French MEP Marc Joulaud (EPP) has tabled a series of amendments to create a specific fund to support EU regions directly affected by the United Kingdom's exit from the European Union (see other news) when considering amendments to the common provisions Regulation on Wednesday 21 November.
In his amendments, the Member proposes to take inspiration from an initiative set up in the early 2000s by Michel Barnier, then Commissioner for Regional Policy, which at the time aimed to assist regions bordering the future Member States of Central and Eastern Europe (see EUROPE 12025).
The Member therefore proposes to amend Annex 24 of the Regulation to create an amount of €120 million to support European regions that would be hit hard by the British withdrawal. Objective: To mitigate the economic consequences and asymmetric impact of the United Kingdom's withdrawal and to provide targeted support to local and regional authorities in the Union and to affected sectors, including fisheries, agriculture, tourism and port activities.
As a reminder, the proposal had been mentioned for the first time by members of a delegation of the Committee of the Regions in Ireland and Northern Ireland.
The amendments will be examined in the coming weeks, as the proposal is not unanimously accepted by the regions and some MEPs (see EUROPE 12033). The vote on the report, due to the huge number of amendments, is scheduled for the end of January (see other news). (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)