This seminar will examine how Financial Management and Audit rules are changing between the 2014-2020 programming period and the 2021-2027 period. There will be a special focus on financial planning, increasing the use of Simplified Costs Options, anti-fraud measures and protecting the audit trail.

• Using ARACHNE may become a requirement for some projects in the future. Luc Molemans, the European Commission’s ARACHNE Project manager, will explain and illustrate how ARACHNE works and how you can use it.
• Dermot Byrne, a leading Member State audit practitioner, will highlight how control (including so-called “first-level control”) and audit differ, and look in detail at the audit of accounts, systems and operations for 2014-20 and planned changes for 2021-2027.
• We look at how to complete the Simplified Cost Options section of the new OP template.
• We examine the special link between finance and performance in current and future programmes, and the notion of Value for Money for projects and programmes. How will you report programme progress in the new template?

Who will benefit most?

This seminar is intended for:

• practitioners from national, regional and local authorities and from other public bodies of EU Member States (and associated countries) working with ESI Funds
• economic and social partners working with the Structural and Investment Funds, such as universities, NGOs, employers’ associations, consultants.