EU FUNDS

Regional Assistance

JASPERS

JASPERS

JASPERS, an acronym for " Joint Assistance to Support Projects in European Regions,” is a technical assistance partnership to prepare major projects between the Regio Directorate General, the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the European Bank for Rural Development.

JASPERS will provide a pool of expertise, free of charge, to assist structural fund managing authorities with the preparation of major projects. The assistance covers the technical, economic and financial aspects and is available from the early stages of project preparation. JASPERS is one of three new cohesion policy initiatives, with the two being JEREMIE , JESSICA and Regions for Economic Change.

JASPERS' main aim is to ensure high quality projects and to increase the impact of fund transfers on growth and jobs. By using JASPERS, project managers should be able to secure additional sources of funding. For administrative purposes however, JASPERS is considered a unit within the EIB.

JASPERS will focus on projects supported by the Cohesion Fund and the ERDF, and mainly on the sectors most likely to receive assistance, such as roads, rail, public transport, water supply, waste water treatment and solid waste but other types of projects will not be excluded.

JASPERS is provided free of charge and Member States are not required to take part in JASPERS. Those Member States, which do participate in Jasper, are also not required to borrow from the EIB or the EBRD. Furthermore, both the EIB and the EBRD can choose not to lead JASPERS' projects.

JASPERS

European Investment Bank

European Bank for Reconstruction and Development