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1. With regard to programmes implemented under the Investment for jobs and growth goal, the total ERDF resources, other than for technical assistance, in each Member State shall be concentrated at national level or at the level of category of region in accordance with paragraphs 3 to 9.

2. With regard to the thematic concentration of support for Member States comprising outermost regions, the ERDF resources allocated specifically to programmes for the outermost regions and those allocated to all other regions shall be treated separately.

3. Member States may decide to comply with thematic concentration at national level or at the level of category of region. Each Member State shall indicate its choice in its Partnership Agreement referred to in Article 10 of Regulation (EU) 2021/1060. That choice shall apply to the total of that Member State’s ERDF resources referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article for the entire programming period.

Where a Member State decides to comply with thematic concentration requirements at the level of category of regions, the thresholds set out in the first subparagraph of this paragraph shall apply to the ERDF resources referred to in paragraph 1 aggregated together for all regions falling in the respective category of region.

7. Where a Member State allocates to PO 2 more than 50 % of its total Cohesion Fund resources other than for technical assistance as calculated after the transfer set out in Article 110(4) of Regulation (EU) 2021/1060, excluding resources under the specific objective referred to in point (b)(viii) of the first subparagraph of Article 3(1) of this Regulation, the allocation exceeding the 50 % may be taken into account when calculating the compliance with the thematic concentration requirements set out in paragraph 6 of this Article.

If a Member State decides to comply with thematic concentration at the level of category of regions, the Cohesion Fund resources that are taken into account for thematic concentration requirements in accordance with the first subparagraph shall be allocated pro rata to the different categories of regions based on their relative share of the total population of the Member State concerned. Member States shall set out in their Partnership Agreement referred to in Article 10 of Regulation (EU) 2021/1060 whether the Cohesion Fund resources will be taken into account for thematic concentration requirements for PO 2.

8. The resources under the specific objective referred to in point (a)(v) of the first subparagraph of Article 3(1) shall be programmed under a dedicated priority. By way of derogation from paragraph 6, 40 % of such resources shall be taken into account when calculating compliance with the thematic concentration requirements for PO1 set out in paragraph 6.

The resources taken into account for thematic concentration requirements in accordance with the second subparagraph of this paragraph shall not exceed 40 % of the minimum thematic concentration requirements for PO 1 set out in paragraph 6.

9. The resources under the specific objective referred to in point (b)(viii) of the first subparagraph of Article 3(1) shall be programmed under a dedicated priority. By way of derogation from paragraph 6, 50 % of such ERDF resources shall be taken into account when calculating compliance with the thematic concentration requirements for PO 2 set out in paragraph 6. The resources taken into account for thematic concentration requirements in accordance with the second subparagraph of this paragraph shall not exceed 50 % of the minimum thematic concentration requirements for PO 2 set out in paragraph 6.

10. The thematic concentration requirements set out in paragraph 6 of this Article shall be complied with throughout the entire programming period, including when ERDF allocations are transferred between priorities of a programme or between programmes and at the mid-term review in accordance with Article 18 of Regulation (EU) 2021/1060.

11. Where the ERDF allocation with regard to PO 1 or PO 2, or both, of a given programme is reduced following a decommitment under Article 105 of Regulation (EU) 2021/1060, or due to financial corrections by the Commission in accordance with Article 104 of that Regulation, compliance with the thematic concentration requirements set out in paragraph 6 of this Article shall not be re-assessed.

12. This Article shall not apply to the additional funding for northern sparsely populated regions referred to in point (e) of Article 110(1) of Regulation (EU) 2021/1060.

4. For the purposes of a thematic concentration at national level, Member States shall be classified, in terms of their gross national income ratio, as follows:

(a) those with a gross national income ratio equal to or above 100 % of the EU average (‘group 1’);

(b) those with a gross national income ratio equal to or above 75 % and below 100 % of the EU average (‘group 2’);

(c) those with a gross national income ratio below 75 % of the EU average (‘group 3’). For the purposes of this Article, the gross national income ratio means the ratio between the gross national income per capita of a Member State, measured in purchasing power standards and calculated on the basis of Union figures for the period from 2015 to 2017, and the average gross national income per capita in purchasing power standards of the 27 Member States for that same reference period. With regard to programmes under the Investment for jobs and growth goal for the outermost regions, they shall be classified as falling within group 3.

With regard to programmes under the Investment for jobs and growth goal for island Member States which receive support from the Cohesion Fund, they shall be classified as falling within group 3.

5. For the purposes of a thematic concentration at the level of category of region, regions shall be classified by categories of region in accordance with Article 108(2) of Regulation (EU) 2021/1060, as:

(a) more developed regions;

(b) transition regions;

(c) less developed regions.

6. Member States shall comply at national level with the following thematic concentration requirements:

(a) Member States of group 1 or more developed regions shall allocate at least 85 % of their ERDF resources referred to in paragraph 1 to PO 1 and PO 2, and at least 30 % to PO 2;

(b) Member States of group 2 or transition regions shall allocate at least 40 % of their ERDF resources referred to in paragraph 1 to PO 1, and at least 30 % to PO 2;

(c) Member States of group 3 or less developed regions shall allocate at least 25 % of their ERDF resources referred to in paragraph 1 to PO 1, and at least 30 % to PO 2.