Brussels, 11/11/2008 (Agence Europe) - Relations between Switzerland and the EU and more especially Switzerland's participation in cooperation programmes relating to European regional policy were the focus of debates at the meetings on Monday 10 and Tuesday 11 November in Bern and Luzern between European Commissioner for Regional Policy Danuta Hübner and Doris Leuthard, Head of the Federal Department of Economic Affairs (on which regional policy depends) and Swiss Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey. Ms Hübner encouraged the Swiss authorities to “continue their active involvement in the European territorial cooperation programmes for 2007-2013” and called on them to invest more in crossborder programmes.
The aim of the new Swiss regional policy is similar to that of European regional policy and the Lisbon Strategy for growth and employment in so far as they place emphasis on innovation, small businesses, training, the transfer of knowledge and the less advantaged regions such as mountainous or rural areas, the Commission states in a press release.
We recall that Switzerland: (1) is involved in 10 territorial cooperation programmes with the EU, of which four are crossborder with neighbouring countries, Germany, France, Italy and Austria. The contribution from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) towards crossborder cooperation amounts to €215 million, representing an increase of 120% from 2000-2006; (2) plays an active role in two transnational programmes - Alpine Space and North West Europe - and four groupings under interregional cooperation; (3) was involved from 2000 to 2006 in around 500 cooperation projects under INTERREG. One such project developed during that time was “Pusemor” within the Alpine Space grouping, aimed at developing viable and innovative strategies for improving public services in sparsely populated mountainous regions (ERDF contribution: €1.2 million). At present, a project devoted to health and demographic changes is underway as part of the North West Europe programme with a total budget of €4.4 million (ERDF contribution: €2 million). For further information: http: //ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/cooperation/index_en.htm (G.B./transl.jl)