European Union News - Regional Policy

In its Report on ex ante verification of additionality in the regions eligible under the Convergence objective for the period 2007–2013, published on March 6th 2009, COM(2009) 112 final, the European Commission summarises the main findings of the verification of this principle at the ex ante stage for the period 2007-2013 along with an analysis from an economic perspective. In this Report, the Commission considers that there is clearly room to improve the information and the methodology for determining and verifying additionality, which is an important principle of cohesion policy. The Commission intends to engage in a more in-depth and permanent dialogue with Member States on how to overcome the shortcomings and improve the application of the principle.

The European Defence Agency (EDA) Steering Board has agreed to approve a project for the next generation European military earth observation satellites. This Multinational Space-based Imaging System (MUSIS) project has been launched by six European Union Member States: Belgium, Germany, Greece, France, Italy and Spain. The project has now become an EDA Category B project and will be open to participation of other EDA participating Member States, if their proposed contribution is acceptable to the existing contributing Members.

Connecting the 30% of the EU's rural population that has no high speed internet access is a priority for achieving 'broadband for all' by 2010. Improved internet connectivity is a powerful tool to stimulate swift economic recovery.

The European Commission has announced a package of decisions aimed at giving Member States more flexibility in their use of the structural funds, in response to the financial and economic crisis. The changes will extend the deadline for EU countries to use up their allocations from the 2000-2006 funding period until June 30th 2009, ensuring that every available Euro can be used to maximum effect.

European Commissioner for Science and Research, Janez Potočnik, has announced at a ceremony in Brussels that the Swedish capital will be European Green Capital in 2010 followed by Hamburg in 2011. The European Commission's new award scheme encourages cities to improve the quality of urban life by taking the environment systematically into account in urban planning

Commissioner for Regional Policy, Danuta Hübner, recently announced that more than €38 billion was paid out to Member States in 2008 through the European Union's Structural Funds and Cohesion Fund. This support co-financed thousands of regional development projects across the EU, ranging from major transport, environmental and energy infrastructure to investment in innovative SMEs and training.

The European Commission has published a set of Decisions (2009/85/EC, 2009/86/EC and 2009/87/EC) adopted in January 2009, concerning the clearance of the accounts of certain paying agencies in Estonia, the Netherlands, Portugal, Austria, Belgium and Germany concerning expenditure financed by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD), and expenditure in the field of rural development measures, as well as expenditures, financed by the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund (EAGF). All these Decisions concern the 2007 financial year.

The Polish authorities notified in December 2007, a regional investment aid in favour of Dell Poland for a large investment project aiming at setting up a new plant for the production of desktops, notebooks and servers in an assisted Article 87.3 a) region in Poland and for the creation of 3.000 jobs. The project's eligible costs amount to 189,58 M€ and the proposed aid amount is 52,73 M€, which corresponds to an aid intensity of 27,81 % GGE.

The Official Journal of the European Union published on January, 22nd 2009, the Communication from the Commission related to the “Temporary Community framework for State aid measures to support access to finance in the current financial and economic crisis”, which establishes some additional measures which Member States may implement in order to reduce the difficulties faced by companies to access financial instruments and to support investment in certain areas.

This year, for the first time, 185 cities from all 27 EU Member States, will benefit from the "Urban Atlas", which has been produced by the European Commission and Member States with the support of European space technology.  Whether big or small, European cities need reliable and comparable urban planning information for safe, sustainable and prosperous development, and Europe's “eye in the sky” will provide them with tools for smart development.

The European Investment Bank (EIB) and the Corporación Andina de Fomento (CAF) have committed to increasing their cooperation and coordination in providing finance for the development of CAF's shareholder countries. EIB Vice-President, Carlos Costa, and CAF Executive President, L. Enrique García, signed the corresponding Joint Statement in Luxembourg this week.

The Official Journal of the European Union has published on the 24 th December 2008 four new European Programmes related to  Youth, Culture, Internet and Creativity and Innovation.