Brussels, 18/01/2002 (Agence Europe) - Friday, the European commission adopted a regional development programme presented by Luxembourg under Objective 2 of the Structural Funds. The European union will provide a financial contribution of 41 million euro until 2006, which will be complemented by investments from the private and public sectors in Luxembourg amounting to 131.4 million euro. This programme concerns an urban area in the south and two rural areas in the north and east of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. The population of these areas eligible for Community aid represents over 117,000 people, or some 29% of Luxembourg's total population.
The strategy approved will be geared to the four following priorities: - promoting development of the endogenous potential of the regions (Community contribution EUR 9.84 million); - integrating industrial wasteland in sustainable economic development policy and the improvement of degraded living areas (EUR 11.07 million from Structural Funds); - promoting research, technological progress and innovation (Community contribution: EUR 9.02 million); - promoting the protection of the natural environment (Community contribution EUR 9.84 million). Furthermore, the EU will contribute up to EUR 1.23 million to financing technical assistance.