Brussels, 10/05/2000 (Agence Europe) - Thursday morning, Commissioner Michel Barnier is officially triggering the Community Urban II (urban regeneration) and Interreg III (regional and cross-border cooperation) initiatives for the period 2000-2006. On that occasion, the Commissioner should place emphasis on the importance of these two programmes, one of which is of particular interest to cities which, in Europe, house over 80% of the population, and the other is an important tool at the service of territorial cohesion. With a budget of 700 million euro, Urban II must contribute to resolving social, economic and environmental problems in 50 cities located in regions eligible or Objectives 1 and 2. Interreg III has a budget of 4.875 billion euro. The guidelines and indicative distribution of the credits between Member States (also see EUROPE of 14 October, p.10 and 11) have just been adopted by the Commission. Member States now have six months to submit their projects.