Eurocommissaris Hübner van regionaal beleid ondestreept voordelen van de versterkte samenwerking in Middellandse zee gebied voor de Mezzogiorno (zuid-Italië) (en)
On 16 January, Danuta Hübner, Commissioner responsible for Regional Policy, is in the Mezzogiorno at the invitation of Italian President Giorgio Napolitano. In the city of Reggio Calabria, she will address academics, authorities and employers from European and North African countries on the importance of cooperation between the Mezzogiorno, the rest of Europe and the Mediterranean.
"Cooperation in the Mediterranean is essential for addressing some of the major challenges in areas like climate change and energy which the European Union, and the Mezzogiorno in particular, will be confronted with in the coming years. Its geographical position gives the Mezzogiorno a pivotal role in our Euro-Mediterranean partnership," commented Commissioner Hübner.
In her speech, she will refer to the European Commission's recent "Regions 2020" report, which analyses the likely impact of global challenges on European regions between now and 2020 in respect of globalisation, demographic trends, climate change and energy use and supply (see IP/08/1910). This study suggests that the Mezzogiorno is particularly vulnerable to climate change due to increasing temperatures and diminishing rainfall, as well as to energy market problems, in comparison with other regions in the European Union.
The Euro-Mediterranean partnership provides a macro-regional platform for developing common solutions and testing new ideas. On the energy challenge for instance, the Southern Mediterranean has important potential not only in terms of conventional energy (gas and oil reserves in Algeria, Libya and Egypt) but also in the development of renewable energy sources which are essential in the fight against climate change. The European Union wants to create an integrated Euro-Mediterranean energy market to help diversify energy sources. Projects like the gas pipelines linking Algeria and Libya to Italy are also crucial for developing the competitiveness of the Mezzogiorno.
The European Union will invest more than €1 billion in 2007-2013 in territorial cooperation programmes in the Mediterranean area, in which the regions of the Mezzogiorno (Calabria, Campania, Sicily, Puglia, Sardinia, Basilicata and Molise), are entitled to participate. These include the transnational MED programme, EU cross-border programmes and other initiatives under the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI).
The contribution of Cohesion Policy in the development of Southern Italy
The conference in Reggio Calabria follows an event in the same city last December hosted by the Italian Ministry for Economic Development and the region of Calabria, at which Commissioner Hübner underlined the commitment of the EU to the Mezzogiorno (see IP/08/1876). Across Calabria, Campania, Sicily, Puglia, Sardinia, Basilicata and Molise, 20.000 enterprises, including 202 start-ups, were supported by the Cohesion Policy in 2000-06. Around €45 billion of combined national and Community investment will be mobilised to implement the cohesion programmes for 2007-13 in the Mezzogiorno. The European Union aims to help these regions to base their development on assets which are still largely under-exploited: a young and educated workforce, strong natural and cultural heritage, a structured university system, and the innovative potential of industry. At the conference, Commissioner Hübner will also underline the need to open up a wide public debate on the impact of organised crime (eg Cosa Nostra, Ndrangheta) which continues to hinder the economic development of Southern Italy. Cohesion Policy is contributing, through the national programme on security ("Sicurezza"), to promote a “legality culture” and fight against local crime activities (EU contribution: €579 million from European Regional Development Fund, see MEMO/08/597).
More information is available at: http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/atlas2007/italia/