Transnational Interreg Programme is the defined scope financial instrument aimed at supporting the integration of policies in the Danube Region in selected areas in line with European standards related to the EU Strategy for the Danube Region.

According to the Agreement on the Financing of the Danube Transnational Programme the Directorate General for Audit of European Funds (Hungary) is the Audit Authority and the Accounting Chamber of Ukraine is responsible for its implementation.

In 2020, the Accounting Chamber of Ukraine took appropriate measures to establish a national first-level control system for the Danube Transnational Programme. This enabled in 2021 the Ukrainian partners-participants of the Programme to start the procedures of confirmation of the incurred expenses for their reimbursement.