Commission adopts first European Structural and Investment Funds “Partnership Agreement with Denmark
The European Commission has adopted the first of 28 "Partnership Agreements" that set down the strategies in EU Member States and regions for European Structural and Investment (ESI) Funds.
Today’s agreement with Denmark will pave the way for investments under Cohesion Policy, fisheries and maritime, as well as rural development. The strategy adopted will boost competitiveness and growth through support to innovation, the low-carbon economy and training and education. Investments will also promote entrepreneurship, fight social exclusion and strive for an environmentally-friendly and resource-efficient economy.
The EC-Denmark agreement aims specifically to:
• Boost national and regional competitiveness and job creation through investments in innovation and business development; promoting entrepreneurship and fostering the agriculture, fisheries and aquaculture sectors;
• Increase inclusion of people at the margins of the labour market through training to enhance employability; and
• Promote environmental protection and resource efficiency, building on Denmark’s global reputation as a leading green economy.
The European Commission provided a menu of ‘thematic objectives’ designed to help Member States and regions contribute to meeting the agreed growth goals of the Europe 2020 Strategy. The Member States then select investment priorities that translate those objectives into concrete actions that respond to the development needs and build on the growth potential of a given country.
Denmark chose, for example, to promote research and innovation in green technologies in order to ‘support the shift towards a low-carbon economy’. This in recognition of the fact that the country is some way off from meeting the goal of 20% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, and that more effort is needed to enhance the energy performance of buildings and ensure resource efficiency in business and in ever-growing urban areas.
Similarly, Denmark will invest in education and vocational training, upgrading the knowledge, skills and competences of workers in order to foster an inclusive labour force, but also in light of the fact that university qualification attainment levels have not grown at the same rate in Denmark in the past 5 years as in some neighbouring countries.
Better linkages between business, research centres and universities will also be developed to improve technology transfer, networking and clustering among Danish enterprises.
Before the Partnership Agreement could be signed, a number of pre-conditions had to be met, including a national innovation strategy, full respect of equality legislation, and a national risk assessment for climate change mitigation and environmental protection.
Denmark will also dedicate 5% of the ERDF allocation at national level to integrated actions for sustainable urban development.
Financial breakdown:
For 2014-2020, Denmark has been allocated around € 553,3 million (current prices) in total Cohesion Policy funding:
• € 84 million for transition regions (Zealand).
• € 329,2 million for more developed regions (Northern Jutland, Mid-Jutland, Southern Denmark, Capital region and Bornholm).
• € 140,1 million for European Territorial Cooperation.
• Also, the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development will invest a further €629,000 in Denmark from 2014-2020.
• The allocation under Fisheries and Maritime Policy will be finalised and published in June 2014.