Glossary

Any form of innovation aiming at significant and demonstrable progress towards the goal of sustainable development. This can be achieved either by reducing the environmental impact or achieving a more efficient and responsible use of resource.

Reference

Is considered as "economic operator" any natural or legal person or public entity or group of such persons and/or bodies which offers on the market, respectively, the execution of works and/or a work, products or services. As such, competition rules don’t depend on the legal status of each institution involved (public or private) but on the nature of the activity realised.

In the framework of the Interreg MED Programme, economics operators are able to be direct beneficiaries of aid as partners in projects (not as Lead partners) under the General Block Exemption Regulation, or de minimis regime.

Reference

An ecosystem is a dynamic complex of plant, animal, and microorganism communities and the nonliving environment, interacting as a functional unit. Humans are an integral part of ecosystems.

Reference

According to the Convention on Biological Diversity, the formal definition of the Ecosystem approach is :
"… a strategy for the integrated management of land, water and living resources that promotes conservation and sustainable use in an equitable way. It is based on the application of appropriate scientific methodologies focused on levels of biological organization, which encompass the essential processes, functions and interactions among organisms and their environment. It recognizes that humans, with their cultural diversity, are an integral component of ecosystems".

Ecosystem services are the benefits people obtain from ecosystems. These include provisioning services such as food and water; regulating services such as flood and disease control ; cultural services such as spiritual, recreational, and cultural benefits ; and supporting services, such as nutrient cycling, that maintain the conditions for life on Earth.

Administrative and techinical requirements established by the Interreg MED Programme that proposals have to fulfill in order to pass the administrative and eligibility check.

A timeframe during which project expenditure must be incurred and paid (unless simplified cost options are used) in order to qualify for reimbursement from the programme funds.

Costs that are in line with the elegibility rules set out by the Interreg MED Programme and that in consecuente can be funded by it.

The end users concern individuals and/or organisations directly positively affected by the activities and results of operations. Not receiving a financial grant (as opposed to a beneficiary) and even not directly involved in the operation (as opposed to a target group), the end users may exploit project outcomes for their own benefits.

Energy efficiency improvements refer to a reduction in the energy used for a given service (heating, lighting, etc.) or level of activity. The reduction in the energy consumption is usually associated with technological changes, but not always since it can also result from better organisation and management or improved economic conditions in the sector ("non-technical factors").

Reference

An energy Performance Certificate is a certificate recognised by the Member State, or a legal person designated by it, which includes the energy performance of a building calculated according to a methodology based on the general framework set out in the Annex of Directive 2002/91/EC [EPBD, 2002/91/EC]. Energy Performance Certificates must be accompanied by recommendations for costeffective improvement options to raise the performance and rating of the building.

Energy planning at the territorial level provides a framework linked to policies and economic development which considers the specific local/regional patterns of energy needs and resources serving as a tool to mitigate climate change and enhancing sustainability.

Entrepreneurship is to be understood as the mind set and process to create and develop economic activity by blending risk-taking, creativity and/or innovation with sound management, within a new or an existing organisation.

Reference

Any activity that maintains the balance of the environment by preventing contamination and the deterioration of the natural resources, including activities such as :

1. changes in the characteristics of goods and services, and changes in consumption patterns
2. changes in production techniques
3. waste treatment
4. recycling
5. prevention of landscape degradation
   

Reference : IUCN, 2011 : Definitions

Equipment is a tool, device, instrument, software, etc. purchased, rented or leased by a beneficiary, essential for the implementation of the project, This includes equipment already in possession by the partner organisation and used to carry out project activities.

European Regional Development Fund. An EU fund which is intended to help reduce imbalances between regions of the Community. The Fund was set up in 1975, and grants financial assistance for development projects in the poorer regions. In terms of financial resources, the ERDF is by far the largest of the EU’s Structural Funds. The main aim of the ERDF is to overcome the structural deficiencies of the poorer regions in order to overcome the gap between these regions and the richer ones.

An Energy service Company (ESCO) is a natural or legal person that delivers energy services and/or other energy efficiency improvement measures in a user’s facility or premises. The payment for the services delivered is based (either wholly or in part) on the achievement of energy efficiency improvements and on the meeting of the other agreed term of the contract [ESD, 2006/32/EC].

Reference

The European Structural and Investment Funds (ESI Funds) operate under shared management between the Commission and the Member States. In the 2014‐2020 period, the term European Structural and Investment Funds refers to the following five funds :

1. European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)
2. European Social Fund (ESF)
3. Cohesion Fund (CF)
4. European Agricultural and Development Fund (EARDF)
5. European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF)

Reference

Europe 2020 is the EU’s ten-year strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. In order to deliver on this objective, five ambitious targets have been set, covering employment, research and development, climate change and energy sustainability, education, and the fight against poverty and social exclusion. Cohesion policy is committed to supporting the Europe 2020 Strategy financially. This is why, in the 2014-20 programming period, funding is targeted on 11 thematic objectives that address the Europe 2020 goals. A specific percentage of investments has to focus on these thematic objectives. Thanks to the thematic targeting, cohesion policy funding is spent in a way that helps Europe become more innovative, efficient, sustainable, and competitive.

Reference

As legal entities, EGTCs bring together authorities from various Member States. Their members may include EU Member States themselves, regional or local authorities, associations or any other public body. EGTCs must contain members from at least two EU Member States. European Groupings for Territorial Cooperation aim to facilitate and promote cross-border, transnational and interregional cooperation in the EU. Their tasks include the implementation of programmes that are being co-financed by the EU or any other European cross-border cooperation project.

Reference Regulation EC

Reference Regulation EU

For more information

European Territorial Cooperation (ETC), better known as Interreg, is one of the two goals of cohesion policy and provides a framework for the implementation of joint actions and policy exchanges between national, regional and local actors from different Member States. The overarching objective of European Territorial Cooperation (ETC) is to promote a harmonious economic, social and territorial development of the Union as a whole.

Reference

Evaluation of the project happens during (in itinere evaluation, mid-term evaluation) and/or after its implementation (final evaluation). It aims at obtaining a general and impartial judgement on project’s achievements (scope and quality of outputs and results) and impact.

Ref: Section 2.3.5 and section 4.4.1 of the Programme Manual

Costs under this budget line refer to the expenditure on travel and accommodation of the staff of the beneficiary for missions essential for the effective implementation of the project (e.g. participation in project meetings, project site visits, meetings with the programme bodies, seminars, conferences, etc.).

In multi-module projects, an external expert must be recruited to assist the Lead Partner and the partners in successfully implementing their project. In particular, the expert must help the project to anticipate any difficulties that could prevent the transition from one module to another.
This monitoring can also be relevant for single-module projects, but it is not compulsory.

Reference : Section 4.5 of the Programme Manual