Transcript ERDF 2007-2013 and Beyond: Emerging Thinking

European Regional
Development Fund 2007-13
Iain Derrick
European and International Manager
One NorthEast
Regional Development Agency
ERDF 2007-2013 and Beyond:
Emerging Thinking
 Context for new programme
 Disparities inter / intra-regional
 Evidence of some convergence recent years
 Strong Export and FDI performance
 Significant contribution EU funds to regional development
 > £2bn since 1989
 High degree of public / private leverage
 Strong foundation for RES
 EU Funds ‘only game in town’ to small % of regional investment
ERDF 2007-2013 and Beyond:
Emerging Thinking
 Current Experience
 Organisational benefits
 Strategic benefits - BUT
 Significant challenges on implementation
ERDF 2007-2013 and Beyond:
Emerging Thinking
 Starting point of regional discussions (i)
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268 regions / 470m population
SCFs less than 0.4% of EU GDP
80% of resources to 70 regions (26% of regions and 25% of population)
Means 12-15% split across 198 regions with 352m population
Can we justify Competitiveness?
ERDF 2007-2013 and Beyond:
Emerging Thinking
 Starting point (ii)
 No increase in EU budget nor % allocated to SCFs
 Reform of CAP likely to remain incremental – BUT
 Rationale for EU level Cohesion Policy remains
 SEM uneven distribution of costs and benefits / under-utilisation of
resources
 Disparities persist
 It is the form it takes that is in question
ERDF 2007-2013 and Beyond:
Emerging Thinking – 2 Approaches
 Concentrate on poorer Member States
 ‘re-nationalise’
 Explore if EU Cohesion Policy can be achieved without direct finance?
 OMC?
 Dependent upon:
 continuation of absorption and ceilings?
 Council agreement (60% respondents to IV Cohesion Report and 65%
of UK population – eurobarometer - support continuation current
approach )
ERDF 2007-2013 and Beyond:
Emerging Thinking – 2 Approaches
 If its on the table? Key issues are;
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Focus
Allocation / eligibility
Critical Mass
Simplification
 Focus – economic development (Lisbon) and poorer Member States
 Eligibility
 GDP per head – but should look at environmental and income levels
ERDF 2007-2013 and Beyond:
Emerging Thinking
 Allocation at MS level
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Carbon Emissions
Innovation
GVA (productivity)
Enterprise
Skills
Employment
ERDF 2007-2013 and Beyond:
Emerging Thinking – 2 Approaches
 Critical Mass
 Policy Framework / receipts at NUTS 1 level – implementation to be
negotiated
 Merge ESF / ERDF at NUTS 1 (RDPE?)
 Phasing in and out from Convergence (75% plus 5% margin?)
 Strengthen trend to add value / innovative activity
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Transnational / international of benefit to region
Experimentation (ICs)
Recyclable loans and Financial Instruments (JEREMIE)
Pan regional work
ERDF 2007-2013 and Beyond:
Emerging Thinking
 Simplification
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Flexibility in regulations
Commission – performance not control
Recognition of MS standards
‘Contracts of Confidence’
European Regional
Development Fund 2007-13
 Sources of information:
Iain Derrick
One NorthEast
Tel: 00 44 191 229 6641
www.onenortheast.co.uk/erdf
[email protected]