Brussels, 26/09/2008 (Agence Europe) - European Regional Policy Commissioner Danuta Hübner, keen to see for herself how Venice and its regions had transformed themselves into an “ideas laboratory”, visited the area at the invitation of the President of Veneto Region, Giancarlo Galan. During her visit, which she announced at the presentation of the urban audit 2008 to press (see EUROPE 9746), she was able to see the urban development pilot projects conducted by the Veneto Region, with the aid of structural funds, which have made the region “very much a reference point for the rest of the EU”, in the Commissioner's words.
She also met members of the regional government, and industry and trade union representatives to discuss the new programme designed for the region under the EU's Cohesion Policy for 2007-2013. In a press released, the Commission notes that this programme, supported by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), amounts to an investment of €452 million. The EU contribution is €207.9 million. Almost 64 % of the Veneto programme is devoted to investments in research, technological development, innovation, entrepreneurship and other sectors targeted by the EU's jobs and growth strategy (compared with 30% in the previous programme). The Commission expects that, by 2013, private Research and Development expenditure will increase by 2%. The programme's other objectives include the use of renewable energy, energy efficiency and the information society.
The Commissioner also visited a number of EU-backed projects in Venice: (1) the Thetis technological centre, which specialises in environmental and civil engineering and marine and coastal technologies (EU contribution: €3.7million); (2) the VEGA park, the Venice City of Technology and Innovation, which brings together three university centres, research laboratories and 200 innovative companies (EU contribution: €2.7 million). She also met economic and social partners supporting the “Tavolo di Partenariato” initiative, which is part of the region's e-democracy project.
The Commission points out that the region is involved in several cross-border, transnational and interregional programmes, inter alia it is leading a network of 10 European regions and cities called “MILE” (Managing Migration and Integration at local level). For further information, go to: http: //ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/atlas2007/italia (GB/transl.rt)