Brussels, 04/07/2005 (Agence Europe) - By adopting the draft report of Jan Olbrycht (EPP-ED, Poland) on 16 June on the draft EP and Council regulation on the setting up of European grouping of cross-border cooperation (EGCC)., the EP's regional development committee has given its support to this new method for promoting territorial cohesion. The new financial instrument will enable the implementation of cross border groups funded by the EU, which, according to a press released by the EP services, will seek to find solutions to administrative, legal or other problems related to cross border programmes. The parliamentary committee also reiterates its preference for the title, European grouping of cross-border cooperation (EGCC) rather than the European Commission's European grouping of cross-border cohesion (EGCC). MEPs consider that these groups should have a role supporting European territorial cooperation on three in three areas: cross-border, inter-regional or trans-national. Some 14.3 billion euros had been initially allocated by the Commission for this proposal on cross-border co-operation for 2007-2013. As with the other structural funds, the final amounts will depend on the eventual agreement on the overall EU budget for 2007-2013.
The Olbrycht report will be examined on Tuesday 5 July by the EP plenary in Strasbourg, together with three other reports (Hatzidakis, Fava and Andria) on Structural and Cohesion funds for 2007-13 adopted by the parliamentary committee during its 24 May meeting (EUROPE 8957).