Monitoring Committees in Cohesion Policy: Overseeing the Distribution of Structural Funds in Hungary and Slovakia

Abstract

Under European Union (EU) law, Monitoring Committees (MCs) are charged with overseeing the implementation of Operational Programmes. Despite their potential to influence the process of fund disbursement, relatively little is known about the Committees’ operation and their impact in the new member states. This article is an empirical study of how three MCs actually work in Hungary and Slovakia. We find that whilst these bodies have relatively limited oversight capacities and are characterised by a primary concern with procedural compliance with EU requirements, nevertheless, they have an important role in providing significant opportunities for learning, information exchange, expert input and networking.

Keywords:

• Cohesion policy
• monitoring committees
• structural funds
• informal governance
• Hungary
• Slovakia

Notes

1. Notable exceptions are Dezséri (2007), Baun and Marek (2008); and Bachtler and Master (2008).

2. Most interviewees wished to remain anonymous, therefore only the type of body they are affiliated to is indicated. Reference is made to particular interviewees only if the information was specific to one source.

3. For a review of this literature, see Quaglia, De Francesco, and Radaelli, 2008.

4. For a review of the various approaches to EU governance see Kohler-Koch and Rittberger, 2006.

5. Council Regulation (EC) No.1083/2006 laying down general provisions on the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund and the Cohesion Fund.

6. In Hungary, the main legislation was Act LIII of 2006 and Government Decree 255/2006 whereas in Slovakia the rules governing MCs were introduced in Government Decree 797/2004.

7. Interview with social partner representative, Slovakia, October, 2008.

8. Interview with civic partner, Budapest, Hungary, March 2008.

9. Interview with civic partner, Budapest, Hungary, March 2008.

10. Minutes of the Agricultural and Rural Development MC meeting, 19th December, 2003, available at www.fvm.hu.

11. Interview with Slovak social partner representative, Bratislava, November, 2008.

12. Interview with Slovak social partner representative, Bratislava, November, 2008.

13. Government Regulation No. 255 of 2006. Action Plans are the framework documents that spell out how operational programmes will seek to achieve their detailed objectives.

14. Interview with civic representative, Bratislava, January 2009.

15. Interview with EC Representative of the MC November, 2008, Directorate-General Employment, Brussels.

16. Interview with employers’ organisation representative, Bratislava, Slovakia, January 2009.

17. Telephone Interview with EC representative, June 2008.

18. Interview with first Chairman of MC, Bratislava, January 2009.