Brussels, 26/07/2007 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 25 July, the Rural Development Committee (consisting of representatives of the 27 member states) approved the new generation rural development programmes of Germany (5 Länder), Ireland, Italy (2 regions), Northern Ireland, Poland and Slovenia for the financial period 2007-2013. The approval of the programmes for other countries and regions will follow in the next months.
The 2007-2013 programmes for the five German Länder have a total public budget of €2.5 billion for Bavaria (with €1.25 billion of this from Community funds), €795 billion for North Rhine Westphalia (with €292 million from the EU budget), €1.2 billion for Saxony (of which €927 from Community funds), €437 million for Hessen (€218 million of which from EU funds) and €1.4 billion for Brandenburg, with Berlin, (€1 billion of which will come from EU funds). The total allocation for Germany as a whole is €13.2 billion for the period 2007-2013, with €8.1 billion of this coming from Community funds.
The rural regions of Ireland will receive a total of €4.3 billion from public funds, €2.3 billion of which will be from the EU budget. The Northern Ireland programme will total €323 million (€171 million from the EU budget).
Poland's rural development programme will be worth €17.2 billion, €13.2 billion of which will come from the EU budget.
The regions of Italy whose programmes were approved on Wednesday were Bolzano (€312 million in total, with €137.5 from the EU budget) and Emilia Romagna (€935 million, of which €411 million from the EU budget.
Slovenia will receive €1.16 billion (€900 million from the EU budget) to develop its rural areas. (lc)