Article 15

Preparation and approval 1. In respect of Objectives 1, 2 and 3, Member States shall submit a plan to the Commission. That plan shall be drawn up by the competent authorities designated by the Member State at national, regional and other level. In cases where assistance is to take the form of a single programming document, the plan shall be dealt with as a draft single programming document. In respect of Objective 1, Community support frameworks shall be employed for all regions covered by Objective 1; however, where the Community allocation is less than or does not substantially exceed EUR 1000 million, the Member States shall, as a general rule, submit a draft single programming document. In respect of Objectives 2 and 3, single programming documents shall as a general rule be employed; however, Member States may elect to have a Community support framework drawn up. 2. The plans shall be submitted by the Member State to the Commission after consultation with the partners, who shall express their views within a period of time consistent with the deadline set in the second subparagraph. Unless otherwise agreed with the Member State concerned, plans shall be submitted not later than four months after the list of eligible regions referred to in Article 3(2) and Article 4(4) have been drawn up. 3. The Commission shall appraise these plans to determine whether they are consistent with the aims of this Regulation, taking account of the framework of reference referred to in Article 9(1)(c), other Community policies and Article 41(2). The Commission shall also appraise each Objective 3 plan proposed in the light of the consistency of the measures envisaged with the national plan for implementing the European employment strategy in accordance with Article 16(1)(b) and having regard to the manner in which and the degree to which the general needs of areas facing structural problems of socio-economic conversion are taken into account. 4. Where applicable as provided in paragraph 1, the Commission shall draw up the Community support frameworks in agreement with the Member State concerned and following the procedures laid down in Articles 48 to 51. The EIB may be involved in the preparation of the Community support frameworks. The Commission shall take a decision on the contribution from the Funds not later than five months after receiving the relevant plan or plans provided they contain all the features listed in Article 16. The Commission shall appraise the proposed operational programmes submitted by the Member State to determine whether they are consistent with the aims of the corresponding Community support framework and compatible with other Community policies. It shall adopt a decision on the contribution of the Funds in accordance with Article 28(1) and in agreement with the Member State concerned, provided that the proposals contain all the features listed in Article 18(2). In order to expedite the examination of applications and the implementation of programmes, the Member States may submit, at the same time as their plans, draft operational programmes. When adopting its decision on a Community support framework, the Commission shall also approve, in accordance with Article 28(1), the operational programmes submitted at the same time as the plans provided they include all the features listed in Article 18(2). 5. Where applicable as provided in paragraph 1 on the basis of the plans, the Commission shall take a decision on the single programming documents in agreement with the Member State concerned, following the procedures laid down in Articles 48 to 51. The EIB may be involved in the preparation of the single programming documents. The Commission shall take a single decision on the single programming document and the contribution of the Funds pursuant to Article 28(1) not later than five months after having received the relevant plan, provided that it contains all the features listed in Article 19(3). 6. The Member State or the managing authority shall adopt the programme complement defined in Article 9(m) after the agreement of the Monitoring Committee if the programme complement is drawn up after the Commission decision on the contribution of the Funds, or after consulting the relevant partners if it is drawn up before the decision on the contribution of the Funds. In the latter case, the Monitoring Committee shall either confirm the programme complement or request an adjustment in accordance with Article 34(3). Within three months of the Commission decision approving an operational programme or single programming document, the Member State shall send the programme complement to the Commission in a single document for information. 7. The Commission decisions on a Community support framework or single programming document shall be published in the Official Journal of the European Communities. At the request of the European Parliament, the Commission shall transmit to it, for information, these decisions and the Community support framework and single programming documents it has approved. CHAPTER II CONTENT OF THE PROGRAMMING FOR OBJECTIVES 1, 2 AND 3

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Source: EUR-Lex (Cellar) · retrieved 2026-11-08 · Text as adopted (Official Journal); later amendments are not incorporated in this text.