Brussels, 07/01/2014 (Agence Europe) - European co-financing approvals for large-scale European projects worth more than €50 million in European structural fund contributions were speeded up last December at the end of the 2007-2013 financial programming period. Co-financing of €253.7 million was provided from cohesion funds for three wastewater treatment projects in Poland (total cost of €406.2). In Italy, the European Commission also approved a €200 million payment from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) for developing a metro line in Naples and €13 million for a research and development centre at a vehicle product factory in Fogia. €144 million from cohesion funds was also allocated to Slovakia to help modernise its urban transport system by purchasing new trains and €189 million for two road infrastructure projects that will help improve the country's connection to the rest of Europe. Other transport project funding was approved by the Commission, such as the urban tunnel in Leipzig, Germany (€225 million from the ERDF), the Brasov city by-pass in the centre of Romania (€83 million from the ERDF) and support for developing public transport in the Polish cities of Wroclaw, Lodz and Warsaw (€264 million from cohesion funds). A hospital centre on the island of La Réunion will also benefit from European co-financing of €23.5 million, confirmed the European Commission at the beginning of December. (MD/transl.fl)