20.12.2013

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 346/54

(1)

Regulation (EC) No 58/2003 empowers the Commission to delegate powers to the executive agencies to implement all or part of a Union programme or project, on its behalf and under its responsibility.

(2)

The purpose of entrusting the executive agencies with programme implementation tasks is to enable the Commission to focus on its core activities and functions which cannot be outsourced, without relinquishing control over, and ultimate responsibility for, activities managed by those executive agencies.

(3)

The delegation of tasks related to programme implementation to an executive agency requires a clear separation between the programming stages involving a large measure of discretion in making choices driven by policy considerations, this being carried out by the Commission, and programme implementation, which should be entrusted to the executive agency.

(4)

By Decision 2008/46/EC (2), the Commission created the Research Executive Agency (hereinafter referred to as the Agency) and entrusted it with the management of Community actions in the field of research with a view of performance of tasks linked to the implementation of the specific programme ‘People‘�implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013) (3), specific programme ‘楥apacities‘�implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013) (4) and specific programme ‘楥ooperation‘�implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013) (5) of the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007-2013) (6) (hereinafter referred to as the Seventh Framework Programme).

(5)

The Agency has demonstrated that delegating tasks to an executive agency is a fully relevant solution to improve cost-effectiveness, thereby enabling the Commission to manage an increasing budget with a less than proportional increase in the overall number of staff. Separating the policymaking tasks of the Commission from programme implementation tasks in the Agency has enabled both parties to perform better on their core duties. The external evaluation of the Agency carried out in accordance with Article 25 of Regulation (EC) No 58/2003 has shown that it has been efficient and effective in managing the SME-related actions under the Capacities Specific Programme, the Marie Curie Actions under the People Specific Programme, the Space and Security research actions under the Cooperation Specific Programme and in providing administrative and logistical support services to all programme areas of the People, Capacities and Cooperation Specific Programmes. Savings resulting from the delegation of tasks to the Agency have been estimated at some EUR 106 million over the period 2009-2013.

(6)

In its Communication of 29 June 2011‘楢 budget for Europe 2020‘�a href="#ntr7-L_2013346EN.01005401-E0007" id="ntc7-L_2013346EN.01005401-E0007" shape="rect"> (7)