Brussels, 01/08/2014 (Agence Europe) - An external study published on the internet on Friday 1 August by DG MARE of the Commission shows the beneficial effects of Axis 4 of the European Fisheries Fund (EFF), which lays down measures (for the period 2007-2013) to support the sustainable development of fishing areas. This study aims to feed into the European Commission's preparations for the programming period 2014-2020. In total, 67% of the budget of EFF's Axis 4 programme had been committed by September 2013, funding more than 5,500 projects. The study points to considerable effects on employment. An extrapolation of the results of the survey shows that, by the end of 2013, it can be estimated that more than 8,000 jobs would have been created and nearly 12,500 maintained. Axis 4 is also believed to have contributed to the creation of 220 businesses. These figures are expected to be considerably higher at the end of the programming period. Every euro invested by the EFF attracted €1.06 in supplementary funding (private and public). The study also shows that the groups anticipate that 61% of the projects will continue once the financial support comes to an end. Despite problems in certain areas, there was generally no shortage of projects, with demand for project funding outstripping supply. (LC)