AaE: Sardinia's new Cohesion Policy programme

Sardinia's new Cohesion Policy programme

Posted by Oliver B. at 6:54 AM

Hübner welcomes innovation, climate change priorities in Sardinia's new Cohesion Policy programme

Danuta Hübner, Commissioner for Regional Policy, today visits Sardinia at the invitation of Mr Renato Soru, President of the Region. Her visit marks the start of the region's new Cohesion Policy programmes, which put innovation and combating climate change at the top of the agenda. She will visit projects set up with EU co-funding, and meet regional government and council officials, as well as representatives of civil society.

'I welcome the way in which the region has taken on board new priorities for this programming period: now it is playing the innovation card to boost jobs and growth, as well as planning projects to counter climate change,' the Commissioner said ahead of her visit.
Sardinia's new programme for 2007-13, with EU investment worth EUR 681 million, will focus primarily on innovation (43%), rather than on infrastructure, as was the case for the previous period. A third of the investment available will be dedicated to meeting the challenge of climate change, and is intended to achieve a 26% decrease in carbon emissions by 2015. The focus is on renewable energies and energy efficiency, and sustainable transport (upgrading of regional rail and port systems, clean urban transport modes). Sardinia aims to provide broadband access for every school under a priority entitled “Information Society”.
Project visits
The Commissioner will visit the Science Park at Pula , opened in 2003 with EU co-funding. It now hosts 50 research institutes and companies that employ 500 people in fields such as Information Technology, biomedicine, bioinformatics and nanotechnologies (ERDF contribution: € 51 million). She will also visit the former Buggerru coalfield, now a cultural and tourism area (ERDF contribution: €1.38 million).
Notes for editors
Previous programming period (2000-2006): Sardinia received investment worth EUR 4.26 billion in total from the Structural Funds for the previous programming period, which draws to a close at the end of the year. Total payments have so far reached 76%, and the Commission is encouraging the region to make further efforts to invest remaining resources in good time.
The impact of EU investment to date has been evaluated. Among the results are: a boost to wastewater treatment capacity, from 71% of the total population in 1999 to 87.5% in 2005. Cut in urban transit times: Average journey times in Cagliari and Sassari have been cut by 30 minutes since the year 2000 thanks to investment in urban rail transit systems.
Hub for co-operation in Mediterranean
Sardinia has become a hub for cooperation in the Mediterranean region. The island is involved in the Italy-France (Maritime) cross-border programme, which is set to receive EU funding worth EUR 121 million.
Sardinia is also involved in a transnational programme covering the Mediterranean. It has been designated as Managing Authority for the new European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument “Mediterranean Sea Basin” programme, with EUR 86.8 million of ERDF investment. The programme has four priorities: economic and social development, environment, migratory routes, and North-South contacts.Further details of Regional Policy are available at:
http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/index_en.htm

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Home

European Union

The European Union (EU) is a political and economic community of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in Europe. It was established in 1993 by the Maastricht Treaty, adding new areas of policy to the existing European Community. With almost 500 million citizens, the EU combined generates an estimated 30% share of the world's nominal gross domestic product (US$16.8 trillion in 2007).

The EU has developed a single market through a standardised system of laws which apply in all member states, guaranteeing the freedom of movement of people, goods, services and capital. It maintains a common trade policy, agricultural and fisheries policies, and a regional development policy. Fifteen member states have adopted a common currency, the euro. It has developed a role in foreign policy, representing its members in the World Trade Organization, at G8 summits and at the United Nations. Twenty-one EU countries are members of NATO. It has developed a role in justice and home affairs, including the abolition of passport control between many member states under the Schengen Agreement.

EU operation is a hybrid of intergovernmentalism and supranationalism. In certain areas it depends upon agreement between the member states. However, it also has supranational bodies, able to make decisions without the agreement of members. Important institutions and bodies of the EU include the European Commission, the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union, the European Council, the European Court of Justice and the European Central Bank. EU citizens elect the Parliament every five years.

The EU traces its origins to the European Coal and Steel Community formed among six countries in 1951 and the Treaty of Rome in 1957. Since then the EU has grown in size through the accession of new member states and has increased its powers by the addition of new policy areas to its remit. The Treaty of Lisbon, signed in December 2007 and intended to be ratified by the end of 2008, is planned to amend the existing treaties to update the political and legal structure of the union.

from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Union

AaE

Sardinia's new Cohesion Policy programme

0 comments:

TODAY PRESS RELEASES

Labels

Europe - Google News

Yahoo! News Search Results for Europe

USA.gov Updates: News and Features

Popular Government Questions from USA.gov

Useful