Brussels, 17/03/2008 (Agence Europe) - The new 2007-13 cross-border cooperation programme between, Flanders (Belgium) and the Netherlands, 'INTERREG IV Grensregio Vlaanderen-Nederland' was officially launched on Monday 17 March in Antwerp (Belgium) by the European Commissioner for regional policy Danuta Hübner. The total budget for the programme is €190 million and Community investment through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) amounts to €95 million, an increase of 16% compared with 2000-2006. Mrs Patricia Ceysens, Flemish Minister for Economy, Enterprise, Science, Innovation and Foreign Trade, and Mrs Maria Van der Hoeven, Dutch Minister of Economic Affairs will accompany the Commissioner at the official launch ceremony.
The programme's objectives are based around three priorities: economic development, the environment and population. The EU contribution can be broken down into the different priorities: 1) 47 € 436 780, 50% of total funding for economic development; 2) 22 769 655, 24% of the total, for the environment; 3) 18 974 712, 20% of total - population.
This programme is the fourth in a consecutive series of cross-border cooperation programmes between the two countries in the INTERREG Community initiatives from 1990-93, 94-99 and 2000-06. It covers the provinces of West Flanders, East Flanders, Antwerp and Limburg on the Belgian side, and the provinces of Zeeland, Northern-Brabant and Limburg in the Netherlands. It aims to encourage partners define and develop strategic projects that help this densely populated region meet all the urgent challenges of transport congestion, production and consumption of sustainable energy, protection of natural resources and improving air quality. A Commission note explains that member states want to increase synergies on both sides of the border in innovation, research and education. The Commission added that given the high rates of employment in the region, activities planned with mainly aim to get rid of institutional and administrative obstacles hindering enhanced cooperation.
Specific objectives in economic development include providing tools for cross-border collaboration between private and public bodies seeking to support entrepreneurship and innovation, promoting links between academia and companies in research and development and supporting firms' cross border businesses. Environment: traffic and industrial activity density require cooperation between the civil protection services in both countries to prevent risk. The Commission notes that ecological disasters provoke serious consequences in urban zones. The Commission therefore believes cooperation is very important in order to reduce risks and manage the consequences. Population: the aims it to pave the way to exchanges in experiences and taking joint decisions in culture, social inclusion and social assistance.
The Commission affirms that in the 4th priority, technical assistance to the cross-border cooperation process, the EU contribution is €5 692 414, around 6% of total funding. Financial support for administration, follow-up, assessments and control. The Commission has indicated that the institution in charge of the general implementation of the programme is in the province of Antwerp (Belgium).
The concluding conference for the “Procesindustrie 2010” focuses on the future of the chemicals industry in the 21st century and took place in I Turnhout (near Antwerp) on Monday 17 March. The two regions of Belgium and the Netherlands faced similar difficulties in the chemical industry, which had a poor social image, as well as a shortage of qualified staff. So they developed an INTERREG project to ensure the industry's future. Launched in 2005, the project brought together companies involved in the processing of goods, public economic development agencies, and educational authorities on both sides of the border. Partners received €660,250 from the INTERREG initiative, and contributed €2,076,600 (€764,600 from the private sector) to project activities. More information is available at: (http: //http://www.europawerkt.be ). (G.B.)