Brussels, 18/01/2002 (Agence Europe) - Friday, the European Commission adopted a Single Programming Document (SPD) in favour of the Belgian province of Liege for the period 2000-2006. This SPD, which comes within Objective 2 of the Structural Funds (regions undergoing economic and social re-conversion), will enable the province to benefit from Community assistance of 158.3 million euro, 113 million euro of which under the European Regional Development Fund (Erdf) and 25 million euro from the European social Fund (Esf). In all, this programme will benefit from a budget of 562 million euro, 204 million euro of which from the public authorities of the Member State and 199 million euro from the private sector. It concerns Liege's industrial heartland and the agglomeration of Verviers (404,500 and 67,300 inhabitants, respectively) and should allow for the creation of over 3,000 jobs.
Five priority actions have been selected: - diversification of the economic basis; - inclusion in the knowledge-based society through the development and transfer of the results of research; - enhancing the employability and skills to satisfy the needs of the area in matters of human resources; - consolidation of its international role to promote Liege's industrial heartland as centre of European activities; - improving the environmental situation and cleansing industrial estates, including providing greater dynamics to urban areas and improving mobility.
In addition, a community allocation of 2.107 million euro will be allocated to actions of technical assistance.