Snellere regionale steun van de EU moet steun bieden aan regio's die het moeilijk hebben (en)

Met dank overgenomen van Europees Parlement (EP) i, gepubliceerd op dinsdag 15 november 2011, 10:25.

The EU should pay up to 95% of regional development project costs in in Greece, Ireland, Portugal, Romania, Latvia and Hungary so as to permit and accelerate investment in growth and jobs, said Regional Development Committee MEPs in a vote on Monday. Regions in countries experiencing macro-economic turmoil should benefit temporarily from better funding conditions to spur rapid recovery.

Swift release of EU funding...

"Swift actions to help those hit hard by the crisis have been our priority. A temporary rise in co-financing ceilings will not affect total EU regional funding in the Member States but will allow funds to be concentrated on completing some projects and thus reduce the pressure on national budgets", said rapporteur and Regional Development Committee chair Danuta Hübner (EPP, PL), adding that "the Parliament wants this derogation to apply as soon as possible but under clear and transparent conditions."

... under clear conditions

MEPs insist that the temporary rise in the EU's share of investment costs (Member States pay the rest) should be duly justified, limited until the end of 2013, and apply without prejudice to the 2014-2020 programming period. Appropriate reporting, through existing arrangements, should be ensured, say MEPs, who want the increased funding to focus on growth, employment and competitiveness.

Member states to prioritise projects

To obtain the higher EU co-financing rates, the Member States concerned need to prioritise projects and show that under the current maximum co-financing rates, they could not have afforded to pay their share of the projects.

New rules on repayable assistance and financial engineering

In a separate vote on repayable assistance and financial engineering instruments used for regional policy purposes, Regional Development Committee MEPs also backed specific EU-wide implementing rules designed to ensure clarity and certainty as to the law.

Both texts, already agreed with the Council and the Commission, will be put to the vote at the next EP plenary session in November in Brussels.

In the chair: Danuta Hübner (EPP, PL)