Brussels, 04/01/2000 (Agence Europe) - European regional policy is to support French regions hit by the storm, it was announced by the spokesperson service for Commissioner Barnier. "It will be quite easy to adjust Community financing because the programmes for 2000-2006 are now being elaborated. On the other hand, this will not be emergency aid", the spokesperson explained.
The European Commission will be able to intervene under Objective 2 of Structural Funds, intended to support urban and rural areas under industrial reconversion. The list of French areas eligible under Objective 2 for 2000-2006 "shows a line stretching across from the Vosges to the South-West, which covers most of the departments hit by the storm. Although this line was drawn up before the storm, it should allow EUR 4.88 billion of the EUR 5.43 billion under Objective 2 to be attributed to the affected areas in France". Only part of this sum will be allocated for repairing the damage caused by the storm. The aid will, however, not be released until several months from now. The list of eligible zones should not be officially approved until 19 January. The procedure to be followed between now and the launch of projects will then take several months.
Other instruments could also be used, specifies the Commission, such as the instrument for supporting the fisheries sector, FIFG (EUR 225 million for 2000-2006), and the EAGGF-Guarantee, which allows intervention on agricultural markets. Thus, the investment of farms, the wood industry, agricultural environment, and the processing of agricultural products could receive support.
The spokesman, moreover, deplored the fact that it was impossible to give emergency aid. The budgetary line, which allowed emergency aid to be allocated in the European Union, "was done away with during the financial year 1997 at the initiative of the European Parliament, among other small budgetary lines that did not have a legal basis". The "emergency aid" line, which was allocated about 5 million ecu, could "not be reestablished".