This glossary presents a collection of explanations and definitions of terms that are used in the programme manual of the Interreg CENTRAL EUROPE (CE) Programme. The list of terms included in this glossary is not exhaustive.
Activity – in the context of the Interreg CE Programme, project activities are the main implementation steps that contribute to the development of project outputs and/or their subsequent roll-out or upscaling.
Associated partner – is an organisation participating in the project without financially contributing to it.
Beneficiary – means a public or private body responsible for initiating or both initiating and implementing an operation (i.e. a project in the context of the Interreg CE Programme. See also the definition of “operation”). In the context of State aid schemes, a beneficiary is the undertaking which receives the aid.
Basic research – is experimental or theoretical work undertaken primarily to acquire new knowledge of the underlying foundations of phenomena and observable facts, without any particular application or use in view. Basic research analyses properties, structures, and relationships with a view to formulating and testing hypotheses, theories or laws. The results of basic research have no direct or immediate commercial benefits, but are usually published in scientific journals or circulated to interested parties. (https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Glossary:Basic_research)
Climate resilience – means a process to prevent infrastructure from being vulnerable to potential long-term climate impacts whilst ensuring that the ‘energy efficiency first’ principle (see definition in this glossary) is respected and that the level of greenhouse gas emissions arising from the project is consistent with the climate neutrality objective in 2050.
Deliverable – In the context of the Interreg CE Programme, a deliverable captures the implementation of project activities in e.g. analysis reports, feasibility studies, strategy documents, pilot action reports, training documentations.. It presents in an aggregated form outcomes of intermediate steps of a certain activity. A deliverable has to be sufficiently comprehensive. It is recommended to limit the number of project deliverables.
Durability – refers to the long-lasting effect of a project’s achievements beyond project duration.
Economic activity – is broadly defined as offering goods or services on a given market and therefore a comprehensive list of economic (and non-economic) activities does not exist. It is to be kept in mind that State aid applies only if a partner carries out activities in the project that can reasonably be assumed to be of economic nature. If the partner carries out non-economic activities in the project, there is no State aid even if this organisation normally (i.e. outside the Interreg project) carries out activities of an economic nature. The contrary (i.e. economic activities are performed in the project by an organisation that normally does not carry out economic activities) can also occur, thus resulting in State aid relevance.
Final recipient – means a legal or natural person receiving support from the Funds through a beneficiary.
In-kind contributions – are contributions in the form of provision of works, goods, services, land and real estate for which no payment supported by invoices, or documents of equivalent probative value, has been made.
Intervention logic – presents the narrative about the causal links between the territorial challenge or need that will be tackled (or the objective that needs to be pursued), and the foreseen activities, outputs as well as desired results, thus the change to be achieved in the involved regions (‘theory of change’).
Irregularity – means any breach of applicable law, resulting from an act or omission by a beneficiary which has, or would have, the effect of prejudicing the budget of the Union by charging unjustified expenditure to that budget;
Lead partner – is the project partner who takes the overall responsibility for the development and the implementation of a project. The Lead Partner is expected to conclude the Partnership Agreement (with its project partners) and the Subsidy Contract (with the Managing Authority), ensure sound project management and project implementation, and transfer the due ERDF contributions to the other project partners.
Milestone – In the context of the Interreg CE Programme, a milestone is a “control point” that, during the project lifetime, helps to see progresses (e.g. developed tool/prototype ready for testing, finalisation of pilot actions or investments, solutions adopted by target groups, etc). It may correspond to the achievement of an important output or result, allowing the next phase of the work to begin. Milestones may also be set at intermediary stages at which, if problems arise, corrective measures still can be taken. A milestone may be a critical decision point in the project at which, for example, the partnership has to decide which of several available methods or solutions will be further developed or adapted. The achievement of a milestone should be verifiable.
Operation – in the context of the Interreg CE Programme, an operation is a project selected by the programme monitoring committee.
Output – in the context of the Interreg CE Programme, is a product that results from the implementation of project activities. Outputs are clustered into the following types: cooperations, strategies and action plans; pilot actions and solutions. All outputs need to be clearly consistent with and contribute to the achievement of one or more project specific objectives.
Output indicator – in the context of the Interreg CE Programme, an output indicator means an indicator to measure the outputs of the supported project.
Overall project objective – in the context of the Interreg CE Programme, the overall project objective defines what the project aims to achieve for the benefit of the involved regions and its target group(s) and points to the results (and territorial change) that the project wants to achieve. The overall project objective is broken down into one or more project specific objectives.
Principle of economy – requires that the resources used by the institution concerned in the pursuit of its activities shall be made available in due time, in appropriate quantity and quality, and at the best price.
Principle of efficiency – concerns the best relationship between the resources employed, the activities undertaken and the achievement of objectives.
Principle of effectiveness – concerns the extent to which the objectives pursued are achieved through the activities undertaken.
Productive investment – is to be understood as investment in fixed capital or immaterial assets of enterprises, with a view to producing goods and services and thereby contributing to gross capital formation and employment.
Project specific objective – in the context of the Interreg CE Programme, is an immediate goal that a project can be realistically achieve within the project lifetime through its planned activities and related outputs and deliverables. It has to clearly contribute to the overall project objective and should be specific and measurable. At the end of the project it should be verifiable whether the specific objective has been reached. Each project specific objective should correspond to a dedicated work package.
Public contribution – means any contribution to the financing of projects the source of which is the budget of national, regional or local public authorities or of any European grouping of territorial cooperation (EGTC), the budget of the Union made available to the Funds, the budget of public law bodies or the budget of associations of public authorities or of public law bodies.
Relocation – means a transfer of the same or similar activity or part thereof within the meaning of point (61a) of Article 2 of Regulation (EU) No 651/2014.
Project result – in the context of the Interreg CE Programme, is the immediate effect and territorial change, compared to the initial situation, which a project intends to achieve through the use of its outputs. The Interreg CE Programme defines common types of results:
- Improved policy development learning
- Increased knowledge and capacity, knowledge transfer and exchange
- Better coordinated cooperation and enhanced governance at different levels
- Reduced barriers
- New or better services
- Behavioural change
- Leverage of public and private funds
Result indicator – means an indicator to measure the effects of the supported project, with particular reference to the direct addressees, population targeted or users of infrastructure.
Sustainable development – is understood as an increase in economic activity which respects the environment and uses natural resources harmoniously so that future generations’ capacity to meet their own needs is not compromised.
Target – means a pre-agreed value to be achieved by the end of the eligibility period in relation to an indicator.
Target group – in the context of the Interreg CE Programme, means a group of stakeholders that are targeted by the project and will benefit from the project results. They should preferably be actively involved in the project implementation and the development of its outputs.
Transferability – in the context of the Interreg CE Programme, means the degree to which the project outputs and results can be adapted or further developed to be used by additional target groups or rolled out in other territories beyond the partnership.
Ultimate beneficial owner – any natural person(s) who ultimately owns or controls the customer and/or the natural person(s) on whose behalf a transaction or activity is being conducted. For the full definition please refer to article 3(6) of Directive (EU) 2015/849.
Undertaking – is any entity engaged in an economic activity, regardless of its legal status (it can be a public body, a charity, an NGO, an association or university, as well as a private firm) and regardless of whether it aims to make a profit or not. The classification as an undertaking is specific to an activity and it is not linked to the status of an entity such as public or private. The only decisive criterion is whether or not the entity carries out an economic activity in the context of the Interreg project.
Work package – in the context of the Interreg CE Programme, is a group of project activities needed to deliver project output(s) and to achieve a project specific objective related to that work package.