European Union News - Regional Policy

Acuamed, the Spanish public corporation “Aguas de las Cuencas Mediterráneas” has been granted with the first instalment (€350 million) of a total loan of up to €500 million by the European Investment Bank (EIB). In particular, the loan will finance investments in the water supply, wastewater treatment and environmental protection in Spain’s five Mediterranean river basins.

With only a few weeks to go before the United Nations holds its second conference on sustainable development, Rio+20, the Committee of the Regions (CoR) argues that sustainable cities be placed at the heart of roadmap for sustainable development and be one of the global post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

In a statement published on 9 of June, the Eurogroup highlighted its support to the Spanish authorities to address the restructuring of its financial sector. Also, it confirmed that the financial assistance would be provided by the EFSF/ESM for recapitalisation of financial institutions; and the loan amount is estimated that would be €100 billion in total.

The 2012 edition of the Week of Innovative Regions celebrated on 4-5 June in Poland, focused on smart regional development based on knowledge and innovation. The main event of the week was a Conference addressing main current issues related to the effective implementation of EU headline targets at the regional level.

The Conference of the Regional and Local Authorities for the Eastern Partnership (CORLEAP) ended with an agreement to move forward an Action Plan for 2012-2013 to further reinforce their cooperation towards the aim of achieving closer political association. CORLEAP is composed of local and regional representatives from the EU and Eastern Partnership.

The Habitats Directive and LIFE, the EU financing programme for the environment, celebrate the 20th anniversary as the two key instruments for the conservation and sustainable use of nature in the EU. According to Environment Commissioner Janez Potočnik, in the past two decades, the EU has made great progress, and there is much to celebrate, but nature still needs our help.
 

The report published by the European Environment Agency (EEA) recommends to seize the opportunity of improving quality of life while adapting to climate change in cities. It also advices to cities to start investing in adaptation measures using ideas and best practice from around the world.

Siim Kallas, Commission Vice-President responsible for transport, visited Turkey to enhance transport cooperation between the EU and Turkey. According to the Commission, developing EU-Turkey transport cooperation is very important due to its strategic geographical position at the crossroad between Europe and Middle East and Caucasus.

The Agriculture Committee at the European Parliament celebrated a debate in which a majority of MEPs agreed on the need to introduce other measures, such as support for local slaughterhouses and meat processing plants besides cutting transport time to eight hours to animals. The main objective is to reach the maximum welfare of animals in transport, according to MEPs.

Representatives from the European regions and cities, the European Commission, the European Parliament and the European Council met in Brussels to debate about regions and cities contribution to the growth agenda in the occasion of the Forum on the Common Strategic Framework (CSF) 2014-2020 organised by the Committee of the Regions (CoR). The event took place just a few days after the adoption of CoR's crucial opinions of the new regulation on cohesion policy.

Ministers at the Education, Youth, Culture and Sports Council meeting adopted the decision which officially states Donostia-San Sebastián (Spain) and Wrocław (Poland) as European Capitals of Culture for 2016. According to the Council, the cities chosen must demonstrate current involvement in European artistic and cultural life, alongside their own specific features.