BMW Regional Operational Programme Management
The primary function of the BMW Regional Assembly is to carry out its statutory functions as Managing Authority for the BMW Regional Operational Programme (BMWROP). The Financial Management and Control Unit of the Assembly are responsible for putting in place appropriate control systems and procedures to ensure that proper financial management for EU Structural Funds are spent within the Region under both the 2000-2006 and the 2007-2013 BMWROPs.
Financial Management and Control BMWROP 2000-2006
One of the most important functions of the Regional Assembly in its role as Managing Authority has been the performance of its financial management and control activities. The various EU regulations and directives, which govern the 2000-2006 programming period, impose a stringent financial management and control regime on member states. The implementation of this regime at member state level is largely assigned by these regulations and directives to the Managing Authority, as statutory functions. The fact that the BMWROP 2000-2006 was a multi-fund programme i.e., funding was sourced from all four EU Structural Funds, EAGGF, ERDF, ESF and FIFG, made the task of implementation of these functions complex.
These functions can largely be condensed under a number of headings as follows:
Maintenance of seven year annualised financial plans and monitoring of EU co-financed expenditure;
Processing amendments required for financial plans and tables;
Setting up a reporting architecture to enable expenditure to be certified through the various levels in the cascade structure to the EU Commission in accordance with EU requirements.
This cascade structure typically involved five levels of reporting:
Provision of training to Implementing Departments and Beneficiary Bodies on all aspects of financial management and certification of expenditure;
Introduction and supervision of comprehensive checking processes at all levels in the cascade to ensure that all expenditure, the subject of claims to the EU, is eligible in accordance with EU rules; and
Facilitation of audits and preparation of responses to audit reports carried out by national and EU auditors.
