Eurocommisaris Danuta Hübner van regionaal beleid lanceert het nieuwe Europese regionale beleid voor de Spaanse regio Extremadura (en)

The Member of the European Commission responsible for regional policy, Danuta Hübner, is today launching the new programme developed by the Autonomous Community of Extremadura in Spain for the period 2007–2013, which will be co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). Despite considerable progress, Extremadura remains one of the least developed regions of Spain and will continue to be a priority region for cohesion policy assistance in the coming years. Ms Hübner is visiting the region on 17 and 18 April at the invitation of the President of the regional government, Guillermo Fernández Vara.

On the eve of her visit, Danuta Hübner noted that ‘the region has adopted a new development strategy: in future it will concentrate European investment more on research, development and innovation rather than on infrastructure. This change of approach is a courageous one and shows that the authorities in Extremadura are opting for long-term investment which will bring jobs and growth and have an impact throughout the region.’

The priorities for Community action

In 2007–2013 the region will benefit from total investment of €2.56 billion from the ERDF, the Cohesion Fund and the European Social Fund (ESF). The ERDF programme, which is specific to the region, will place the emphasis on development of the knowledge economy, entrepreneurial development and innovation, the environment, management of water resources, transport, renewable energy, energy efficiency and local and urban sustainable development (see MEMO/08/171). The first section of the high-speed rail link (AVE) between Madrid and Lisbon should see the light of day, with the aim of reducing road transport, a major source of CO₂ emissions.

Visits to projects supported by the European Union

During the period 2000–2006, the European Union has supported the development of information and communication technologies in administrations, hospitals and schools throughout the region. The Commissioner will visit the ‘Tamujal’ secondary school in the village of Arroyo de San Serván in order to see the practical use of these new technologies. Families, pupils and teachers at this school can consult various types of information, including the children’s achievements, and follow their progress at school on a website created for this purpose.

Danuta Hübner will also visit the company ‘Inquiba’ in Guareña, which specialises in cleaning and personal hygiene products and engages in research made possible by the European Funds (contribution of €1.4 million). She will also visit the ‘Centre for less invasive surgery’ in Cáceres, which applies a new and innovative approach to surgery, necessitating only small incisions. Thanks to a contribution of €4.7 million from the ERDF, the centre has been able to acquire new equipment and a new laboratory.

Background

Extremadura is one of the Spanish regions (together with Galicia, Andalusia and Castile-La Mancha) that are eligible under the ‘Convergence Objective’ of cohesion policy. These are regions where per capita GDP is less than 75% of the Community average.

Between 1986 and 2006 the region received €6.3 billion in cohesion policy aid. The economic results are encouraging: in 1986 per capita GDP in Extremadura was 34.2% of the Community average (EU-12), but by 2005 had reached 70% (EU-27). The only cloud in the sky is that the region has not increased its spending on research and development, devoting only 0.68% of its regional GDP to it. This is half the average figure for Spain as a whole (1.13%), which is itself well below the Community average (1.85%).

In 2007–2013 the region will also be a major player in the ‘Spain–Portugal’ cross-border programme, through which it will continue to implement a large number of cross-border projects together with the Portuguese regions of Centre and Alentejo (see MEMO/08/250).

For more information on regional policy in Spain, see:

http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/atlas2007/spain/index_en.htm