Brussels, 20/06/2006 (Agence Europe) - At the plenary session of the Committee of the Regions CoR) held in Brussels last week under the chairmanship of Michel Delebarre, the Commissioner for Regional Policy Danuta Hübner took part in a question and answer session on the preparation of operational programmes, cohesion policy, the follow-up of existing programmes and the mid-term review of the EU budget with the members of the CoR. Ms Hübner gave the following responses:
(1) Timetable for approval of national strategic frameworks and operational programmes (Michael Schneider, EPP, Germany): “We want the Commission's strategy guidelines to be adopted in mid-July by the College, in September by the EP and by the Council at the start of October. Member States will prepare national strategies on how they propose to use cohesion policy (National Strategic Reference Frameworks, NSRFs)). At present 20 Member States, including Romania and Bulgaria, have already sent drafts of the NSRF to the Commission services.”
(2) Access for SMEs to structural funds (Harry Dijksma, ADLE, Netherlands): “It is a misunderstanding that Structural Funds support is limited to de minimis threshold (state aid of €100,000 over three consecutive years). Priority must be given to SMEs in the operational programmes. SME access to funding, risk capital and new technology will be improved by JEREMIE (Joint European Resources for Micro to Medium Enterprises). The Commission's action plan on State aid will be reviewed in 2009 in order to adjust it better to key priorities of the Lisbon agenda. These include in particular the facilitation of support to SMEs, entrepreneurship, innovation and R&D.”
(3) Partnership approach in new urban programmes (Maria Corrigan, UEN-AE, Ireland): “To demonstrate that the partnership principle, as referred to in Article 10 and Article 26 of the Regulation, is fully respected, the draft NSRF shall mention the partners and other actors that have been involved in its preparation. The Commission encourages Member States to seek an active, broad and balanced participation of the relevant partners in the process.”
(4) Balance between rural and urban dimensions in future structural fund programmes (Jerzy Zajakala, UEN-AE, Poland): “In accordance with Article 25 of the draft General Regulation, in their National Strategic Reference Frameworks, Member States must identify and justify a limited number of thematic and territorial priorities for intervention for the “Convergence” and “Competitiveness and Employment” regions that allow the achievement of the overall objectives of the NSRF.” These priorities may be urban or rural.
(5) Involvement of local partners in monitoring committees of existing programmes (Flo Clucas, ALDE, Romania): “The principle of involvement at all political levels is the cornerstone of the future strategy for the EU, of the implementation of new programmes. Member States should make the process transparent. However, it is increasingly the case that there is not the desired level of participation from these partners, because they are not ready for it. The collaboration of the CoR will be needed to remedy this situation.”
(6) Involvement of towns and regions in the mid-term review of the 2007-2013 budget (Michal Csarski, PES, Poland): “I have had an informal meeting with Mr Delmebarre and other representatives of the CoR … during which … we had the first exchange of views on the ideas for budgetary review. Now we have to continue these meetings and build a light informal structure which will allow us to do some work on analysing and researching the research policy pursued by our institutions.”