Posts from the Regional Cooperation Portal www.regional-cooperation.eu
Between 2008 and 2012, unemployment increased in four out of five regions in the EU. In addition, GDP shrank in two out of three regions between 2007 and 2010. This crisis has a widespread effect including both more and less developed regions. As a result, the disparities between EU regions have started to grow again after a long period of convergence.
From today businesses around Europe will have easier access to much needed finance as the European Commission expands the single portal on EU finance, to include EU Structural Funds: the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the European Social Fund (ESF). Launched last month, the new single portal on EU finance provides easy, complete and up-to-date information on how entrepreneurs and SMEs can access over €100 billion of EU financing from various 2007-2013 programmes. Today’s additions will double the number of partner banks and funds to over 1 000., further strengthening a vital information source for SME financing through guarantees, loans and venture capital (MEMO/13/606).
EU Commissioner for Regional Policy, Johannes Hahn will today receive the strategic growth plans for Europe’s eight Outermost Regions (OR). The Commissioner, who is responsible for coordinating all EU policies for these regions will be discussing the Action Plans in Brussels with Presidents and Vice-Presidents from The Azores, the Canary Islands, Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Madeira, Martinique, La Réunion and St Martin. This is the first time the Outermost Regions have been asked to present this kind of individual strategy, which will cover not just how they plan to make the best use of EU structural funds but also how they think other EU policies can help their development. The plans identify which specific characteristics and strengths they aim to capitalise on with a view to diversifying and modernising their economies.
The 2nd annual European Cooperation Day will take place on 21st September, bringing together around 70 European Territorial Cooperation and neighbouring countries showing the benefits of cooperating across borders.
We want you to help us celebrate projects which are making a real difference to improve citizens' lives and benefiting your local community. For your chance to win €1000 worth of camera equipment, plus a trip to Brussels in October, take a photo of any project with a plaque or billboard highlighting EU investment and showing the EU flag.
The European Commission joins forces with the European Parliament and URBACT on 18th June to present a recently published study "Urban Development in the EU: 50 Projects Supported by the ERDF in 2007-2013" and a collection of 6 thematic reports: "Cities of Tomorrow: Action Today".
The EU Commissioner for Regional Policy, Johannes Hahn will today mark an historic moment between Bulgaria and Romania, and the neighbouring regions of Vidin and Calafat, when he attends the inaugural opening of a bridge linking the two countries. Commissioner Hahn will be accompanied by President Plevneliev and Prime Minister, Oresharski of Bulgaria, as well as Romanian Prime Minister Ponta. The recently named ‘New Europe Bridge’ has received €106 million in EU investment and is only the second bridge along the countries' 630 km border. It is of vital strategic importance for the EU: a key link in a route that could stretch from Northern Europe, the Baltics, through Central Europe, Romania and Bulgaria, and eventually, to Greece.
Commissioner Hahn has continued his visit to Greece's 13 regions today to help business and local representatives make the best use of EU Structural Funds for the country's recovery.
On 21 May, the Commission adopted a proposal to modify the General Regulation in order to extend the 10% top-up until the end of 2007-13 and to give Romania and Slovakia more time to spend their allocations.
Plans to revise the Environmental Impact Assessment Directive (EIA) ignore the additional financial and administrative burden it will create for Europe's local governments, the Committee of the Regions (CoR) has warned. The Committee also argues that the European Commission proposal, which seek to revise environmental assessment legislation for major projects, must remain far more flexible in its approach and does not give enough consideration to the differing planning procedures that exist across Member States.