Tsjechië organiseert informele bijeenkomst sterker Cohesiebeleid (en)
On 23 and 24 April, Danuta Hübner, European Commissioner for Regional Policy, will address the informal meeting of Ministers for Regional Policy at Mariánské Lázne in the Czech Republic. The discussions, chaired by Cyril Svoboda, Czech Minister for Regional Development, will focus on the principles and goals of the future Cohesion Policy. The Commissioner will present a reflection paper outlining her vision for a stronger policy and will discuss the initial findings of the public consultation on the Commission's 'Green Paper on Territorial Cohesion'. She will also take the opportunity to visit the Northwest region of the country to see first hand projects supported by the EU.
Ahead of the event, Commissioner Hübner stated: “Today’s global economic turmoil highlights the importance of a strong European development policy that can unlock the full potential of every region and help people and businesses make the best use of their territorial assets. That, in a nutshell, is what the European Cohesion Policy is all about.”
23 April: Debate on the future Cohesion Policy
Commissioner Hübner's reflection paper builds on the numerous debates and contributions registered by the Commission since the publication of the 4th Cohesion Report on Economic and Social Cohesion in May 2007. The conclusions of the international conference on the Cohesion Policy, organised by the Czech Presidency in Prague on 26-27 March, will feed into the debate in Mariánské Lázne, and representatives from the European Parliament and the EU Committee of the Regions will also give their views on the subject during the informal meeting.
24 April: Results of the consultation on Territorial Cohesion
Commissioner Hübner will present the Ministers with the preliminary results of the public consultation on the Green Paper on Territorial Cohesion, which concluded at the end of February. The purpose was to reach a common definition of territorial cohesion and a better understanding of how to maximise the impact of European regional diversity to deliver growth, sustainable jobs and competitiveness (see the initial results: IP/09/358).
The Sixth Progress Report on Economic and Social Cohesion in June will provide the full results of this debate.
24- 25 April: Project visits in the Northwest Region
On 24 April, in Cheb, Commissioner Hübner will meet Josef Novotný, the Hejtman (governor) of the region of Karlovy Vary. The EU has helped to fund the modernization of the regional airport with its new terminal (support of €3.3 million) and Mr Novotný will present the city of Cheb's plans to create a major pedestrian zone with EU backing (€4.8 million). In Habartov, the Commissioner will see the results of the recent conversion of a primary school into a museum, information centre and public library (EU contribution: €450.000).
On 25 April, she will hold talks with the governor of the Ústí nad Labem region, Jana Vanhová. The Cohesion Policy is supporting an integrated development plan in the city of the same name, through the creation of green areas, the revitalization of brown-field sites and the building of cultural, social and leisure facilities (EU contribution: €34.7 million). The Commissioner will visit the local museum which is undergoing renovation and creating a centre of "Czech-German studies" (€13.7 million from the EU).
The current economic crisis has had serious knock-on effects in the Northwest region, particularly for its glass industry and its tourist industry. In this context, the Commission has taken several measures to accelerate and simplify EU funding. In particular, the Northwest has already benefited from advance payments totalling €52 million since 2007 to support investment and will receive a further €15 million before the end of April under the European Economic Recovery Plan. In total, the region will benefit from €746 million from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) for 2007-2013 (see MEMO/07/561).
The Czech Republic as a whole has been allocated almost €30 billion in 2007-2013 – the highest aid intensity per capita in the EU. It will receive €13.7 billion from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), €8.8 billion from the Cohesion Fund, €3.8 billion from the European Social Fund (ESF), €2.8 billion from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and € 400 million for territorial cooperation. It has received an additional advance payment of €274 million from the ERDF this week, in the context of the Recovery Plan, and will receive a further advance of €75.5 million from the ESF before the end of the month.
Further information:
http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/policy/future/
The Czech Presidency of the European Union: http://www.ue2009.cz
Cohesion policy in Czech Republic: