Commissaris Hübner spoort tijdens bezoek aan Milaan Italië aan om snel actie te ondernemen in het kader van het Europese herstelprogramma (en)
The European Commissioner for Regional Policy, Danuta Hübner i, is travelling to Lombardy on 17 April to present the measures proposed by the cohesion policy to tackle the current economic crisis. She will meet the mayor of Milan, Ms Letizia Moratti, and representatives of local businesses. She will then visit the European College of Parma where she will teach the first complete course on the cohesion policy to students from all over the world.
Speaking ahead of her visit, Commissioner Hübner said: "Lombardy, like the other regions of Italy, is feeling the direct effects of the crisis, but the region has begun to take on board the “crisis-busting” measures proposed by the Commission and to integrate them into its own regional recovery plan. I would urge the other regions of Europe to follow this excellent example."
Following her meeting with Ms Moratti the Commissioner will have talks with Mr Andrea Moltrasio, Vice-President of Confindustria, the business federation. They will examine the range of measures proposed by the cohesion policy and that form an integral part of the European economic recovery plan.
The current crisis has had serious knock-on effects in Lombardy. The automobile and manufacturing sectors have been hardest hit. The region has developed a recovery plan and will receive support from the cohesion policy:
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•The region will receive an additional advance under the Structural Funds of €13.9 million in 2009, on top of the €27.8 million it received in 2007 and 2008. This will enable it to set its plans in motion more swiftly;
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•Lombardy will support its small enterprises, which are particularly hard hit by the crisis. It will make use of the JEREMIE initiative (the initials stand for “Joint European Resources for Micro to Medium Enterprises”), proposed by the European Commission and the European Investment Fund, to give them easier access to finance. €20 million will be allocated to this initiative. The region will also provide loans to small businesses specialising in the manufacture of local products through the "Made in Lombardy" fund;
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•The region supports innovation through the Fondo regionale di rotazione per l’imprenditorialità (FRIM, Regional Revolving Fund for Entrepreneurship), which offers revolving credit with the help of the cohesion policy;
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•The recent measures announced by the Commission in the context of the recovery plan will enable it to increase its support to the region for energy-related matters. It will now be possible to receive support from the ERDF (European Regional Development Fund) for measures relating to energy efficiency and renewable energy use in homes, which was not previously the case. These are in fact areas that generate growth and employment.
The regional programme for 2007-2013
The Community’s investment in the 2007-2013 programme for Lombardy will be some €945 million, of which €211 million will come from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), €338 million from the European Social Fund (ESF) and €396 million from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD).
Half of the ERDF funding will be channelled into research and innovation. The programme will also contribute to reducing carbon emissions by promoting renewable energies and energy efficiency. The region plans to reduce CO2 emissions by 50 000 tonnes per year by 2013. European investment will encourage sustainable mobility by reducing the impact of transport on the environment through, for example, car sharing and road tolls. The programme will also contribute to the development of tourism. (See MEMO/08/307).
The Commissioner will teach a course to students at the European College of Parma
The Commissioner will then travel to the Emilia Romagna region to teach a two-day course (17 and 18 April) on the cohesion policy to students of the prestigious European College of Parma. This will be the first university course to comprehensively cover all aspects of the cohesion policy: its origins in 1957, the founding principles, its achievements, the operation of the current policy and the debate surrounding its future. The aim is to raise awareness among European and non-European students of the significance of this policy which accounts for more than one-third of the European budget (or €347 billion in 2007-2013) and which can serve as a model of regional integration for other countries.
Note to editors
Following the earthquake that struck the Abruzzo region on 6 April this year, Commissioner Hübner will visit this region on 14 and 15 May to express Europe's solidarity with all of the victims of this disaster and to assess the extent of the damage.
For more information on the cohesion policy in Italy, please refer to: