This study examined how common indicators under the 2021–2027 programming period of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the Cohesion Fund (CF) and the Just Transition Fund (JTF) were used by Member States, and whether they could support a shift towards Financing Not Linked to Costs (FNLC).
FNLC represents a simplified financing model in which EU payments are triggered by the achievement of predefined results rather than the reimbursement of eligible expenditure. The study evaluated the robustness, comparability and operational suitability of common indicators as potential performance triggers within a more outcome-oriented Cohesion Policy framework. The analysis combined large-scale quantitative assessment of programme data, methodological review of target-setting practices, benchmarking across Member States, comparison with Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) indicators, and consultation with programme authorities and evaluation experts.
The study combined advanced quantitative and qualitative techniques, including:
CSIL led the assessment of how common indicators are used across Member States and conducted an analysis of the Achievements and Finances datasets available on the Cohesion Open Data Platform, developing and implementing a machine learning-based methodology to merge and harmonise these datasets, which enabled the integration of the analysis of financial allocations and reported outputs.
The study confirmed the strong potential of many ERDF/CF common indicators in a performance-based setting. Their methodological homogeneity and broad coverage support comparability and aggregation across Member States.
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