Brussels, 21/03/2001 (Agence Europe) - On 16 March, the European Commission approved 23 financial support programmes for Spanish regions for the period 2000-2006, amounting to a total of EUR 33,140 billion. Sixteen programmes come under Objective 1 of the Structural Funds (regions behind in development), 12 of which concern aid to research, development and innovation in the regions that are lagging behind as regards development. The 4 others are horizontal programmes providing for local development measures and for improving the competitiveness of enterprise. Seven other programmes are financed under Objective 2 (regions in economic restructuring).
The programmes approved regarding aid to the regions behind in their development concern:
- Castilla La Mancha: EUR 3 billion, including Community financial assistance of EUR 2.1 billion (the rest coming from Spanish authorities), will serve to develop competitiveness and transport and to protect the region's environment. The aim is to obtain additional growth of 2.16% of GDP and the creation or maintenance of over 18,000 jobs in the run up to 2006.
- Andalusia: EUR 11.7 billion, including 7.84 billion from the Community, for the development of competitiveness, transport and environmental protection. The aim is to create and/or safeguard 673,000 jobs and offer the population a wide range of training by 2006.
- La Comunidad Valenciana: EUR 4.17 billion, including 66% from the EU, to better protect the environment, develop transport, better manage human resources, and assure local and urban development. The aim is to create or safeguard 30,000 jobs and provide training for some 80,000 persons by the year 2006.
- Extremadura: EUR 3 billion, including 2.13 from the Commission, to improve and modernise transport and educational infrastructures, safeguard the environment, modernise the productive base, better manage human resources and develop the information society. The aim by 2006 is to create 79,000 jobs, safeguard 26,500 more and provide training to 89,000 people.
- Melilla: EUR 83.8 million, including 58.4 from the EU, to support projects that place emphasis on occupational integration, the environment and the development of educational infrastructures. The aim is to create 764 jobs, safeguard 210 and provide training to 1,235 persons by 2006.
- Ceuta: EUR 105 million, including 77 from the Commission, to subsidise programmes that give preference to competitiveness, local and urban development, professional insertion, the environment and educational infrastructure. The aim is to create 1,600 jobs, safeguard 300 and provide appropriate training to 450 people.
- Canary Islands: EUR 2.8 billion, including 1.8 billion from the EU, for transport networks, local and urban development, environmental protection and company competitiveness. The aim by 2006 is to create 11,000 to 14,000 jobs and train the whole of the active population.
- Murcia: EUR 1.711 billion, including 1.13 billion in Community aid, to support transport and transport development projects and local urban development projects. The aid granted must make it possible to create and/or safeguard 70,000 jobs.
- Galicia: EUR 5 billion, including 3.43 billion from the Commission, for competitiveness, professional insertion, the environment, transport, agriculture, local urban development. The aim is to create 38,000 jobs, safeguard another 140,000 and provide training to 145,000 people.
- Castilla y Léon: EUR 4.8 billion, including 3.1 from the EU, to support competitiveness, occupational integration, the environment, transport, agriculture, local urban development. The aid granted should allow 40,000 jobs to be created, 12,000 to be safeguarded and training provided for 200,000 persons.
- Asturias: EUR 2 billion, including 1.3 from the European Commission, to support competitiveness, the environment, transport, agriculture and local urban development. Aid granted should allow 4,463 new jobs to be created, 18,930 to be safeguarded and to provide appropriate training to 10,605 people.
- Cantabria: EUR 520 million, including 222 million from the Commission, for projects related to competitiveness, professional insertion, the environment, transport, agriculture and local urban development.
The four horizontal programmes, which also come under Objective 1, relate to:
- technical assistance: EUR 25 million, including 18.8 from the Commission, to allow thematic operational programmes or regional programmes adopted under Objective 1 to be carried out.
- research, development and innovation in regions lagging behind in development: EUR 2.3 billion, including 1.6 from the Commission, will contribute to the financing of projects geared to equipment, research and human capital in research and development.
- competitiveness: EUR 2.6 billion, including 1.8 from the EU, will be allocated for supporting projects geared to the competitiveness of SMEs and the development of sectors such as culture and tourism.
- local authorities: EUR 1.5 billion, including 1 billion from the Commission, to support local and urban development, the environment and water resources.
Finally, the 7 programmes under Objective 2 (regions undergoing economic and social re-development) will finance programmes geared to the following priorities: improved competitiveness and employment and the development of the productive fabric; the environment, the natural environment and water resources; the knowledge society (innovation, research and development, information society); transport and energy networks; local and urban development. These programmes cover:
- The Balearic Islands: EUR 186.1 million, including a Community financial aid package of EUR 90.5 million, should make it possible to mobilise nearly EUR 550 million, including 96 from Spanish authorities and 350 from the private sector. The aim is to create 5,000 new jobs and safeguard the existing 23,000.
- The Basque Country: EUR 588 million from the EU should bring total mobilised funding to nearly EUR 2,887 million, including 729 from the Spanish authorities and 1,570 from the private sector. The aim is to allow the creation of around 11,000 new jobs and increase by 0.3% the annual average GDP of the region.
- Catalonia: Financial aid of EUR 1,235 million is foreseen. It should mobilise some EUR 2,852 million, including 1,416 million from the Spanish authorities and 201 million from the private sector. The programme should allow the creation or safeguarding of 65,000 jobs and benefit up to a total of 8,000 enterprises.
- Aragon. EUR 306 million from the Structural Funds should make it possible to mobilise nearly EUR 690 million, including 323 from the Spanish authorities and 60 from the private sector. The aim is to create 8,000 new jobs and contribute to the creation of 400 companies.
- La Comunidad Autónoma de Madrid: Community aid of EUR 394.917 million should bring contributions to a total of nearly EUR 1,220 million (including 400.47 from the Spanish authorities and 425 from the private sector). The aim is to create 5,590 permanent jobs and be to the advantage of 5,300 companies.
- La Rioja: EUR 42.641 million in Community aid will bring the total contributions to some EUR 215 million (52.088 from national authorities and 119.9 from the private sector) to create 400 jobs. Some 560 companies would benefit from the programme.
- Navarra: EUR 90.591 million in Structural Funds would bring funds up to nearly EUR 400 million (105.110 from Spanish authorities, and 204.804 from the private sector), which should allow the creation and/or maintenance of 13,000 jobs and contribute to the creation of 160 companies.