The House of Dutch provinces has collected EU-regulatory bottlenecks of provinces in the Netherlands and submitted them to the REFIT-platform.

A project team, consisting of regional authorities and other partners with an innovative idea,
intends to apply for a European subsidy at the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF). Applying for a subsidy under the objectives of ESIF involves many rules in itself. Since both  businesses and governmental organisations are involved in the project, the project team should also take the European state aid rules and public procurement rules into account. The rules governing the ESI-funds do not completely correspond to the European state aid rules. Certain definitions and procedures – such as for example the definition of innovation – are explained differently by different Commission departments.

Submitting a bottleneck to the REFIT Platform

The project team recognises that their issue stems from European legislation. The regional authorities involved in the project refer the matter to the House of the Dutch Provinces. After gathering the practical evidence, it submits the bottleneck to the REFIT Platform, which eventually adopts an Opinion on the submission. The recommendations by the REFIT Platform about this bottleneck are presented to the European Commission. These are taken into account by the Commission in the Commission Working Programme which starts a process of addressing the bottleneck.

Success!

The bottleneck is brought to the attention of the European Commission through the REFIT Platform. The Commission proposes to change certain methods used in the procedures of the ESI-funds to the ones that are used in the state aid rules.