Including numerous practical examples and an interactive workshop Advanced Seminar Financial Accounting of EU-Funded Projects Handling Different Kinds of Costs Reacting to Budget Changes Preparation for Audits 31 st August 1 st September 2015, Berlin Brochure With experts from: Managing Authority for England, Department for Communities and Local Government, United Kingdom Audit Authority, Ministry of Finance North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany European Programme Management Unit London, Greater London Authority, United Kingdom European & International Development, University of the Highlands and Islands, United Kingdom 1
ADVANCED SEMINAR Financial Accounting of EU-Funded Projects Errors in handling EU Funds finances can seriously jeopardize your project! EU-funded projects put high demands on project leaders and coordinators. Especially correct financial accounting of projects constitutes a great challenge. Beneficiaries have to follow strict and complex rules set up by the European Commission. The project needs to be correctly managed with respect to its financial accounting. If you as beneficiary do not fulfil your financial accounting obligations, both the European Commission and the designated national authorities can freeze your funding or even reclaim it completely. Therefore, protect yourself from repayment and prepare intensively for financial controls! A well structured financial management is crucial for the success of your EU-funded project Managers of EU-funded projects need to implement and comply with specific financial rules. As the reporting requirements are inflexible, a precise documentation plays a vital role, especially in case of controls. Moreover, concrete deadlines and specific eligibility rules need to be followed. Thus, a well structured financial management is crucial for the success of an EU-funded project. Who is this seminar for? Beneficiaries of European Structural and Investment Funds (ESI Funds) and in particular ERDF, ESF and CF implementing EU-funded projects Public and private institutions as well as organisations applying for EU Structural Funds Ministries administering EU Structural Funds Managing, Audit and Certifying Authorities for EU Structural Funds Intermediate Bodies and Implementing Bodies for EU Structural Funds Municipalities and local authorities Public and development banks Chambers of Commerce and Chambers of Crafts Special Offer: Send in your questions beforehand! To tailor the programme to your personal training needs, we encourage you to send in your particular questions beforehand. Please also indicate which topics are specifically important for you, even though they are not precisely covered by the programme. Specialised consultants and certified public accountants working with EU Structural Funds Please send your questions at least two weeks before the seminar to: coordination@euroacad.eu Our experts will integrate these issues into the seminar and provide recommendations. Helpful, well organised, worth to attend! Dimitrios Ontos, Project Manager, Monitoring, Verification and Audit Unit, European Return Fund, Ministry of Public Order and Citizen Protection, Greece 2
What will you learn at this seminar? What does the European Commission require from beneficiaries of EU Structural Funds regarding the financial accounting of EU-funded projects? What are the beneficiary s duties regarding financial accounting and which relevant forms and declarations do I have to be familiar with? How can I manage my bookkeeping correctly? How to differentiate variable costs, fixed costs, direct costs and indirect costs Which costs are eligible and how do I cope with disallowance of costs? What do I have to be aware of when using flatrates to simplify accountancy? What are particular requirements for financial accounting of personnel costs? What needs to be done if a budget change occurs during project implementation? How do I assure a smooth cooperation between administrative staff and those implementing the project in practice? Your benefits Protect your budget Prevent repayments Benefit from a hands-on and practical seminar approach with case studies, practical examples as well as numerous recommendations for your daily work Be proactive Prepare yourself for on-the-spot checks and financial audits Participate in an interactive workshop with group work and take advantage of the possibility to directly apply your newly acquired knowledge Discuss your individual questions with our experts from different authorities Exchange experiences with other beneficiaries and peers from all across Europe How can I prepare for administrative checks and verifications, on-the-spot checks as well as financial audits from the Audit Authority in the best way? Optional Masterclass seminar for the Masterclass Management in EU Funds This Seminar is also an Optional Masterclass seminar for the Masterclass Management in EU Funds For further Information, please click here. 3
PROGRAMME DAY 1 Financial Accounting of EU-Funded Projects 8.30-9.00 Registration and Handout of Seminar Documents 9.00-9.05 Opening Remarks from the European Academy for Taxes, Economics & Law 9.05-9.30 Welcome Note from the Chair and Round of Introductions Amarjit S. Narain, Member of ERDF Managing Authority for England, Department for Communities and Local Government, United Kingdom 9.30-10.15 Meeting the Financial Management and Accounting Requirements Understanding the EU funding framework Meeting the EC requirements for an effective management and control system Accounting for EU-Funds What are beneficiaries responsibilities regarding financial management and accounting? Cost classifications and how they affect budgets - Direct costs - Indirect costs - Fixed costs - Variable costs - Income Meeting the N+2/N+3 spending targets Minimising the risk of irregularities Planning for closure of programmes What are the changes in the 2014-2020 Programme? Amarjit S. Narain, Member of ERDF Managing Authority for England, Department for Communities and Local Government, United Kingdom 10.15-10.30 10.30-11.00 Coffee Break and Networking Opportunity 11.00-11.45 How to Handle the Accounting of Personnel Costs What are the key accounting principles for personnel costs? Who should be included in personnel costs? What makes up personnel costs? What supporting information is needed to claim costs? How to record time spent on project activities What are the methods for calculating part-time staff costs? Practical examples to illustrate the methods What are the rules for contribution in-kind of voluntary labour? Common mistakes that can lead to irregularities Amarjit S. Narain, Member of ERDF Managing Authority for England, Department for Communities and Local Government, United Kingdom AMARJIT S. NARAIN Member of ERDF Managing Authority for England, Department for Communities and Local Government, United Kingdom Amarjit S. Narain has been working on the management of ERDF 2007-2013 programme since 2007. He played a key role in setting up the management and control systems and getting them approved by the European Commission. Currently, he is also responsible for the confirmation of first level controllers for INTERREG programmes and the conduction of quality assurance checks of first level controllers work on three programmes. Before joining the ERDF management, he worked on managing public finances and on delivering major regeneration and housing projects by the Central Government in partnership with local governments. The Seminar was very well structured, I got answers to all of my questions regarding financial accounting of EU funded projects and especially regarding public procurement rules! Tatyana Bratoeva, Senior Expert, Monitoring Unit, Ministry of Environment and Water, Bulgaria Useful and focused on practical issues! It brought me what I expected! 11.45-12.00 4
12.00-12.45 Managing Changes in Operational Programmes and Projects What are the provisions in the EC regulations to make changes to operational programmes? What Member States have to do What documentation is needed to request changes and how to do it What factors can influence and have an impact on the implementation of projects? What kind of changes can projects expect? What should beneficiaries do if their projects need changes? What are the financial implications for beneficiaries? Amarjit S. Narain, Member of ERDF Managing Authority for England, Department for Communities and Local Government, United Kingdom 12.45-13.00 13.00-14.00 Lunch Break and Networking Opportunity 14.00-14.45 Administrative Checks and Verifications The process for administration and verification checks Has the beneficiary set up satisfactory systems and processes for monitoring the project? What checks are carried out before a claim is paid? On-the-spot checks What is the purpose and what happens after the visit? Irregularities and corrections identified from administrative checks What documentation is the project expected to retain Common mistakes Linda Stewart, Director of European & International Development, University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI), United Kingdom 14.45-15.00 15.00-15.30 Coffee Break and Networking Opportunity 15.30-16.15 Practical Recommendations for On-the-Spot Checks Who carries out on-the-spot verification checks? What checks are carried out under Article 125 (5) of EU Regulation 1303/2013 and other related checks? How should a beneficiary prepare for these checks and what are the differences between them? How should a beneficiary prepare for other possible on-the-spot checks? What documentation should a beneficiary retain once the report is closed? Changes to the project as a result of on-the-spot checks Common mistakes Linda Stewart, Director of European & International Development, University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI), United Kingdom LINDA STEWART Director of European & International Development, University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI), United Kingdom Linda Stewart is Director of European & International Development at the University of the Highlands & Islands (UHI). She has recently been in charge of a region-wide project analysing lessons learned from the 2007-13 programmes and how they may be applied to new undertakings, including some detailed work on the use of unit costing methodologies. Her current role at UHI covers the broader spectrum of EU programmes and funding, particularly INTERREG, Horizon 2020 and Erasmus. She served on the Board of the Highlands & Islands Partnership Programme (Programme Management Executive for the region, until this function was taken under the control of the Managing Authority) for six years, latterly as Chair. She has been involved in the development of the previous two structural Funds programmes and is currently heavily engaged in planning for Scotland s new ESI programmes for 2014-20. With other regional partners in the Highlands & Islands European Partnership and at national level through various Scottish Government Working Groups. She took on the role of developing an EU dimension for the fledgling university in 2000 and since then has been instrumental in levering in over 100m in ERDF and ESF grant funding in support of infrastructure (estates and IT), research capacity, curriculum development and wider access initiatives, working with regional stakeholders to create a new higher education model suited to a large, dispersed and rural area. 16.15-16.30 16.30 End of Day One I think there is no alternative to this seminar in the field of financial accounting for EU funded projects. 5
PROGRAMME DAY 2 Financial Accounting of EU-Funded Projects 9.00-9.05 Welcome Note from the Chair Patrick Wamper, Head of the Audit Authority for ERDF, Ministry of Finance North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany 9.05-9.50 The Audit of Financial Accounting The Audit Authority s Role Relation of Audit Authority, Managing Authority and beneficiary How the Audit Authority is auditing beneficiaries and EU-funded projects - Role of the Audit Authority - On-the-spot audits of operations What does the Audit Authority expect from beneficiaries? Common mistakes of beneficiaries Patrick Wamper, Head of the Audit Authority for ERDF, Ministry of Finance North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany 9.50-10.00 10.00-10.30 Coffee Break and Networking Opportunity 10.30-11.15 What Are Common Mistakes Regarding Eligibility of Expenditures? EU eligibility rules and connection to national eligibility rules How to avoid ineligible costs already from the beginning and in the design of your project How to cope with ineligible costs and disallowance of costs Practical examples of eligible and ineligible costs Patrick Wamper, Head of the Audit Authority for ERDF, Ministry of Finance North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany 11.15-11.30 Including practical examples PATRICK WAMPER Head of the Audit Authority for ERDF in North Rhine- Westphalia, Ministry of Finance North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany Since 2006, Patrick Wamper has been the Head of the Audit Authority for ERDF in the Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany. From 2004 to 2006, he acted as Deputy Head of the Independent Body for ERDF and ESF in the same Federal State. Furthermore, Patrick Wamper works as a lecturer at the State Academy for Advanced Training and has participated in twinning missions to strengthen local public financial control in Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Montenegro and Azerbaijan. Workshop 11.30-13.00 How to Prepare for Financial Audits This workshop prepares participants for financial audits by allowing them to understand an auditor s perspective. After an introduction to how to prepare for financial audits in practice, each participant plays the role of an auditor during a role play. Introduction to the Workshop How to prepare for financial audits in the best way Key aspects you need to be aware of Requirements of the Audit Authority regarding accounting, bookkeeping and verification Which documents and records should I hold ready? Analysis of practical examples Group Work: Preparation of a checklist for auditing indirect costs according to Art. 68 of Reg. (EU) no. 1303/2013 Group Work: Performing audit work on a fictive case of indirect costs Exchange of Experiences Again, the European Academy offers solutions and innovative seminars for all challenges experts face in their work with European funded projects. Patrick Wamper, Head of the Audit Authority for ERDF, Ministry of Finance North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany 6
13.00-14.00 Lunch Break and Networking Opportunity 14.00-14.45 What Do You Have to be Aware of Regarding EU Public Procurement Rules as a Beneficiary? Basic requirements Necessary documentation Most common issues in procurement audits How to prepare for procurement audits Problems and possible consequences and sanctions Patricia Muotto, Programme Manager, European Programme Management Unit, London, Greater London Authority, United Kingdom 14.45-15.00 15.00-15.30 Coffee Break and Networking Opportunity 15.30-16.15 Specific Financial Accounting Challenges of Projects Funded by the ERDF and Cohesion Fund Scope for applying simplified costs options Financial monitoring of infrastructure projects Special requirements of Major Projects Dealing with State aid issues Dealing with revenue generation aspect of a project Meeting the requirements of additionality Keeping the focus on delivering good value for money Meeting the requirement of sustainability Demonstrating a positive contribution towards equality or opportunity Specific requirements of Financial Engineering Instruments Lessons learned from previous programmes Amarjit S. Narain, Member of ERDF Managing Authority for England, Department for Communities and Local Government, United Kingdom PATRICIA MUOTTO Programme Manager, European Programme Management Unit, London, Greater London Authority, United Kingdom Patricia Muotto has been working on the management of ERDF 2007-2013 programme since 2007 monitoring business support and capital projects on behalf of the Mayor of London. Previously she worked for local authorities and the Regional London Development Agency in London developing and submitting major successful funding applications for the UK regional European Regional Development Funds. She has also helped to promote and manage INTERREG and URBAN transnational projects as the Greater London Authority is a managing authority for London. Currently monitoring a portfolio of ERDF projects in London which includes processing claims she is responsible for verifying evidence and advising on management systems. She has extensive experience of regeneration project management and working in partnership with central and local governments. 16.15-16.30 Final and Review of the Seminar 16.30 End of Seminar and Handout of Certificates 7
ORGANISATIONAL MATTERS Financial Accounting of EU-Funded Projects Date of Event 31 st August 1 st September 2015, Berlin Booking Number S-1036 MC Event Language The event language will be English. Event Price 1.389,- Euro excl. German VAT (19%) The above price covers the following: Admission to the seminar Hand-out documents Seminar certificate, if seminar fully attended Soft drinks and coffee/tea on both event days Lunch on both event days Upon request you can receive a digital version of the seminar documents after the event for 60,- Euro excl. German VAT (19%) in addition to the seminar. BOOKING E-mail: booking@euroacad.eu Fax: +49 (0)30 80 20 80 250 Phone: +49 (0)30 80 20 80 230 For online booking please visit our website: www.euroacad.eu Contact European Academy for Taxes, Economics & Law at Potsdamer Platz, Entrance Leipziger Platz 9, 10117 Berlin, Germany Phone: +49 (0)30 80 20 80 230 Fax: +49 (0)30 80 20 80 250 E-mail: info@euroacad.eu Internet: www.euroacad.eu Your contact persons for the programme: Regina Lüning, M. Sc. econ. Head of Marketing and Sales Phone: +49 (0)30 80 20 80 246 Fax: +49 (0)30 80 20 80 259 E-mail: regina.luening@euroacad.eu Carl von Duhn Conference Manager Phone: +49 (0)30 80 20 80 235 Fax: +49 (0)30 80 20 80 259 E-mail: Carl.vonDuhn@euroacad.eu (Programme is subject to alterations) Event Location Arcotel John F Werderscher Markt 11 10117 Berlin, Germany Phone: +49 (0)30 28 88 65 78 96 Fax: +49 (0)30 6831 55 555 E-mail: reservation.johnf@arcotelhotels.com Internet: www.arcotelhotels.com Please contact the hotel directly and refer to the European Academy for Taxes, Economics & Law if you wish to benefit from a limited room availability-contingent. Of course you can always look for an alternative hotel accommodation. 8
BOOKING E-mail: booking@euroacad.eu Fax: +49 (0)30 80 20 80 250 Phone: +49 (0)30 80 20 80 230 For online booking please visit our website: www.euroacad.eu European Academy for Taxes, Economics & Law at Potsdamer Platz Entrance: Leipziger Platz 9 10117 Berlin / Germany BOOKING BOOKING NUMBER: S-1036 MC (DM) 31 st AUGUST 1 st SEPTEMBER 2015, BERLIN Herewith we register the following persons for the Advanced Seminar: Financial Accounting of EU-Funded Projects. Delegate 1 Ms. Mr. First name Last name Your organisation Department Unit Job position Street Postcode / City Country Delegate 2 Ms. Mr. First name Last name Your organisation Department Unit Job position Street Postcode / City Country Delegate 3 Ms. Mr. First name Last name Your organisation Department Unit Job position Street Postcode / City Country Phone Fax E-mail Phone Fax E-mail Phone Fax E-mail I hereby order the digital version of the seminar documents (fee required) in addition to the seminar. I hereby order the digital version of the seminar documents (fee required) in addition to the seminar. I hereby order the digital version of the seminar documents (fee required) in addition to the seminar. Invoice Organisation First name Your Organisation Department Unit Job Position E-mail Ms. Mr. Last name Street Postcode / City Country Phone Fax With my signature I confirm my registration and accept the General Terms and Conditions as legally binding. I herewith agree to receive further information from the European Academy for Taxes, Economics & Law In case of registration of more than one delegate do you prefer: single invoice? collective invoice? NOTE Only Valid with Signature and Stamp. Place, Date Authorised Signature and Stamp European Academy for Taxes, Economics & Law Brauner Klingenberg GmbH Leipziger Platz 9 10117 Berlin Phone +49 (0)30 80 20 80 230 Fax +49 (0)30 80 20 80 259 9
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