Brussels, 28/01/2008 (Agence Europe) - On a visit, on Monday 28 on Tuesday 29 January, to the East and South-East of England, by invitation of the local authorities and two regional development agencies, the European Commissioner for Regional Policy, Danuta Hübner, unveiled two new projects financed by the regional development fund (ERDF) covering the period 2007-2013.
On Monday, Ms Hübner was in eastern England, where she visited: (1) the Orbis Energy project in Lowestoft, a centre of innovation and space for some 40 start-up companies specialising in the energy sector. The objective of this project is to stimulate the development of offshore renewable energy in the region. The EU's contribution stands at 3.6 million euros; (2) the Waveney Sunrise Scheme, a regeneration system which is designed to improve pedestrian access and traffic, renovate historic buildings and promote the use of information and communication technologies in the tourism sector. Community investment: 6.3 million euros. Ms Hübner also took part in the launch of the 2007-2013 programme for eastern England: the Astral Centre, a centre for the business world, allowing possibilities for the creation of small and medium-sized enterprises. The total amount of this programme is 275 million euros, including EU investment of 110 million euros. It is hoped that 4600 new jobs will be created in the framework of this programme. The involvement of the ERDF will be 149,255 euros.
In south-east England on Tuesday, Commissioner Hübner will visit: (1) the Knowledge Dock Centre at the University of East London, the objective of which is to create easy access to the University as a building and to its academic staff. The ERDF has invested 3.5 million euros in the Knowledge Dock Centre; (2) the Chatham Historical Dockyard, which is the partner of various Interreg projects, including the one concerning the exchange of healthcare professionals between France and England. EU contribution: 409,000 euros. Ms Hübner will also take part in the launch of the new programme for the South-Eastern region, in which the EU has invested 23.7 million euros out of a total 47.4 million euros (92% of which come under the objectives of growth and employment of the Lisbon strategy). Lastly, Danuta Hübner will take the new high-speed train linking the new Ebbsfleet station with Brussels. EU investment: 22 million euros. (G. B.)