Brussels, 02/11/2000 (Agence Europe) - By adopting the programming documents 2000-2006 for Objective 2 aid in Austria and Finland (Aland Islands), the European Commission is moving forward in a programming that has seen some delay. These two documents may now be added to those documents already adopted (for other regions in Finland, for Danish and Swedish regions). Objective 2, you may recall, is intended to support regions undergoing economic and social reconversion, and works on the basis of co-funding assured by the Community budget and national and local budgets, and also brings in the private sector. For each region eligible, the European Commission adopts a programming document (SPD) that sets priorities for Objective 2 Community assistance for the period 2000-2006 as a whole. Credits not used this year due to a delay in programming should be able to be carried over to next year, the Commission assures.
The four Austrian programming documents concern the regions of Corinthia, Upper Austria, Lower Austria and Styria, for a total of 600 million euro in Community aid for the whole period. The Commission hopes thus to create 12,600 jobs and retain 28,000. The priorities are the setting up of networks of companies, and improving their access to technologies and information, as well as the environment, equal opportunities and tourism. The Commission stipulates that the private sector will fund 73% of the projects, that should mobilise 3 million euro in all.
The Finnish document refers to aid to the Aland Islands (4.6 million euro for 2000-2006). The priorities are consultancy and aid to company expansion, the development of the archipelago, the environment and ecology. The private sector should finance 50% of the programmes. The Commission hopes to contribute to the creation of 200 jobs and 30 companies.