Steering Groups (SGs) are the central executive and decision-making bodies at the Priority Area (PA) level regarding objectives formats and emphases of cooperation and future developments. SG members are “the expert drivers of the day-to-day implementation”, who decide on the joint work within the PA together with the Priority Area Coordinators (PACs) and who provide advice and assistance.

 

The SG represents the key national authorities in the relevant field. As a general principle, PACs aim at securing transparency towards SG members. The work of the SGs is both transnational, inter-sectorial, inter-institutional and aiming at an effective embedding into the various national contexts.

 

The PA5 SG is created in order to advise and assist Hungary and Romania in their capacity as PACs, for the smooth implementation of PA5 and to ensure that suitable actions are anchored all over the region and in all participating states. It also acts as a network of national counterparts.

 

The SG while taking overall guidance from the EUSDR, the connected Action Plan, as well as, from the Annual Stakeholder Forums and the decisions of the High Level Group, and other important and relevant policy documents on the regional or national level, shall particularly provide for the following non-exhaustive list of main tasks:

• consider and agree on the general procedures and approve criteria for selecting flagship projects under PA5 and any revision of those criteria in accordance with implementation needs;
• approve targets based on the Communication from the Commission and further on any proposed modification of these targets;
• examine the results of implementation, particularly the achievement of the targets set for PA5, and propose corrective measures,
• approve projects selected to be as Flagship under PA5, based on the general procedures and criteria and make any amendments necessary connected to these;
• to be involved in policy discussions and policy development in the subjects covered by PA5;
• assist PACs through the individual activity of each member designated in the implementation of PA5 specifically, but not exclusively, in the following tasks: gathering data about existing projects, financing possibilities, new project ideas, monitoring projects, sending necessary data, information, and input for the elaboration of the Annual Report, information and involvement of other relevant actors and stakeholders on the national level, including project partners, communication, multiplication and dissemination activities, etc.