European Union News - Regional Policy

The Council adopted a directive aimed a creating a system for the interconnection of central, commercial and companies registers and at improving access to up-to-date and trustworthy information on companies. The new rules are a response to the increasing demand for access to information on companies in a cross-border context.

The European Parliament approved a report which asks to national authorities to reorient EU aviation policy to pay special attention to the needs of regional airports. According to MEPs, boosting regional development and reduce congestion at major air hubs could be unlocked by integrating them in the Trans-European Transport Networks.

The European leaders in deployment of telehealth as they have succeeded in integrating telehealth into standard patient treatments, are Denmark, the UK and some regions of Italy and Spain. Telehealth is healthcare empowered by Information and Communication Technology (ICT). Such healthcare supports independent living of individuals and contributes to more efficient health and social care services delivery, according to the Commission.

The Communication on State Aid Modernisation (SAM) adopted by the European Commission proposes focusing state aid policy on facilitating well-designed aid targeted at market failures and objectives of common European interest. It sets objectives of an ambitious reform package. The main elements of the reform shall be in place by the end of 2013.

The Committee of the Regions (CoR) adopted an opinion that stressed the need for sustainable European agriculture and for the policy's implementation to be tailored as closely as possible to realities on the ground. The opinion also calls for a fairer and more ambitious CAP.

The EU reached an international agreement to update the Gothenburg Protocol according to a joint statement by the Danish EU Presidency and Commissioner Potočnik which welcomed this new agreement. There is also agreement to act on so called 'Black Carbon', a pollutant with short-lived climate forcing characteristics.

European regions and cities request a place-based approach to the thematic concentration of resources, a stronger flexibility in the definition of the funds allocation and clear rules for the involvement of regions and cities in defining operational programmes and partnership contracts through the four opinions adopted in plenary session by Members of the Committee of Regions.

The Various Interests' Group of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) organised a conference in which it was reached the conclusion that the implementation of a new sustainable development strategy with clear inter-linkages between the social, environmental and economic pillars requires a renewed sense of urgency, ambition, policy coherence and accountability.

The European Commission presented an outline of the principles that should guide EU countries when they organise the participation of the relevant partners in the different stages of the implementation of the EU Common Strategic Framework funds. In addition, it announced the preparation of a European Code of Conduct on partnership.

The Agriculture and Fisheries Council held a debate on the CAP reform which mostly focused on direct payments. If most delegations supported to better target payments to young and small farmers, they are divided on the issue to know if the small farmers should fulfil or not the greening or cross-compliance provisions. They do not agree on the definition of active farmer either.