Selb (Bavaria), 13/08/2001 (Agence Europe) - At a conference of the border regions of Eastern Bavaria, organised in Selb on 9 August on the initiative of the ministers of the Land for European Affairs, Reinhold Bocklet, the Economy, Otto Wiesheu, and Agriculture, Werner Schnappauf, the participants demanded "a substantial increase in the financial envelope" provided for in the action plan that the European Commission presented end-July to help the 23 border regions of the European Union manage the impact of the future enlargement of the EU (see EUROPE of 26 July, p. 8). The participants, among whom were MEPs, adopted a "Selb Declaration - The Bavarian border regions faced with EU enlargement eastwards", in which they set out their demands, as well as calling on the German Federal Government to assume its responsibilities, especially regarding the development of the transport infrastructures.
"195 million euro for 23 regions is little more than a drop in the ocean (…). This is particularly annoying for Germany as the main net contributor to the EU budget. When it itself needs assistance, in Brussels - as in Berlin ! - they close their eyes and their ears, as well as their wallet", commented Reinhold Bocklet. According to him, by placing emphasis on the relatively high living standard of the Bavarian regions adjacent to the future Member States, the European Commission ignores the scope of the problem these regions will have to face - especially on the labour market (the Commission itself recognises that our region will be the main destination of the border workers of the new Member Sates, Bocklet remarked). As for Werner Schnappauf, he accuses the Commission of having used, for the regions concerned, outdated data that play down the foreseeable difficulties, and the German Government for its lack of interest in the problems of the border regions.