The Intermediate Evaluation is carried out under the responsibility of each O.P.’s managing authority and of the European Commission within the framework of the corporate relation.

It is conducted by an independent evaluator and is submitted to the Monitoring Committee of the Operation Programme before transmitted to the European Commission by 31/12/2003 the latest. The independent evaluators ought to respect, during the process, the confidentiality of the monitoring data to which they have access. Publication of results of the intermediate evaluation requires the Monitoring Committee’s prior consent.

In accordance with article 42(3) of the EU Regulation 1260/99, the Committee examines the correctness and quality of the evaluation based on the criteria that have been agreed to in advance with the member state on a corporate basis, in view of the review of interventions and provisions of the performance reserve fund.

The implementation of the Intermediate Evaluation of the Operational Programmes of the 200-2006 CSF, in line with the provisions of Regulation 1260/99, was completed in early 2004 by means of submission and approval of 26 reports (1 report for the CSF, 12 for the Regional O.P.s, and 13 for the R.O.P.s).