Study supporting the evaluation of CHAFEA, EACEA, EASME, ERCEA, INEA & REA (2017/2018-2021) : final report : EASME

According to Article 25 of Council Regulation (EC) No 58/2003 laying down the statute for executive agencies (EAs), an external evaluation on the operation of each agency must be carried out every three years and must include a cost-benefit analysis (CBA). According to Article 12 of Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2021/173, the Consumer, Health, Agriculture and Food Executive Agency (CHAFEA), the Innovation and Networks Executive Agency (INEA), European Research Executive Agency (REA), the former European Research Council Executive Agency (ERCEA), the European Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) and the Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (EASME) must be evaluated in a coordinated way. These evaluations must cover the remaining period of the 2014-2020 mandate of the EAs that has not yet been evaluated. The period under evaluation ends on the day prior to the date of application of this Decision (31 March 2021). The purpose of this evaluation is to provide the external evaluation of the operation of EASME by providing answers to evaluation questions concerning its effectiveness, efficiency and coherence. The evaluation was guided by the Technical Specifications, in which the Commission set out the work that the Contractor is required to do, as well as the Technical Offer of the Contractor.