Brussels, 19/12/2005 (Agence Europe) - With the adoption of the own-initiative report by Milos Koterec (PES, Slovakia) on State aid reform 2005-2009, the Parliament considers that reform of the rules on State aid as a tool for regional development should be more generous to regions suffering from natural, geographic or demographic disadvantages. MEPs also call for the ceilings for the so-called “statistical effect” regions to remain unchanged during te next Financial Perspective (2007-2013). A large majority within the Parliament supports the view that the “statistical effect” regions should maintain Objective 1 status and receive the same treatment with regard to State aid (Article 87, 3a) as the Union's other poorest regions. The EP regrets the Commission's suggestion that this should be reviewed after three years, and also regrets the lack of precision and details in the new guidelines regarding regional policy, especially for the recovery of aid. Pleased that the Commission hopes to use the unemployment rate as a supportive indicator, it stresses the need for the introduction of indicators that highlight the various differences in regional development.
Ambroise Guellec (EPP-ED, France), who is also regional advisor for Brittany, welcomed the adoption of the report as an instrument for regional development “allowing reform to be more flexible and more consistent with future Structural Funds”. He felt the report is just one more message for defence of the EU's territorial cohesion. In a press release, Mr Guellec explains that what is at stake for France is mainly the creation of a “safety net” allowing the current rate of population assisted not to be reduced too abruptly. Another essential point for reducing the risk of relocation, he added, is that the report specifies the obligation of maintaining assisted investment during at least five year.