Brussels, 20/01/2011 (Agence Europe) - Following a meeting on Wednesday 19 January with Commissioner Johannes Hahn (regional policy), Alain Cadec MEP (EPP, France) said that he was delighted with the orientations proposed by the Commission to revise eligibility rules for structural funds to the regions.
The vice president of the EP fisheries committee stated: “Eligibility rules for European funds must become fairer so that the needs and difficulties of all European regions are better taken into account”.
In a press release, Alain Cadec pointed out that: (1) regional policy accounts for €350 billion for the 2007-2013 period; (2) around 80% of this amount goes to underdeveloped European regions whose per capita GDP is less than 75% of the European average (Objective 1); (3) this threshold harshly penalises regions where per capita GDP is about 75% and which are covered by Objective 2.
The MEP also affirms that “regional policy should benefit all the regions of Europe fairly. This is why I proposed the setting up of an intermediate category between Objectives 1 and 2 for regions that are neither rich nor poor but which need European funding for their economic and social development.” Therefore, in his proposal to Johannes Hahn, he stated that “this intermediate category should take into account regions where the average per capita GDP is between 75% and 100% of the European average, in an effort to establish greater fairness between regions”.
Cadec explains that this new category could be created without increasing the European budget, thanks to a saving of €43 billion generated by the fact that many regions are due to leave Objective 1. He added that this new category would not change the funding envelope to underdeveloped regions and that they still had to remain the regional policy priority.
The Commission will present its proposals in summer 2011. The MEP concluded: “Commissioner Hahn assured me that he supported the creation of this new intermediate category, even though he still needs to define the content and outlines in percentage terms. He has informed me that his services will carry out a simulation exercise in order for us to make the fairest decision. At the European Parliament, I will fight to get this important proposal adopted for developing our regions”. (G.B./transl.fl)