On September 19th, HÉTFA organised a successful policy event in Brussels, with over 30 participants. The event, titled “RRF versus ESIF – Differences and Similarities: An Evaluation Perspective” compared two critical European Union policy instruments.

The event featured two insightful roundtable discussions. The first, moderated by Gabor Balas, Director of HÉTFA, included experts such as Rachel Lancry Beaumont from the European Committee of the Regions, Chrysoula Latopoulou from the European Court of Auditors, and Oto Potluka from the European Evaluation Society. They discussed the differences and similarities between ESIF and RRF from an EU institution perspective.

The second roundtable, moderated by Lena Tsipouri, featured Elena-Alexandra Calistru from the European Economic and Social Committee, Nikos Maroulis from Technopolis Group, Sonja Haertel from Berlin’s Liaison Office to the EU, and Jaroslav Dvorak from Klaipeda University. Each panelist offered unique perspectives on the policy instruments from a beneficiary-level perspective, focusing on both businesses and regions.

The event was an official side event of the European Week of Regions and Cities, lending it greater significance and attracting a diverse audience interested in regional development and EU policy. The event was organised as a part of the PROFEEDBACK (PlatfoRm OF policy Evaluation community for improvED EU policies and Better ACKnowledgement) COST Action led by HÉTFA.

In conclusion, HÉTFA’s policy event provided valuable insights into RRF and ESIF, contributing to the ongoing discussion on EU development policies. The discussion on ESIF and RRF shall help identify the challenges and bottlenecks that may arise during the implementation design of these funds. Lessons learned from both programmes can offer innovative solutions and recommendations to overcome these obstacles and ensure smooth fund utilisation. New and innovative approaches, strategies, and models to tackle emerging challenges can be identified.

More info about the event is available on the European Week of Regions and Cities: https://regions-and-cities.europa.eu/programme/2023/side-events/7839

More info about the PROFEEDBACK COST Action is available on the project website: https://profeedback.eu/