Regulation (EU) No. 1303/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 lays down common provisions on the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the European Social Fund (ESF), the Cohesion Fund (CF), on the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and on the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) and general provisions on the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), on the European Social Fund (ESF), on the Cohesion Fund (CF) and on the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF), and repealing Regulation (EC) No. 1083/2006 of the Council.

In particular, Article 47 of Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013 provides that “Within three months of the date of notification to the Member State of the Commission's decision to adopt a programme, the Member State shall set up a Committee, in accordance with its institutional, legal and financial framework, in agreement with the Managing Authority, to oversee the implementation of the programme (the “monitoring committee";) [. . . ]”.

Article 48 of the same Regulation provides that “The composition of the Supervisory Committee shall be decided by the Member State provided that it is composed of the competent authorities of the Member States, as well as the intermediate bodies and representatives of the partners referred to in Article 5. The representatives of the partners are delegated by their partners to join the Monitoring Committee through transparent procedures. Each member of the Supervisory Committee may have the right to vote"; and that “The Supervisory Committee shall be chaired by a representative of the Member State or of the managing authority".

The Monitoring Committee, in accordance with Article 49, shall examine all aspects affecting the results of the programme, including the conclusions of the checks on the effectiveness of implementation, and may make comments to the managing authority on the implementation and evaluation of the administrative burden on beneficiaries. The Monitoring Committee shall monitor the action taken in response to such action.

Pursuant to Article 110, the Supervisory Committee examines in particular:
•    any aspect affecting the results of the operational programme;
•    the progress made in implementing the evaluation plan and the follow-up given to the results of the evaluations;
•    the implementation of the communication strategy;
•    the execution of major projects;
•    the implementation of the joint action plans;
•    actions to promote equality between men and women, equal opportunities, non-discrimination, including accessibility for people with disabilities;
•    actions to promote sustainable development;
•    where appropriate, the ex ante conditionalities are not fulfilled at the date of submission of the Partnership Agreement and the operational programme, the state of play of actions to fulfil the applicable ex ante conditionalities;
•    financial instruments.

and then examines and approves:
•    the methodology and criteria used for the selection of operations;
•    the annual and final implementation reports;
•    the evaluation plan for the operational programme and any amendments thereto, including where one of them is part of the joint evaluation plan in accordance with Article 114(1);
•    the communication strategy for the operational programme and any amendments to it;
•    any proposals for amendments to the operational programme submitted by the managing authority.

In accordance with the provisions just mentioned, the Monitoring Committee of the Operational Programme ERDF ESF 2014-2020 of the Puglia Region was established by Resolution of the Regional Council no. 2158 of 30 November 2015 and, chaired by the President of the Region, is composed of representatives of national, regional and economic and social partners.
Two representatives of the European Commission (DG Regio and DG Employ) participate in the work in an advisory capacity on their own initiative or at the request of the same Committee.

In order to exercise its duties, in accordance with the provisions of Article 47 (2) of Regulation (EU) 1303/2013, the Supervisory Committee approved and adopted its own Internal Rules during its inaugural meeting (11 March 2016).

During the same meeting it approved the document “Methodology and criteria for the selection of operations" and the “Programme Communication Strategy".