Brussels, 27/09/2001 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday, the European Commission approved three programmes under the Community initiative "Urban II" (period 2001/2006), allowing the Netherlands to receive Community funding for an overall EUR 30 million. These programmes, financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), concern the three following towns:
Rotterdam (EUR 9 million, for the period 2001-2006, from the Community budget). This programme, which covers three neighbourhoods of the town struggling with high unemployment, poverty, crime, low average education and other social problems, received investment of an additional EUR 15 million from the public sector. Priorities include stimulating economic activity (EUR 7 million in total), improving the physical business environment (EUR 10 million in total, mainly for giving the river "Rotte" greater tourist value, and different measures to enhance the insertion of less-favoured groups, mainly on the labour market.
Heelen (EUR 12 million from the ERDF). The programme will affect six neighbourhoods on the north and east side of the town. It has attracted investment of EUR 20 million from the public sector, which gives a total of EUR 32 million. The programme will be geared to the following priorities: - improving the physical business environment (EUR 17 million in total); - stimulating economic activity (EUR 8 million to promote "entrepreneurship" and launch a training programme); - and enhancing the socio-economic potential (EUR 5 million in total, mainly to address problems caused by drug addicts and homeless people).
Amsterdam (EUR 9 million, to which must be added EUR 19 million from the public sector and EUR 3 million from the private sector). The programme will be implemented in eight neighbourhoods in four boroughs west of the centre of Amsterdam. In addition to long-term unemployment, poverty, and a growing feeling of insecurity, the area has housing poor quality and only a few public spaces all in a poor state of repair. The programme aims to resolve these problems by taking into account three top priorities: - improving the physical business environment (EUR 11 million for enhancing existing commercial centres and building infrastructures to reduce the number of road accidents; - stimulating economic activity (EUR 8 million); - and enhancing socio-economic potential (EUR 10 million)
We recall that the Community's Urban initiative aims to ensure the economic and social regeneration of towns and suburbs in crisis with a view to promoting sustainable development. Urban II will make it possible to provide aid to 70 disadvantaged urban areas of the EU. Total Community funding, over the whole of the period 2001-2006, is EUR 728.3 million.