Brussels, 31/08/2000 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission has approved operational programmes in Italy and Portugal financed with the aid of Structural Funds. These programmes relate to:
- Italy. Several operational programmes concerning the regions of Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Puglia, Sardinia and Sicilia, and multi-regional programmes for "local development" and "research". Commissioner Michel Barnier stressed that the "main challenge is now that of rapid and effective implementation of aid, and improvements to the quality of projects financed, in order to ensure a substantial impact" on the Mezzogiorno economy.
- Portugal. A programme on "Accessibility and Transport". Commissioner Michel Barnier commented on this decision by noting that "given Portugal's outlying position compared to the main European markets, the existence of good links with the European transport networks is just as essential as the existence of an effective internal network to extend the benefits of growth to all the regions of Portugal".
EUROPE will come back to these programmes in greater detail in a later edition.