Management structures

Managing Authority

The Managing Authority is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Programme. It manages the project selection procedures and signs the contracts with projects’ lead partners. The Managing Authority also follows and monitors project implementation, controls the financial management of projects and processes payments to the projects. The Managing Authority is also responsible for the implementation of the Programme’s communication and information activities.

The participating countries have appointed the Council of Oulu Region to act as the Managing Authority.

Branch Office

The Petrozavodsk Branch Office assists the Managing Authority to fulfil its Programme and project management tasks on the Russian side of the Programme region. It also works actively with communication and information activities directed towards national, regional and local stakeholders.

Joint Monitoring Committee

The Joint Monitoring Committee monitors and follows the Programme implementation. It also makes the final decisions on project selection.

The Committee consists of ten members: two central government representatives and three regional representatives from each participating country.

Joint Selection Committee

The Joint Monitoring Committee has set up a separate Joint Selection Committee to assess project applications. The final decision on project selection is made by the Joint Monitoring Committee based on the assessment conducted by the Joint Selection Committee.

The JSC consists of regional and national-level representatives from both participating countries.

National Authorities and Control Contact Points

Both countries have appointed National Authorities to support the Managing Authority in the management of the Programme in accordance with sound financial management practices. The National Authorities are responsible for the setting up and effective functioning of management and control systems at national level. The National Authority also represents the country on the Joint Monitoring Committee.

The control contact points support the Managing Authority in fulfilling its project-level control and verification tasks.

Audit Authority and members of the group of auditors

The Audit Authority ensures that audits are carried out on the management and control systems, on an appropriate sample of projects (sample checks) and on the Programme’s annual accounts.

The Audit Authority is assisted by a group of auditors made up of representatives from both participating countries.

The participating countries have appointed the governmental financial control function of the Ministry of Finance of Finland to act as the Audit Authority for the Karelia CBC Programme.

Regional Authorities

Regional Authorities from both sides of the border participate in project selection procedures on the Joint Selection Committee and represent their region on the Joint Monitoring Committee. They inform the regional decision-makers in their region about the progress of the Programme and actively communicate with other Regional / National Authorities located in each region. The Regional Authorities also support the Managing Authority in organising Programme information events at the regional level.