Brussels, 25/07/2001 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday, the Commission presented its action plan for the border regions neighbouring the accession candidate countries (this concerns 23 regions in Finland, Germany, Austria, Italy and Greece), with a series of measures that should help these regions to better prepare for the EU enlargement. As Commissioner Gunter Verheugen had already announced at length, the action programme - provided with a budget of EUR 245 million of which 115 million coming from the budgetary reserves and 130 million from residual reallocations - does not grant additional financial aid to the border in comparison to what was agreed in the framework of the Agenda 2000, but it mainly aims to better use and better coordinate the existing Community instruments, such as the Interreg and Phare programmes, the transeuropean transport network or the existing system for State aid. On Wednesday, before the press, Mr Verheugen vigorously rejected the criticisms and disappointment expressed recently (notably by certain German MEPs from the border areas concerned) according to which the Commission has not respected its undertaking to financially help these regions to tackle the socio-economic challenges of the next opening of borders towards Eastern Europe. Mr Verheugen notably recalled that: a) the EU border areas presently enjoy structural aids for a total amount of EUR 16 billion for the 2000-2006 period. This is enormous compared to the 4 billion that had been granted to the French and Italian border areas during the accession of Spain and Portugal, said the Commissioner; b) out of these EUR 16 billion, no less than 11 billion go towards the Lander from the eastern part of Germany (1 billion for Austria); c) neither Germany nor Austria are prepared to review the Berlin decision of 1999 and to modify the financial prospects 2000-2006 to grant additional money to the border areas. It is thus entirely unrealistic and incoherent to expect an increase in financing from the Commission; d) the maximum ceiling authorised for State aids, notably in Germany, is far from met, that is to say that the national and regional government have not as yet exhausted all the possibilities to help their regions in view of this enlargement. Thus the criticism is entirely unfounded, said Mr Verheugen, who even sees political manoeuvres behind these allegations against the Commission.
In concrete terms, the measures put forward by the Commission are divided into several categories:
Financial means to a targeted promotion of transport infrastructures, the promotion of small and medium sized enterprises and for the promotion of youth exchanges in the border regions: EUR 150 million will be allocated to the establishment of new connections in the framework of the transeuropean network (2003 to 2006), of which EUR 50 million come from the reallocation of existing funds. It is also proposed to increase from 10 and 20% the maximum Community financial contribution permitted to be allocated to various transeuropean infrastructure projects;
An additional financial of EUR 15 million (of which 10 million are already in the 2001 budget) to support exchanges of experience and the implementation of tutoring projects by small and medium sized enterprises in the regions located on both sides of the border. An increase of EUR 10 million in resources allocated to the European aid programme for youth should be specially allocated to the projects foreseen in the border regions;
Measures allowing for a reallocation of available financial resources in the framework of Interreg III A. This concerns in particular offering the Member States, as of 2003, the possibility of reallocating the funds aimed at various regions to provide additional aid, during the 2003-2006, to the border regions in the framework of the preparation for enlargement;
This firstly concerns a modification of the Phare-CBC regulation that should come into effect before the end of 2002. This should allow for the continuation of financing for Interreg projects. The opportunity will also be given for the Member States to channel targets aid to border regions, in agreement with the Commission and in accordance with the parameters governing State aid.
As an addition, the European Investment Bank (EIB) will free EUR 50 million to encourage investments linked to the environment and transport infrastructure in the border regions of the candidate countries.