Transcript Slide 1

The EU’s Regional Policy
David Müller
Alpeuregio summer school 2012
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1. Regional Policy – Cohesion Policy
• Europe and its Regions
• History of Regional Policy in the EU
• Why Regional Policy?
• Terminology: Cohesion Policy/Regional Policy
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Europa and its Regions
271 Regions in Europe
(NUTS 2 level)
–
–
–
Divergences in terms
of wealth, competitiveness, natural and demographic challenges
Different political
traditions on “regions”
“Europe of the
regions”?
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First ERDF Regulation 1975
Main aim of correcting regional imbalances due to:
o predominance of agriculture
o industrial change
o structural unemployment
Actions eligible for up to 50% of public expenditure,
(preferably in national state aid areas):
o investments in small enterprises creating at least
10 new jobs;
o investments in infrastructure related to point 1;
o infrastructure investments in mountainous areas.
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The Reform for the Period 2007–2013
• Strategic Approach: Linking Cohesion Policy to the
Lisbon Strategy
• New architecture and streamlining of policy instruments
• More room for manoeuvre for Member States
• Simplification of management and control of structural
policies
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Differences in
development in the EU-27
GDP per head as a % of the
community average
<50
50 - 75
75 - 90
90 - 100
100 - 125
 125
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GDP per capita in PPS in 2006
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Disparities across the European Union
Hi
Lo
Ratio
GDP per cap
(% EU27
average)
Luxembourg
266%
Bulgaria
44%
6.05*
Population
Germany
82.5 million
Malta
404,000
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*In US, this difference is only 2.5 and Japan 2
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Regional Policy – Cohesion Policy
• Structural Policy: Umbrella term covering all
policies aiming at structural reforms on national and
regional level.
• Cohesion Policy: Policy of the EU to reduce the
economic disparities between the regions using
diferent funds, following shared management rules
(TFEU Art. 174).
• Regional Policy: Part of EU‘s Cohesion policy with
the main instrumtents ERDF and CF (but not the
ESF!).
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Instruments of Cohesion Policy
Cohesion policy interventions through 3 main policy
instruments:
• European Regional Development Fund (ERDF;
based on Art. 176 TFEU; Regulation 1080/2006)
• European Social Fund (ESF; based on Art. 162-164
TFEU; Regulation 1081/2006)
• Cohesion Fund (based on Art. 177 TFEU; Regulation
1084/2006)
Further legislation:
• European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation (EGTC;
Regulation
1082/2006)
Source:
EU Commission, DG
Regio
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European Regional Development Fund
Eligibilty
• Convergence Regions: GDP/capita < 75 % of the
EU25-average.
• Competitiveness Regions: GDP/capita > 75 % of the
EU25-average
• Phasing-in/Phasing-out as transitional provisions for
former Objective-1 regions.
Territorial cooperation
Funding of a) cross-border, b) transnational and c)
interregional cooperation and networks (e.g. “Urbact”).
Source: EU Commission, DG Regio
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European Regional Development Fund
Scope of the funding:
• direct aid to investments in companies (in particular
SMEs) to create sustainable jobs
• infrastructures linked to R&I, telecommunications,
environment, energy and transport;
• financial instruments to support regional and local
development and to foster cooperation between
towns and regions;
• technical assistance measures
Broader scope for Convergence regions (11 priorities).
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European Social Fund
Support of the ESF for Convergence regions as well as
for Competitiveness regions.
Scope of funding:
•
•
•
•
Adaptability of workers and enterprises
Access to employment for most vulnerable
Social integration of disadvantaged people
Enhancing human capital (special focus on education
system in Convergence regions)
• Promoting partnerships and stakeholder networks
• Strengthening administrative capacities (conv. reg.)
Source: EU Commission, DG Regio
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Cohesion Fund
Eligibility:
MS with less than 90 % GNI/capita on national level (EU12 + GR, PT, ES).
Scope of the funding:
•trans-European transport networks, priority projects of
European interest as identified by the Union;
•Environment (including energy efficiency, renewable
energy and transport projects outside of TEN e.g. public
transport)
Macro-economic conditionality (Art. 4).
Source: EU Commission, DG Regio
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Management and Control
Management/control bodies on MS‘s level
•Management authority: management and
implementation of OP; annual reporting.
•Certification authority: certification of payment
requests and compliance of expenditure.
•Auditing authority: independent authority responsible
for auditing of each OP; annual reporting.
•Monitoring committee: Stakeholder committee for
each OP to monitor quality of implementation
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EU Budet 2007-2013
(at current prices 2012)
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Distribution of Budget. Overview
• Convergence regions: 81.9%
• Competitiveness regions: 15.7%
• Territorial co-operation 2.4%
Total budget €347bn, which will unlock up to €700bn of direct
investment.
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Geographical Eligibility
for Structural Funds
Support 2007-2013
Convergence objective
(Regions > 75% in
EU25)
Convergence objective
statistically affected regions
Objective 'Regional
Competitiveness and
Employment'
Phasing-in regions,
"naturally" above 75%
Objective 'Regional
Competitiveness and
Employment'
Index EU 25 =
100
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Fields of Investment
European Regional Development Fund
and Cohesion Fund (€271 billion)
European Social Fund (€76 billion)
Employment
Environment
Transport
Human capital
Research/Innovation
Information society
Social infrastructure
Energy
Tourism
Culture
Institutional capacity
Adaptability of workers and firms
Social inclusion
Capacity building
Technical assistance
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Territorial
co-operation
Regions eligible for
cross-border
cooperation
Source: EU Commission, DG Regio
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European Territorial Cooperation
Eligibility
• Cross-Border Cooperation: NUTS 3 level
regions are eligible, along all the land-based
internal borders and some external borders, along
maritime borders separated by a maximum
distance of 150 km (1,8 % of budget).
• Transnational Cooperation: all the regions are
eligible but, in consultation with the Member
States, the Commission has identified 13
cooperation zones (0,5 % of budget).
• Interregional Cooperation and setting up
networks and exchanges of experience: all the
European regions are eligible (0,1 % of budget).
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Investment in Growth and Jobs?
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•
•
Cohesion policy provides for > 50% of public
investment in 9 MS, mainly on key domains of EU
interest (transport, energy, R&I, SME, etc.)
€ 17 bn. reprogrammed since 2007 in reaction to
crisis
2012: Barroso Initiative: reprogramming of € 7 bn.
focused on growth and job creation (impact on
168.000 SMEs and 450.000 young people).
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Innovation and entrepreneurship
• Targets mostly small
and medium sized
enterprises and startups.
• At least 1 million gross
jobs were created in
supported companies.
• Increased private
investments and R&I
activity in firms.
Source: EU Commission, DG Regio, 5th
Cohesion Report
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Promoting employment, education and
inclusion
• 40% of the unemployed
trained have found a job.
• Funded one third of
Active Labour Market
Policies expenditure.
• Targets specific
vulnerable groups such
as youth, women,
minorities, low-skilled,
long-term unemployed.
Source: EU Commission, DG Regio, 5th
Cohesion Report
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Transport infrastructure
• 2000-2006: 44,000 km
of road and 12,000 km
railway built or
reconstructed in the
period 2000-2006.
• 2,000 km of motorways
built
• Construction of
additional 4,000 km of
trans-European rail,
including high-speed
Source: EU Commission, DG Regio, 5th
Cohesion Report
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Access to Water and Waste Water
Treatment
• Faster implementation of
environmental directives.
• 23 million inhabitants are
served by waste water
projects to EU standards.
• 20 million inhabitants have
been served by water
supply projects.
Source: EU Commission, DG Regio, 5th
Cohesion Report
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The Future Cohesion PolicyLegal
Basis of Cohesion Policy
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•
•
•
The Proposal for the next Multiannual
Financial Framework (MFF)
New Architecture for Cohesion Policy
„Better spending“. The Reform of Cohesion
Policy 2014-2020
Timeline
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Proposal on Cohesion Policy Budget
for the MFF 2014-2020
billion EUR
Cohesion Fund*
Less developed regions
Transition regions
More developed regions
Cooperation
Extra allocation for outermost
and northern regions
Total**
Connecting Europe facility for
transport, energy and ICT
68.7
162.6
39.0
53.1
11.7
0.9
336.0
40.0
* Cohesion Fund will "ringfence" 10 billion EUR
for the new Connecting Europe Facility
** ESF minimum share: 25%
NB: ESF
minimum share
is 25% for less
developed, 40%
for transition,
and 52% for
more developed
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New Architecture of Cohesion Policy
•
Three categories of regions
– Less developed regions (GDP per capita < 75%)
– Transition regions (GDP per capita between 75%
and 90%)
– More developed regions (GDP per capita > 90%)
•
•
Cohesion Fund for Member States with GNI per
capita <90%
Territorial cooperation (3 strands: CBC,
transnational, interregional)
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Key Elements of Cohesion Policy Reform
• Alignment of Cohesion Policy with Europe
2020
• Reinforced strategic programming
• Thematic concentration
• Conditionality and performance incentives
• Stronger focus on results
• Streamlined delivery system
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Timeline
• 30 June 2011: Proposal on MFF
• 6 October 2011: Adoption of Legislative Proposals
• March 2012: Commission Staff Working Document on the
Common Strategic Framework
• June 2012: Partial General Approach in Council
• July 2012: Vote on CPR report in REGI committee
• End 2012 (?): Agreement on MFF and adoption of new
legislative package
• 2013: Negotiation of new programming documents
• 2014: Entry into force and adoption of programmes
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Thank you for your attention and
all the best for your further studies!
For more information:
http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy
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