Cohesie beleid 2007-2013: Europese Commissie keurt nationale strategie Estland goed (en)

Regional policy Commissioner Danuta Hübner i and Employment and Social Affairs Commissioner Vladimír Spidla i congratulated the Estonian authorities for reaching agreement with the European Commission i on the national plan and priorities for Cohesion policy 2007-2013. In their National Strategic Reference Framework (NSRF) the Estonian authorities describe how they are going to invest EU funding of € 3.4 billion that they will receive over seven years to deliver growth and jobs to their country.

Commissioner Hübner said: " Estonia is a high growth economy with a great development potential and I am very happy that the Estonian authorities will use the assistance of the cohesion policy to build on the progress made. The Estonian NSRF is strongly geared towards strengthening and stabilizing the achievements made in the economic, environmental and social development fields with strong investments in research and development, environmental, transport and educational infrastructure as well as training and social inclusion of non-Estonian speakers. I consider this as a strong signal for a continued focus of Estonia on key areas to its development and well-being as well as a proof of Estonia's commitment to the Lisbon Strategy".

Commissioner Spidla added: "The Estonian strategy contains a strong commitment to promoting the quality and intensity of investments in human resources. This shows once again that more and better jobs lie at the heart of the European reform agenda. With the priorities chosen by Estonia, workers will be able to better adapt to changing circumstances. The strategy will also boost employment and promote social inclusion."

The Estonian NSRF sets out how Estonia will use € 3.4 billion EU resources in the next seven years to deliver growth and jobs, strengthen human capital, and ensure a balanced and harmonious development including the reduction of regional disparities. Estonia's strategic thematic and territorial priorities for 2007-2013 are:

• 1. 

  Educated and active people;
• 2. 

  Increase in the research and development capacity and in the innovativeness and productivity of enterprises;
• 3. 

  Better connection opportunities;
• 4. 

  Sustainable use of environment;
• 5. 

  Integral and balanced development of regions;
• 6. 

  Higher administrative capacity.

Estonia intends to translate the broad priorities contained in the NSRF into three operational programmes for human resources development, for the development economic environment and for the development of living environment.

Estonia sent its National Strategic Reference Framework to the European Commission in February 2007. Now that negotiations have been successfully concluded, the list of programmes and the indicative annual allocation from each fund will soon be adopted by the Commission. Approval of the NSRF is a legal prerequisite for adoption of the operational programmes, negotiations on which are currently at their final stage.

In drawing up their NSRFs, all Member States must take account of the Community Guidelines for Cohesion 2007-2013 which place particular emphasis on innovation, research and technological development, the information society, environmental protection, renewable energy sources and creating more and better jobs. The NSRF must also tie in closely with Member States' national reform programmes which set out the measures they will implement to deliver the Lisbon jobs' and growth strategy.

Further information about European Regional Policy available at:

http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/index_en.htm

Further information about European Employment, Social affairs and Equal opportunities Policies is available at:

http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/index_en.html