18.12.2013

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 341/73

(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 2004/20/EC (2), the Commission created the ‘業ntelligent Energy Executive Agency‘�(hereinafter referred to as the Agency) and entrusted it with the management of Community actions in the field of renewable energy and energy efficiency.

(5)

Subsequently, the Commission amended the Agency‘檚 mandate by Decision 2007/372/EC (3) extending it to cover the management of new projects and programmes in the field of innovation, entrepreneurship and mobility and changing its name into ‘楨xecutive Agency for Competitiveness and Innovation‘�

(6)

The Agency set up by Decision 2004/20/EC has demonstrated that outsourcing the management of specific operational programmes has enabled parent-Directorates-General to focus on policy-related aspects of the programmes. Given the continuing constraints in EU-budget delegating tasks to an executive agency proves to be more cost-efficient. The two interim evaluations of the Agency have shown that overall, the Agency is performing well and is an efficient and effective delivery mechanism for the initiatives for which it has operational responsibility.

(7)

In its Communication of 29 June 2011‘楢 budget for Europe 2020‘�a href="#ntr4-L_2013341EN.01007301-E0004" id="ntc4-L_2013341EN.01007301-E0004" shape="rect"> (4)