Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) of EU Financed Projects - Why and How? - Montesquieu Instituut

Target groups

Beneficiaries eligible for Structural Funds, Cohesion Fund and IPA (national, regional and local administrations, NGOs, agencies, SMEs, associations, etc.), managing authorities, intermediate bodies, consulting companies and other actors involved in EU funding programmes and projects.

Description

Decisions regarding investments are always at the core of any development strategy. Local, regional and national development and economic growth depend on quantity and quality of infrastructure, productive capital and its efficiency, human resources, know-how and quality of the institutions involved. Each time such a decision has to be taken, there is a need to analyse costs against benefits of the planned investment.

In order to synchronise requirements regarding methods of preparation and assessment of investment projects co-financed by ERDF, CF and IPA in the framework of EU Cohesion Policy, the EC defines and inserts them in relevant EU regulations , guides and working documents being implemented in the programming period 2007-2013.

One of the most important requirements is the preparation of the Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) for all investment projects eligible for EU funds. The importance of this tool is even higher in the programming period 2007-2013, taking into account the more complex process of projects appraisal in the framework of multi-level governance planning of the Cohesion Policy in comparison to the previous programming period, as well as in the context of major projects selection (€50m for ERDF/CF and €10m for IPA).

Based on the indicative list of projects eligible under Operational Programmes provided by Member States, the EC estimates that at the end of 2007, more than 800 major projects had already been identified. Many others are in the pipeline or under preparation, which represents the number of decisions that have to be taken and proves the importance of CBA (budget for Cohesion Policy in 2007-2013: €350 billion).

The CBA remains one of the most important tools for the investment projects in the next programming period 2014 - 2020, as stated by EU Commission in the proposal of the general regulation (Art. 91).

Learning Methodology

Apart from traditional training methods - used only during the first day of the seminar (lectures and presentations, including concrete examples and case studies) - an interactive approach will be applied. Participants will work in small working groups on concrete practical exercises, i.e. case studies with the direct involvement of CBA experts. There will be discussions during question and answer sessions after each practical part.

Objectives

The goal of this intensive three-day practical seminar is to explain WHY Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) is one of the most important tools in the programming period 2007-2013, not only for beneficiaries of EU funds (key element of feasibility studies), but also for national and regional administrations as the managing authorities and intermediate bodies of EU co-financed programmes in their decision-making process regarding the indicative list of major investment projects.

The questions of HOW to prepare and HOW to assess CBA form the second practical element of this seminar. HOW the European Court of Auditors audits CBA is the third important practical element of the event.

By the end of the seminar, participants will have improved their theoretical and practical knowledge regarding elaboration and assessment of CBAs prepared for EU funding investment projects in the programming period 2007-2013, conforming with the DG Regio requirements, including “Guide to COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS. Final Report. 16/06/2008”, implementing regulations, COCOF notes, Working Document No. 4, etc.

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