Biennial Progress Report (SCF)
PURPOSE
This document describes the actions related to the Biennial Progress Report procedure for the Social Climate Plan as described in the SCF Regulation:
Article 24
Monitoring of implementation
1. Each Member State shall, on a biennial basis, report to the Commission on the implementation of its Plan together with its integrated national energy and climate progress report pursuant to Article 17 of Regulation (EU) 2018/1999 and in accordance with Article 28 thereof. The monitoring of implementation shall be targeted and proportionate to the activities carried out in the Plan. The Member States shall include the indicators set out in Annex IV to this Regulation in their progress report.
The first biennial progress report on the SCPs is expected by 15 March 2027.
REGULATIONS
More details regarding the regulation of the Biennial Progress Report can be found in the "About SFC2021" section of the portal.
ROLES
Roles involved in the Biennial Progress Report are:
MS Implementing Authority (MSIA)
MS Coordinating Body (MSCO) | Record Progress Report Upload Progress Report Documents Consult Progress Report Return Progress Report for modification Delete Progress Report Validate Progress Report Prepare Progress Report for send to EC Send Progress Report Return Progress Report by MS for modification Cancel Progress Report Create New Version of a Progress Report |
MS Audit Authority (MSAA) | Consult Progress Report |
FUNDS
SCF |
Workflow
This section shows the lifecycle to create and manage a Biennial Progress Report.
Click here to see the Biennial Progress Report workflow diagram in high resolution.
Create a Biennial Progress Report
Remark | The User is an identified User and has the role of MS Implementing Authority or MS Coordinating Body with Update rights (MSIAu/MSCOu). The Plan is adopted and managed on the User's Node. When creating a new Progress Report, it does not yet exist. The version and work version number are automatically provided by the system on “Create” of a new Progress Report. The version number is the report year (2027, 2029, 2031, 2033) and the work version number is 0. |
To create the Biennial Progress Report, go to the Monitoring menu and select the Biennial progress report (SCF) option:
In the search screen click on the Create button to create a new Biennial Progress Report:
You are redirected to the Biennial Progress Report Creation Wizard:
Enter or select the following information:
(1) Select the CCI Number.
The CCI is automatically set for the adopted SCP managed at the User’s Node, for which the User is registered.
(2) Select the Report Year.
A Progress Report is always referring to a Year (2027, 2029, 2031 or 2033). Progress Reports can be created as of the first of January of the report year and should normally be sent to the Commission by the 15th of March of the report year. Therefore, the list will contain all not yet created required Progress Reports.
(3) Click on Create.
The status of the Biennial Progress Report is Open.
Remark | On Create, the initial Biennial Progress Report structure is created, and a Table of Content (ToC)/Navigation Tree is presented, so the User can continue to populate the structured data of the Biennial Progress Report. The Progress Report is linked to the last adopted version of the Plan. The records for the Common Indicator tables in part II are automatically created (All Common Context Indicators. Common Output and Result Indicators applicable for the MS Plan). The Source language is copied from the linked Plan Version. The officials in charge are initially copied from the linked Plan version, but once a Progress Report version exists, it will be copied from the last Progress Report version. |
Record/Edit a Biennial Progress Report
Remark | The User is an identified User and has the role of MS Implementing Authority or MS Coordinating Body with Update rights (MSIAu/MSCOu). When editing a version of a Biennial Progress Report, its status is Open, Validated, Ready to send or Sent at the level of the Member State or Returned by MS and currently resides on the User's Node. |
General
This section includes the header data to identify the main characteristics of the Biennial Progress Report.
Version Information
Note | The Version Information contains information on the identification and status of the Biennial Progress Report Version like the CCI, the Version Number (Referring to the Report Year), the Status, the Node where it currently resides, the Website where the report is published, the Source language and the linked adopted Plan version. Link to the website and Source language can be updated. Only Source language is mandatory. |
The Edit details pop-up window appears:
Enter or update the following information:
(1) Enter the Link to the website.
(2) Update the Source language if needed.
(3) Click on Save to save the information.
Officials in Charge
Note | Officials in Charge can be updated at any time, independent from the status of the Biennial Progress Report. Commission Officials (email domain "ec.europa.eu") can only be created/updated/deleted by Commission Users. The officials in charge are initially copied from the linked Plan version, but once a Biennial Progress Report version exists, it will be copied from the last Biennial Progress Report version. |
Click on the Add button
to add a new official in charge.Clicking on the Edit icon
of a row will allow you to modify the information of this official.Clicking on the Delete icon
of a row will allow you to delete the official in charge selected.
Click on the Add button to add a new Official in Charge:
The Edit details pop-up window appears:
Enter or select the following information:
(1) Enter the Name.
(2) Enter the Email.
The format of the Email address will be validated by the system and should be unique.
(3) Enter the Phone number.
(4) Select the Language.
(5) Enter the Valid from and Valid until dates.
The Valid until date should be greater than the Valid from date.
(6) Click on Save to save the information.
History
This section shows all the actions that have been taken on the Biennial Progress Report since it was created, for example:
Documents
Note | The Documents list shows all documents uploaded against this version of the Biennial Progress Report by Member State and by Commission. Member State Users see all their own Documents and the sent Commission Documents. Commission Users see all their own Documents, unsent Integral Member State Documents and sent Member State Documents. Only unsent documents can be deleted. Once a document has been sent to the Commission it cannot be deleted. |
The following documents will be foreseen:
Description | Internal Code | Non-Integral (1) | Integral (2) | System (3) | Required (4) |
MS Document explaining the estimation methodology | SCPPR.EM(5) |
| X |
| X |
Context indicators - new calculation methodology | SCPPR.CMC(6) |
| X |
|
|
Snapshot of data before send | SNP.SCPPRSNT |
| X | X | X |
Other Member State Document | SCPPR.OM | X |
|
|
|
MS Request to withdraw Progress Report version | SCPPR.WIR | X |
|
|
|
Supplementary information | SCPPR.SUP | X |
|
|
|
(1) Document can be sent at any time
(2) Document will be automatically sent when the Object is sent
(3) Document automatically created by the system
(4) Document required in the system before a next action can be executed
(5) Will have a mandatory multi-select meta-field for the related main common output or result indicator(s). Document is mandatory for each common output or result indicator for which an informed estimate is used or which has a sub-indicator with informed estimate. Will have a warning message saying “Please upload a document explaining the methodology underlying the informed estimates. As a minimum, the methodology should clearly spell out the calculations used to arrive at the estimated value, specify the calculation methods, the data used and relevant sources, and explain any data limitations and potential bias and how these were mitigated in the estimation methodology (if applicable).”.
(6) Will have a mandatory multi-select meta-field for the related main common context indicator(s).
Uploading & Sending Documents
Note | Only unsent documents can be deleted. Once a document has been sent to the Commission it cannot be deleted. |
Multiple documents can be uploaded in the Biennial Progress Report.
Clicking on the Add button
will open a pop-up window allowing you to add a new document type with attachments.Selecting a document row and clicking on the View icon
will allow you to view the document information.Selecting a document row and clicking on the Edit icon
will allow you to modify the document information. If a document of type 'Other Member State Document' must be sent, you can select the edit icon in order to send the document.Selecting a document row and clicking on the Delete icon
will allow you to delete the document and all attachements.
Remark | Integral Documents (Official Proposal etc) are only sent - together with the encoded data – once the Biennial Progress Report is sent to the EC. Referential/non-integral Documents (ie. 'Other Member State Document') can be sent at any time independently of the status of the Biennial Progress Report. The 'Other Member State Document' type demands a manual submission (they are NOT sent automatically when the object is sent to the EC). A non-integral document is only visible to the Commission when the SENT DATE is visible. |
Click on the Add button to add a new document:
The Add document details pop-up window appears:
Enter or select the following information:
(1) Enter a Document Title for your Document.
(2) Select a Document Type.
(3) Enter a Document Date.
The system automatically fills the field with todays date, but this can be modified.
(4) Enter a Local reference.
(5) Click on the Add button to add a new attachment:
You can add multiple attachments by clicking on the Add button.
You can remove unwanted attachments by selecting the attachment and clicking on the Remove button.
The Attached files window becomes editable:
Enter or select the following information:
(1) Enter a Title for your attachment.
(2) Select the Type of the document.
It is possible to select from these 4 types: Annex, Cover Letter, Main or Translation.
Note that the system requires that a document contains at least one MAIN or COVER_LETTER type of attachment.
(3) Select the Language of the document.
(4) Click on Browse to select the file that you want to add as an attachment.
(5) After the attachments are uploaded click on Save.
Remark | Integral document types will only display the Save button and will be sent when the Biennial Progress Report is sent to the Commission. Non-integral document types (such as ‘Other Member State Documents’) will display the Save button and a Save & Send button, and must be sent independently of the Biennial Progress Report. |
Sending an unsent non-integral document
Note | Only unsent documents can be deleted. Once a document has been sent to the Commission it cannot be deleted. |
Once the document and attachment(s) have been uploaded click on the Send icon in the row containing the unsent document:
Click on Confirm to send the document to the Commission. For completing this action, the User will be redirected to the EU Login signature page:
Remark | The Save & Send button will only be shown for documents which are not integral part of the Object and after at least one attachment was added. |
Deletion of an unsent document
Note | Only unsent documents can be deleted. Once a document has been sent to the Commission it cannot be deleted. |
In the row of a previously uploaded unsent document click on the Delete icon to delete the document and associated attachments:
A confirmation window appears:
Click on Yes to confirm deletion.
Observations
Note | This section is used to provide any relevant information to the Biennial Progress Report. It can be used as a type of 'chat' between the Member State and Commission. All Users who have Read permission on the Biennial Progress Report will be able to read all Observations in the conversation. All Users who have Update permission on the Biennial Progress Report will be able to send an observation and participate in the conversation. All observations are kept against the specific version of the Biennial Progress Report. The observation is added below the Observations box and includes the username, the date and time of the post. |
Click on the Add button to add an observation:
The Add new observation screen appears:
Enter the following information:
(1) Enter an observation.
(2) Click on Save to save the information.
Part I. Overview of the implementation of the SCP
1. General overview
Click on the Edit button to enter the information:
The Edit details pop-up window appears:
Enter the following information:
(1) Enter the text in the text box.
(2) Click on Save to save the information.
2. Links with NECPs and NBRPs
Click on the Edit button to enter the information:
The Edit details pop-up window appears:
Enter the following information:
(1) Enter the text in the text box.
(2) Click on Save to save the information.
3. Gender equality and equal opportunities
Click on the Edit button to enter the information:
The Edit details pop-up window appears:
Enter the following information:
(1) Enter the text in the text box.
(2) Click on Save to save the information.
Part II. Common indicators
1. Context indicators
Note | The table is pre-populated with all Common Context Indicators and their measurement unit. The Indicators are ordered per group (Buildings, Road transport, Mirco-enterprises, DIS) and per Indicator code. Main Indicators will be followed by their disaggregated Indicators when existing. Total amount and Time of data collections are editable. Each Indicator has an attribute indicating if Total amount and Time of data collection are mandatory or not. Comments are editable but not mandatory. Calculated Indicators cannot be edited. |
Click on the Edit button to enter values in the table:
The Edit details pop-up window appears:
Enter the following information:
(1) Enter the Total amount.
Total amount is a number. The indicator attribute NumberOfDecimals will determine if decimals need to be rendered or not.
(2) Enter the Time of data collection.
The Time of data collection cannot be in the future. This will be checked by validation rule SCPPR_015.
(3) Enter Comments if necessary.
(4) Click on Save to save the information.
2. Output indicators
Note | The table is pre-populated with all applicable Output Indicators and their measurement unit . All non-applicable Output Indicators, as listed in the bilateral agreement of the Plan will be automatically excluded. The Indicators are ordered per group (Buildings, Road transport, Mirco-enterprises, DIS) and per Indicator code. Main Indicators will be followed by their disaggregated Indicators when existing. Total amount and Informed estimate are editable. Each Indicator has an attribute indicating if Total amount is mandatory or not. Comments are editable but not mandatory. Calculated Indicators cannot be edited. |
Click on the Edit button to enter values in the table:
The Edit details pop-up window appears:
Enter or select the following information:
(1) Enter the Total amount.
Total amount is a number. The indicator attribute NumberOfDecimals will determine if decimals need to be rendered or not.
(2) Select Yes or No for Informed estimate.
For each Indicator with an informed estimate, the MS will need to send a document of type “MS Document explaining the estimation methodology”. This will be checked by validation rule SCPPR_007.
(3) Enter Comments if necessary.
(4) Click on Save to save the information.
3. Result indicators
Note | The table is pre-populated with all applicable Result Indicators and their measurement unit. All non-applicable Result Indicators, as listed in the bilateral agreement of the Plan will be automatically excluded. The Indicators are ordered per group (Buildings, Road transport, Mirco-enterprises, DIS) and per Indicator code. Main Indicators will be followed by their disaggregated Indicators when existing. Total amount and Informed estimate are editable. Each Indicator has an attribute indicating if Total amount is mandatory or not. Comments are editable but not mandatory. Calculated Indicators cannot be edited. |
Click on the Edit button to enter values in the table:
The Edit details pop-up window appears:
Enter or select the following information:
(1) Enter the Total amount.
Total amount is a number. The indicator attribute NumberOfDecimals will determine if decimals need to be rendered or not.
(2) Select Yes or No for Informed estimate.
For each Indicator with an informed estimate, the MS will need to send a document of type “MS Document explaining the estimation methodology”. This will be checked by validation rule SCPPR_007.
(3) Enter Comments if necessary.
(4) Click on Save to save the information.
Remark | On some Indicator names and/or some Measurement units, help will be foreseen. When help is available, it will become available via a tooltip. Result indicator 38 is calculated as follows: Total income support from plan for the base scenario divided by indicator 36. Result indicator 39 is calculated as follows: Total income support from plan for the base scenario divided by indicator 37. |
Part III. Milestones and targets
Measure/Investment/Action: Sequence Number
Note | There will be one table per Measure/Investment/Action as defined in the linked adopted Plan version. The table is pre-populated with all Milestones and Targets Timelines as defined in the linked adopted Plan version, ordered per Sequence Number. Comments are editable but not mandatory. |
Click on the Edit button to enter values in the table:
The Edit details pop-up window appears:
Select or enter the following information:
(1) Select the Status.
Status is mandatory and must be selected from a list with values “Achieved – not yet assessed”, “Substantial progress”, “Some progress”, “No progress”. For Targets, all values are selectable. For Milestones, only “Achieved – not yet assessed” and “No progress” can be selected.
When a Milestone or Target is already included in a Payment Application and assessed by the Commission, its Status will automatically be set to “Achieved – assessed” and will not be editable.
(2) Enter Comments if necessary.
(3) Click on Save to save the information.
Validate a Biennial Progress Report
Remark | The Biennial Progress Report can be validated at any time, when the current version is in status Open and resides at the User’s Node. To validate the Biennial Progress Report, the User must have the role of MS Implementing Authority or MS Coordinating Body with Update or Send rights (MSIAu/s or MSCOu/s). |
Click on the Validate button to validate the Biennial Progress Report:
Remark | An Error will block you from sending the Biennial Progress Report. The error(s) should be resolved and the Biennial Progress Report must be revalidated. Note that a Warning does not block you from sending the Biennial Progress Report. |
The system validates the following information:
Code | Severity | Validation Rule |
001 | Warning | Validate that at least one official in charge of the Member State exists. |
002 | Error | Validate that the CCI code matches the following regular expression: ……05SCFP… (Implicit in web). |
003 | Error | Validate that the Plan is already adopted (Implicit in web). |
004 | Error | Validate that all integral documents have at least one attachment with a length > 0. |
005 | Warning | Validate when initial version, cancelled and all versions up to and including withdrawn version excluded, that the end date for submission for the Reporting Year (15/03/YYYY) has not been passed. |
006 | Error | Validate that the Progress Report is linked to the last adopted version of the plan. |
007 | Error | Validate that a document of type “MS Document explaining the estimation methodology” (SCPPR.EM) exists for each main indicator with an informed estimate or with a disaggregated indicator with an informed estimate. |
008 | Error | Validate that a document of type “MS Document explaining the estimation methodology” (SCPPR.EM) refers to a main indicator with an informed estimate or with a disaggregated indicator with an informed estimate. |
009 | Error | Validate that section I.1 is not empty. |
010 | Error | Validate that section I.2 is not empty. |
011 | Error | Validate in section II.1 that mandatory context indicators have a total amount and a time of data collection. |
012 | Error | Validate in section II.2 that mandatory output indicators have a total amount. |
013 | Error | Validate in section II.3 that mandatory result indicators have a total amount. |
014 | Error | Validate in section III that each row has a progress status. |
015 | Error | Validate in section II.1 that the time of data collection is not in the future. |
An example of a validation window:
You can check the list of validation results at any time throughout the Biennial Progress Report:
To see the last validation results:
(1) Click on one of the 4 categories: All results, Passed, Warning, Error.
(2) The list of latest validation results for the chosen category is displayed.
After all errors have been resolved the status of the Biennial Progress Report becomes Validated.
Prepare a Biennial Progress Report for send to EC
Remark | The Prepare for Send can occur when a User on the highest MS Node wants to indicate that the Biennial Progress Report version can be prepared for sending to the Commission, once the Validation Errors have been removed and the status is Validated or Sent. To prepare the send of the Biennial Progress Report, the User must have the role of MS Implementing Authority or MS Coordinating Body with Update or Send rights (MSIAu/s or MSCOu/s) for the funds managed by the Programme. |
Click on the Prepare for send to EC button to prepare to send the Biennial Progress Report to the Commission:
The system will ask you to confirm the send action:
Click on Confirm to confirm.
The status of the Biennial Progress Report is set to Preparing for send to EC.
Send a Biennial Progress Report
Remark | The Biennial Progress Report can only be sent once the Validation Errors have been removed and the status is Ready To Send. The "4 eyes principle" must be respected. Therefore, the User sending must be different from the User who last validated. The User sending should verify the reliability of the data transmitted using the provided information in the snapshot, to ensure that the “4 eyes principle” is fully respected. To send the Biennial Progress Report, the User must have the role of MS Implementing Authority or MS Coordinating Body with Send rights (MSIAs/MSCOs) for all the concerned funds. |
Click on the Send button to send the Biennial Progress Report to the Commission or to the upper Node:
The system will ask you to confirm the send action:
Click on Confirm to confirm.
On success, the Biennial Progress Report version has been sent to the Commission or to the upper Node. When sent, the status is set to Sent.
Remark | When on the highest MS node, different versions of the generated “Snapshot before send” document will be available, as the sender should verify the reliability of the data entered by the User who last validated that will be sent to the Commission, to ensure “the 4 eyes principle”:
|
Return a Biennial Progress Report by MS for modification
Remark | The Biennial Progress Report can only be returned by MS for modification when a lower Node exists and the status is Sent (to a higher MS node), Open, Validated, Ready to Send or Returned by MS. This action can be used when a User wants to return a Biennial Progress Report version sent by the Member State/Region because it is incomplete or incorrect. To return a Biennial Progress Report for modification, the User must have the role of MS Implementing Authority or MS Coordinating Body with Update rights (MSIAu/MSCOu). |
Follow the steps to return a Biennial Progress Report by MS for modification:
Select the following information:
(1) Select the down arrow.
(2) Click on the Return by MS for modification button to return the Biennial Progress Report to the lower Node.
The system will ask you to confirm the return for modification:
Enter the following information:
(1) Enter the Reason in the text box provided.
(2) Click on Confirm to save the information.
On success, the status of the Programme will be changed to status Returned by MS for modification and the sender is notified of the action and its reason.
Delete a Biennial Progress Report
Remark | The Biennial Progress Report can only be deleted when:
To delete the Biennial Progress Report, the User must have the role of MS Implementing Authority or MS Coordinating Body with Update rights (MSIAu/MSCOu). The delete is a physical delete and cannot be recovered! |
Follow the steps to remove the Biennial Progress Report from the system:
Select the following information:
(1) Select the down arrow.
(2) Click on the Delete button to remove the Biennial Progress Report from the system.
The system will ask you to confirm the delete action:
Click on Confirm to confirm or click on Cancel to return to the Biennial Progress Report.
Cancel a Biennial Progress Report
Remark | The Biennial Progress Report can only be cancelled when a Biennial Progress Report version with documents was sent to the Commission and without any previous work version in status Returned by MS. The notification utility will be called to notify the Commission of the cancel of the version. The Biennial Progress Report version must currently reside on the User's Node and its status is Open, Validated, Ready to send or Returned by MS and contains a sent Document and has no previous working version of the same major version in status Returned by MS. To cancel the Biennial Progress Report, the User must have the role of MS Implementing Authority or MS Coordinating Body with Update rights (MSIAu/MSCOu). |
Follow the steps to cancel the Biennial Progress Report from the system:
Select the following information:
(1) Select the down arrow.
(2) Click on the Cancel button to cancel the Biennial Progress Report from the system.
The system will ask you to confirm the cancel action:
Click on Confirm to confirm or click on Cancel to return to the Biennial Progress Report.
On success, the status of the Biennial Progress Report will be changed to Cancelled.
Create a New Version of the Biennial Progress Report
Remark | A new version of the Biennial Progress Report can only be created when the last version is in status Returned by MS, Cancelled or Withdrawn at the request of the MS. To create a new version, the User must have the role of MS Implementing Authority or MS Coordinating Body with Update rights (MSIAu/MSCOu). |
Click on the Create button to create a new version of the Biennial Progress Report:
The system will ask you to confirm the creation of a new version:
Click on Confirm to confirm. Click on Cancel to return to the Biennial Progress Report.
On success, a new version of the Biennial Progress Report has been created as a copy of the last version, with a version number identical to the previous and a working version number incremented by one. Its status is set to Open.