Brussels, 11/01/2001 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission has given its approval to all the Objective 2 support programmes for French regions for 2000-2006. These "Single Programming Documents" determine the sectors and the types of projects that will benefit from Community, national and private aid. The list of beneficiary regions, eligible under Objective 2 because they are considered as being in economic and social restructuring according to the Community criteria, had been finalised last year, at the same time as the amount each region was to receive. The main objectives of these programmes are the creation of jobs, diversification and the modernisation of the economy, sustainable economic development, rural development, and continuous training. The projects will be funded by the different structural funds: the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the European Social Fund (ESF), and the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF).
The programmes will be definitively adopted after having been examined by three advisory committees composed of representatives of Member States. We give below the list of regions and the amount of aid they will receive, as well as priorities as defined by the Commission:
Alsace. EUR 339.6 million, including 190.7 million in Community aid: i) diversification and modernisation of economic activity; ii) support to specific projects in favour of companies and infrastructures; iii) vocational training actions and social insertion, mainly in the field of new technologies; iv) enhanced attractiveness of rural zones.
Aquitaine. EUR 1.9 billion, including 535 million from the EU: i) strengthening of the driving role of enterprise in job creation; ii) enhancement of local resources.
Auvergne. EUR 1.49 billion, including 357.9 million from the EU: i) support to modernisation and export of companies; ii) installation of new activities in order to make Auvergne a more attractive region for people and companies; iii) enhancement of heritage; iv) rural development.
Bourgogne. EUR 868 million, including 279.3 million from the EU: i) strengthening the economic fabric; ii) management of human resources; iii) aid to urban areas in difficulty; iv) rural development.
Brittany. EUR 1.4 billion, including 460 million from the EU: i) continuous training, mainly for those creating enterprises; ii) strengthening of transport infrastructures; iii) improved competitiveness of companies and adjustment of the regional economy to the global context; iv) rural development.
Centre. EUR 732.6 million, including 227 million from the EU: i) aid to economic restructuring; ii) strengthening the attractiveness of the region.
Champagne-Ardenne. EUR 457 million, including 220 million from the EU: i) development of structures for hosting new activities; ii) sustainable development of enterprise: aid to creation, technology transfer …; iii) inter-communal economic, social and tourist development projects; iv) agricultural and rural development; v) environmental protection.
Franche-Comté. EUR 433 million, including 211 from the EU: i) diversification and dynamism of the economy; ii) improved quality of life (leisure …); iii) accompaniment to territorial policies; iv) rural development.
Ile-de-France. EUR 273 million, including 142.3 from the EU: i) local coherence schemes; ii) enhancing the attractiveness of the region as a whole; iii) supporting, reinforcing and developing the economic fabric and employment.
Languedoc-Roussillon. EUR 1.17 billion, including 316 million from the EU: i) the creation of activities and jobs by supporting tangible and intangible enterprise investment; ii) strengthened economic and social cohesion; iii) specific programmes for the Mediterranean coast; iv) rural development.
Limousin. EUR 575 million including 185 from the EU: i) diversification and attractiveness of the economy; ii) training, research, technology transfer; iii) boosting migration towards the area; iv) strengthening social and territorial cohesion.
Lorraine. EUR 507 million, including 411 from the EU: i) attracting enterprise; ii) modernising the rail network; iii) strengthening territorial and social cohesion; iv) rural development.
Midi-Pyrénées. EUR 1.32 billion, including 496 million from the EU: I) structuring the regional area for the creation of business; ii) development of urban areas in difficulty; iii) development and modernisation of the economy; iv) rural development; v) development of activity in the Pyrenees.
Nord Pas-de-Calais. EUR 1.27 billion, including 608 million from the EU: i) promotion of economic development for job creation; ii) redevelopment of zones in industrial decline; iii) assistance to districts in difficulty; iv) promotion of territorial development projects.
Basse-Normandie. EUR 786 including 305.6 million from the EU: i) promotion of investment and creation of enterprises; ii) spatial structuring for improving competitiveness; iii) improving the quality of life, social and territorial cohesion.
Haute-Normandie, 675.9 million, of which 312.8 from the EU: i) diversify economic activity; ii) strengthen the economy and logistics of ports; iii) better urban development; iv) environmental protection; v) rural development: supporting product quality, improving water management.
Pays de la Loire, 1.87 billion, of which 440 million from the EU: i) multifunctional agriculture and sustainable development; ii) developing the attractiveness (putting a shine on urban and rural areas, developing culture; iii) developing real estate and transport infrastructures; iv) equal opportunities and professional insertion.
Picardie, 1.14 billion, on which 258.9 million from the EU: i) assisting the sensitive urban areas of the Oise; ii) training, insertion and equal opportunities; iii) economic and cultural development; iv) the environment; v) regional projects (improving the Picard shoreline….); vi) sustainable development.
Poitou-Charentes, 1.06 billion, 311.6 million of which from the EU: i) company development; ii) improving strategic sectors; iii) attractiveness and cohesion of the territories; iv) rural development.
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, 1.34 billion, of which 339.9 million from the EU: i) supporting large projects (autonomous port of Marseilles…); ii) small companies, new technologies, financing; iii) the environment; iv) rural development.
Rhône-Alpes, 1.58 billion, of which 465.6 million from the EU: i) accompany local development and innovation; ii) improving the territory's attractiveness; iii) making the economy more dynamic; v) rural development.