European Union News - Regional Policy

The President of the Committee of the Regions (CoR), Mercedes Bresso welcomed the positive recommendation from the European Commission regarding the future EU accession of Croatia. She also stated that the CoR would also support Croatia's local and regional authorities in their decentralisation and administrative reforms.

The study, which contributes to the realisation of Priority Project 3 (“High speed railway axis of southwest Europe”), will specifically look at track bed design and electrification along certain sections of the Vitoria-Bilbao-San Sebastián high speed line. It will receive €2.35 million in EU co-funding.

The committee clearly rejects conditions that would require Member States to undertake fundamental social and economic reform and it stresses that all conditionalities should fully respect the principles of subsidiarity and partnership. Furthermore, MEPs believe that EU regional ("cohesion") policy spending along sector-specific lines, such as climate, energy or transport, would undermine the tried and tested principle of multi-level governance and jeopardise the regions' contribution to the achievement of EU 2020 objectives.

In order to face new challenges, such as food security and environmental protection, create new jobs and provide renewable energy, farmers should have a reasonable incentive which means that the EU agriculture budget must remain unchanged. The Agriculture Committee is seeking to influence the upcoming legislation on the reform and modernisation of the EU farming sector, a process which is running in parallel with discussions on the EU's multiannual budget.

The entrepreneurship centre of the Barcelona Council, Activa was awarded the Grand Jury Prize selected for its innovative entrepreneurial support and training actions leading to the creation of 6,214 new businesses and 11,800 jobs, on the 5th European Enterprise Awards for Job Creation Initiative. The prize recognizes a successful and innovative way of promoting entrepreneurship.

Michèle Sabban, President of the Assembly of European Regions (AER) and the Tunisian Minister for Regional Development, Mr. Abderrazek Zouari, signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on regionalization and employment.

Following the adoption of three opinions at the Committee of the Regions' plenary session in Brussels, the CoR asks that the proposed reforms of the Common Agricultural Policy do not redress the serious imbalances in the current system and ensure continued support for the many small and medium-sized farmers and producers who make up the majority of the EU'sEU's agricultural sector.

This is the interim conclusion based on over 470 responses received so far to the consultation launched by the Commission with its February 2011 Green Paper. In addition, nearly all respondents stress the importance of simplifying procedures for applying for funding and accounting for its use.

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) celebrates its 20th anniversary on 15 April 2011. Since it began its work in 1991, the Bank has played a key role in the economic transformation of a region that spreads from the Baltics to Mongolia, through central and eastern Europe, the Balkans, the former Soviet Union and most recently to Turkey.

MEPs approved plans to release 182.4 million Euro in EU Solidarity Fund aid to help repair the flood damage in Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Croatia and Romania in 2010 despite their strong reservations about the funding method chosen by the Council.

The signature of the Operating Plan for the deployment of EU Asylum Support Teams in Greece will assist the Greek authorities in setting up a modern and efficient asylum and reception system. This is the first time that Asylum Support Teams are being deployed by the European Asylum Support Office. It is a very important step towards the reform of the Greek asylum system.