European Union News - Regional Policy

A new version of the "Guide to Cost-Benefit Analysis of Investment Projects" has been published by the DG Regional Policy. The guide has been prepared by the Commission and it is particularly addressed to people working on cost-benefit analysis of "major projects" co-financed by EU funds in the framework of Cohesion Policy. It provides useful methodological guidance to project promoters in the Member States and candidate countries. At the same time, it serves as a reference to Commission officials involved in the appraisal of "major projects".

The Conference will take place in Marseille, France, on Wednesday 2 nd July 2008 and it will allow Ministers to continue the discussion launched at the last Ministerial Conference in Lisbon, on the ways to enhance economic integration and diversification and boost Euro-Mediterranean trade and investment with the objective of achieving a genuine Free Trade Area by 2010.

Albania is the fifth country of the group of EU candidate and potential candidate countries to join an important part of the EU's Competitiveness and Innovation Programme (CIP) Under the CIP, the European Commission promotes innovation, entrepreneurship and growth in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Today, European Commission Vice President Günter Verheugen and Mr Genc Ruli, Minister for Economy, Trade and Energy of the Republic of Albania, signed a Memorandum of Understanding formalising the Republic’s entry to the EIP, the entrepreneurship and innovation pillar of the Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme (CIP).

The Rural Development Committee, consisting of representatives of the 27 Member States, gave on June 25th. a positive opinion to the Rural Development programme of the Spanish national rural network for the financial period 2007-2013. Specific Rural Development programmes for each of the Spanish regions have already been approved.

On 24th June 2008 The European Spatial Planning Observatory Network (ESPON 2013 Programme) is inviting stakeholders to take part in a survey which aims to gather views from interested parties on identifying future ESPON applied research themes. This is to respond to requests for evidence and knowledge about cities and regions across the European Union.

On the 24th June 2008, a total of 75 persons suspected of being part of a people-smuggling network were arrested throughout Europe. The operation was supported by Europol and Eurojust and several countries were involved.

The Commission has presented, on the 20th June 2008, a Report on the progress achieved during the first year of the Black Sea Synergy initiative, which was launched in April 2007. The initial results show the practical benefits this new regional approach can bring, and its potential for the future.

European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid, Louis Michel, has welcomed the unanimous decision by EU member states to fully lift measures on Cuba. This decision to lift the diplomatic measures, which have already been suspended since January 2005, allows the EU to fully re-engage in a political dialogue with Havana.

In adopting a joint resolution on the crisis of the fisheries sector due to the rising fuel price, MEPs expresses their solidarity with the EU fishermen and call on the Commission and the Council to envisage measures in order to resolve the present situation in the fisheries sector. MEPs furthermore call on the Member States to speed up procedures to enable the payment of aid on de minimis aid in the fisheries sector.

A conference in Brussels, on the 19th June, puts the spotlight on a new tool that makes it easier for regions to team up to manage projects involving more than one Member State. The conference, entitled 'Building a European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation', aims to promote setting up new groupings under the European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation (EGTC) instrument. The event is organised jointly by the European Commission and the Committee of the Regions, in cooperation with the Slovenian Presidency of the European Union and the European Parliament.

Working Arrangements establishing a framework for cooperation between Frontex and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) were signed today in Frontex headquarters in Warsaw.