Brussels, 14/07/2000 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission has approved the Dutch Map for regional aid, that is to say the map indicating the areas in which the Netherlands may grant regional aid for the 2000-2006 period. The new map respects the fundamental principal that the Commission set as of 1997, according to which as of 2000 all the Member States must reduce the global scope of the areas admissible for this type of aid.
For the Netherlands, the scope of the map presently covers 15% of the national population (instead of 17.3% until 1999) that is to say 2.3 million inhabitants. The statute of assisted regional areas is to be granted to areas in six provinces: Frise, Groningue, Drenthe, Overijssel, Limbourg and Flevoland. In these areas, the Dutch authorities will be able to grant financial aid to company investments that are made. A not from the spokesperson made the following technical comments:
In most of the eligible areas in Noord-Nederland (including Noord-Overijssel) and Flevoland, the Dutch authorities will be able to grant aid of up to 20% gross grant equivalent of the total investment cost. In "Overig Groningen", the maximum aid intensity is limited to 10% net grant equivalent for large enterprises (with a possibility to grant a further 10% gross grant equivalent to SMEs). In the eligible areas in Twente and Zuid-Limburg, maximum levels of aid will be limited to 15% gross grant equivalent, in Midden-Limburg, the maximum aid intensity is limited to 10% net grant equivalent for all firms."