Where long-standing rules and procedures accommodate a convenient comfort zone, simplification becomes the ultimate ; As most of you may agree, we are all eager to hear that EU-funding will be easier for authorities to manage and for beneficiaries to tap ; But it is not simple to change historic systems of control overnight and convince people that things will not be the same as ; It is a process which takes time and teaches us as we go along.

Simpler rules for more results and less error has been the recurring theme on EU-funding in the past ; And it is an ongoing process, as the new Omnibus Regulation introduced mid-way through the implementation of the 2014-20 period ; More is coming in the future, as the proposals for 2021-27 roll ; These are measures to stop the buck and truly focus on what matters most – results that make the difference in people’s lives.

This course gives a detailed update on the simplification measures at each stage of the programme, from policy to audit, giving interpretations of the changes introduced and their effect on the systems we were used ; It is based on the experience of the 14-20 programme so far, referring to actual cases from different Member States and discussing what worked and what could have been done ; Pausing for a moment of reflection mid-way through implementation allows us adjust the perspective and realign systems to our ;