Translation glossary

Observations involve watching people while they execute project-related activities such as an event or an internal process. Observations can thus be conducted in the office of the project partner or at any other site of project activities.

Office and Adminstration is the budget line that covers expenditure related to all costs relating to the maintenance of the office, stationery, postage, etc. necessary to implement project activities.

On-the-spot checks/visits refer to checks undertaken by FLC (and Managing Authorities) on the premises of a project partner or any other project-related site, for example in order to verify existence and reality of purchased goods and equipment. Often understood as referring to checks undertaken by FLC, JS or AA.

An Operational Programme is a detailed plan in which Member States set out how money from the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF) will be spent during the programming period. They can be drawn up for a specific region or a country-wide thematic goal (e.g., Environment). For the European Territorial Cooperation goal, cross-border or interregional operational programmes are drawn up. Member States submit their operational programmes on the basis of their Partnership Agreements. Each Operational Programme specifies which of the 11 thematic objectives that guide cohesion policy in the 2014-20 programming period will be addressed through the funding available under the Operational Programmes.

An Opinion is an instrument that allows the institutions to make a statement in a non-binding fashion, in other words without imposing any legal obligation on those to whom it is addressed. An opinion is not binding. It can be issued by the main EU institutions (Commission, Council, Parliament), the Committee of the Regions, and the European Economic and Social Committee. While laws are being made, the committees give opinions from their specific regional or economic and social viewpoint.