Checklist for putting the horizontal principle of gender equality into practice in Operational Programmes

The CPR specifies that the content of each OP must contain the following elements[1]:

Each programme shall set out a strategy for the programme's contribution to the policy objectives and the communication of its results.

A programme shall consist of priorities. Each priority shall correspond to a single policy objective or to technical assistance. A priority corresponding to a policy objective shall consist of one or more specific objectives. More than one priority may correspond to the same policy objective. For programmes supported by the EMFF, each priority may correspond to one or more policy objectives. 

Each programme shall set out:

  1. a summary of the main challenges, taking into account:
    • economic, social and territorial disparities, except for programmes supported by the EMFF;
    • market failures, investment needs and complementarity with other forms of support;
    • challenges identified in relevant country-specific recommendations and other relevant Union recommendations addressed to the Member State;
    • challenges in administrative capacity and governance;
    • lessons learnt from past experience;
    • macro-regional strategies and sea-basin strategies where Member States and regions participate in such strategies; for programmes supported by the AMIF[2], the ISF[3] and the BMVI[4], progress in implementing the relevant Union acquis and action plans;
  2. a justification for the selected policy objectives, corresponding priorities, specific objectives and the forms of support;
  3. for each priority, except for technical assistance, specific objectives;
  4. for each specific objective:
    • the related types of actions, including a list of planned operations of strategic importance, and their expected contribution to those specific objectives and to macro-regional strategies and sea-basin strategies, where appropriate;
    • output indicators and result indicators with the corresponding milestones and targets;
    • the main target groups;
    • specific territories targeted, including the planned use of integrated territorial investment, community-led local development or other territorial tools;
    • the interregional and transnational actions with beneficiaries located in at least one other Member State;
    • the planned use of financial instruments;
    • the types of intervention and an indicative breakdown of the programmed resources by type of intervention or area of support;
  5. the planned use of technical assistance in accordance with Articles 30 to 32 and relevant types of intervention;
  6. a financing plan containing:
    • a table specifying the total financial allocations for each of the Funds and for each category of region for the whole programming period and by year, including any amounts transferred pursuant to Article 21;
    • a table specifying the total financial allocations for each priority by Fund and by category of region and the national contribution and whether it is made up of public and private contribution;
    • for programmes supported by the EMFF, a table specifying for each type of area of support, the amount of the total financial allocations of the support from the Fund and the national contribution;
    • for programmes supported by the AMIF, the ISF and the BMVI, a table specifying, by specific objective, the total financial allocations by type of action, the national contribution and whether it is made up of public and private contribution;
  7. the actions taken to involve the relevant partners referred to in Article 6 in the preparation of the programme, and the role of those partners in the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the programme;
  8. for each enabling condition, established in accordance with Article 11, Annex III and Annex IV, an assessment of whether the enabling condition is fulfilled at the date of submission of the programme;
  9. the envisaged approach to communication and visibility for the programme through defining its objectives, target audiences, communication channels, social media outreach, planned budget and relevant indicators for monitoring and evaluation; and
  10. the managing authority, the audit authority and the body which receives payments from the Commission.