Core Indicators in the Finnish 2007-2013 ERDF programming documents

DG REGIO EVALUATION NETWORK MEETING

Brussels, 26 June 2008

Harri AhlgrenMinistry of Employment and the Economy

Regional Development Unit

ERDF OPERATIONAL PROGRAMMES IN FINLAND 2007-2013:

• OP for Southern Finland: ERDF funding 2007-2013: EUR Million 138,1

• OP for Western Finland:ERDF funding 2007-2013: EUR Million 159,4

• OP for Eastern Finland:ERDF funding 2007-2013: EUR Million 365,6*

• OP for Northern Finland:ERDF funding 2007-2013: EUR Million 311,3

*) Transitional support

3 PRIORITY AXES IN COMMON TO ALL OP’S:

1. Promotion of business (app. 36 % of the ERDF funding)

2. Promotion of innovation and networking and strenghtening of knowledge structures (app. 35 % of the ERDF funding)

3. Improvement of the accessibility of areas and the operating environment (app. 20 % of the ERDF funding)

CORE INDICATORS:

1. Number of new jobs2. Number of new enterprises3. R&D or innovation project4. Companies participating on the public research and innovation projects5. Projects enhancing equal opportunities6. Environmentally positive projects7. New ways and solutions to produce welfare services8. New logistical or environmental plans and solutions9. Projects enhancing partnership and social inclusion

Programme level: • CO2 emissions from industry or energy production• number of projects aimed at reducing greenhouse emissions

DEFINITIONS:

1. Number of new jobs

New job is a new working possibility that has been created as a result of EU co-financed project and that has been filled in by a new permanent, part-time or temporary worker. Jobs can be by their nature: permanent full time jobs, seasonal (winter/summer) jobs or part time jobs. New full time and permanent jobs are the ones that can be considered to exist at least the next 5 years. The model how to turn seasonal or part time jobs to permanent jobs has been defined in the guidelines that have been given by the Ministry of Employment and the Economy. Temporary jobs during the project implementation phase cannot be included as new jobs.

DEFINITIONS:

2. Number of new enterprises

Definition of a new enterprise is based on the definition that is used by the Statistics of Finland. According to the definition a new enterprise has been born when an enterprise belongs to the TVA system, e.g. its turnover is more than 8 500 €.

A woman enterprise is an enterprise that is run by a woman, an open company where more than half of the partners are women and more than 50% of the investments are made by women, a partnership company where more than 50% of the owners are women and over 50% of the investments are made by women or a Ltd where more than 50% of the shares and their voting rights are owned by women.

DEFINITIONS:

3. R&D or innovation project R&D actions or projects are implemented either by private companies or a

public/semi-public research centres.

A project is considered to be R&D or innovation project when aid for private companies is given to basic research, industrial research or development actions that are increasing their competitiveness. The aid also can be a mixture of all these measures.

A project is considered to be R&D or innovation project when aid for a public research centre is given to the kind of research and development activities that will enhance creation and development of new industrial or service innovations and their implementation in research, development and training institutions in the sectors or areas where they have influence the development of economic and social welfare. Normally these projects are focused on strategic basic research, medium or long term research and development work, applicable research as well as innovation based public research. In addition the public institutions can receive ERDF – funding for the development and upgrading of research laboratories and – equipment.

DEFINITIONS:

4. Companies participating on the public research and innovation projects

Number of companies actively participating on the implementation of a project. Also sub-contractors are counted as well as participants in the joint-projects that are funded by TEKES*. Also in other projects – not funded through TEKES – companies participating on joint-projects are counted. Companies that are participating on a project by co-financing and/or to the project management work are counted.

*) Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation

DEFINITIONS: 5. Projects enhancing equal opportunities A project is considered to enhance equal opportunities if: - equal opportunities, race or ethnic origin, religion, handicap etc. is a clear

focus in the project and can be identified from the targets and aims of a project

- the aim of the project is to enhance equal opportunities in the society

6. Environmentally positive projects

Environmentally positive project is a project that improves the environ-mental situation, citizens awareness of environmental issues and environmental innovations, use of environmentally friendly activities and solutions or make actions more environmentally friendly. The main focus of an environmentally positive project can be either nature or environ-ment itself or it can be one of the key targets of a project. A project having neutral or negative impacts on the environment can not be included to this category.

DEFINITIONS:

7. New ways and solutions to produce welfare services

These are the kind of projects that are focused to improve peoples’ health, welfare or capacity to stay in working life and that improve the regional welfare level. These new ways or solutions can be:

- development of new IT systems and services and their implementation

- new ways to produce and develop services as public-private – partnership

- new innovative service systems

DEFINITIONS:

8. New logistical or environmental plans and solutions

These are plans that will create new environmental or logistical solution or investment that can be financed by national funding like:

- development of new logistical systems and services

- improvement of accessibility required by regional and local businesses

- new innovations in infrastructure and environmental systems

9. Projects enhancing partnership and social inclusion

These are projects that are improving social cohesion like partnership arrangements, joint service projects between municipalities, private sector and third sector, projects preventing social exclusion, actions to improve the social adaptation of immigrants etc.