European Union News - Regional Policy

The European Union has published a regulation from 7 May 2008 amending Council Regulation (EC) No 2007/2000 introducing exceptional trade measures for countries and territories participating in or linked to the European Union's Stabilisation and Association process. The regulation concerns import and export duties between vaious member states.

The European Commission concluded, on the 7th May 2008, that Slovakia meets the criteria for adopting the euro and made a proposal to the Council to this effect. The regular Convergence Report on euro readiness, adopted by the Commission, shows that another nine countries, that were investigated, with a so-called 'derogation' have made progress on the road to the single currency, but do not yet meet all the conditions for euro adoption.

On the 7th of May 2008, the European Commission have published noticies from Member states in the Offical Jounral of the European Union (OJ). Information communicated by Member States was regarding State aid granted under Commission
Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006 on the application of Articles 87 and 88 of the EC Treaty to State aid to small and medium-sized enterprises active in the production of agricultural products and amending Regulation (EC) No 70/2001.

The European Commission has authorised on the 5th of May, a State aid measure by Germany aimed at supporting the development of an electronic fare management system for public transport, the so-called "e-ticketing system". The approved State aid amounts to approximately € 9.75 million and will be granted between 2007 and 2009.

The European Commission has adopted guidelines for State aid to railway undertakings. The guidelines clarify the rules governing public funding of these businesses. This is one way the Commission is boosting the liberalisation of the industry and ensuring that public funding contributes to sustainable mobility in Europe.

The European Commission has authorised, under EC Treaty state aid rules, €143 million of aid, which the Romanian authorities intend to grant to Ford for the production of vehicles and engines in Craiova, in the South West of Romania.

In 2004, the Commission approved a UK state aid measure that increased broadband coverage to 99% of Scottish households. The objective of this second measure is to extend the coverage to the remaining 1% of households in Scotland that still do not have affordable broadband services.

On 20 September 2007, the European Commission approved a transnational cooperation programme between Germany, France, Italy, Austria and Slovenia (with participation from Liechtenstein and Switzerland) for the period 2007-13. The Alpine Space Programme falls within the framework laid out for the European Territorial Cooperation Objective and has a total budget of around €130 million. Community investment through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) amounts to some €98 million, which represents approximately 1.1% of the total EU investment earmarked for the European Territorial Cooperation Objective under the Cohesion Policy for 2007-13.