ESVFON - COMMUNITY INITIATIVES 2000

ESFVON

European Structrial Funds Voluntary Organisations Northern

COMMUNITY INITIATIVES 2000 - 2006

There are four Community Initiatives for the 2000-2006 programming period worth over 10 billion euros. The total amount available to the United Kingdom is 961 million euros (approx. £600 million over 7 years).

The four Community Initiatives are:

INTERREG III	cross-border, transnational and interregional co-operation
URBAN	regeneration of urban areas in crisis
LEADER +	rural development
EQUAL	fighting against discrimination and inequality in access to work

Each Member State is responsible for implementing each initiative.

INTERREG III

As of April 2000 the definitive guidelines of INTERREG III were agreed by the European Commission, European Parliament and Member States. The total amount of funds available is 4.875 billion euros with the United Kingdom being allocated 362 million euros (approx. £ 220 million). All of these funds are from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) for operations undertaken within the EU. Operations undertaken outside the EU are funded by other Community programmes such as PHARE, ISPA, TACIS, MEDA and EDF.

INTERREG consists of three strands:

Cross border co-operation to promoting integrated regional development (stet)
Transnational co-operation, to assist integration and harmonisation of territorial development across the EU
Reinforcing interregional co-operation and improving the policies and techniques of interregional economic development

INTERREG gives increased importance to cross border activities, in particular to the proposed enlargement of the EU to incorporate countries such as Slovakia and Malta.

Strand A - Cross border co-operation

Objective: Cross-border co-operation between neighbouring authorities is intended to develop cross border economic and social centres through joint strategies for sustainable territorial development.

Eligible Areas : NOT THE NORTH EAST

Strand B - Transnational Co-operation

Objective: Transnational co-operation between national, regional and local authorities aims to promote a higher degree of territorial integration across large groupings of European regions, with a view to achieving sustainable, harmonious and balanced development in the Community and better territorial integration with candidate and other neighbouring countries. Eligible Areas:

NORTH SEA AREA	UK	North-Eastern Scotland, Eastern Scotland, Highlands & Islands (except Comhairle Nan Eilean and Lochaber Skye & Lochhalsh and Argyll), TEES VALLEY & DURHAM, NORTHUMBERLAND AND TYNE & WEAR, Humberside, North Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, Derbyshire & Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, Rutland & Northamptonshire, East Anglia, Essex
	Netherlands	Friesland, Groninigen, Drenthe, Overijssel, Flevoland, Noord-Holland, Zuid-Holland, Zeeland
	Belgium	Antwerpen, Oost-Vlaanderen, West-Vlaanderen
	Germany	Niedersachsen, Schleswig-Holstein, Hamburg, Bremen
	Denmark	Whole Country
	Sweden	Vastra Gotalands, Hallands, Varmlands

NORTH WEST EUROPE	France	Nord Pas de Calais, Picardie, Haute-Normandie, Ile de France, Basse- Normandie, Centre, Champagne-Ardennes, Lorraine, Bourgogne, Alsace, Franche-Cornte, Bretagne, Pays de la Loire
	Belgium	Whole Country
	Netherlands	Overijssel, Gelderland, Flevoland, Utrecht, Noord Holland, Zuid Holland, Zeeland, Noord Brabant, Limburg
	Luxembourg	Whole Country
	Germany	Nordrheim-Westfalen, Hessen, Rheinland-Pfalz, Saarland, Baden-Wurttemberg, Scwaben, Unter-,Mittel-, Oberfranken (in Bavaria)
	UK	Whole Country
	Ireland	Whole Country

Measures:

Spatial Development strategies including co-operation among cities and between rural and urban areas with a view to promoting polycentric and sustainable development
Development of efficient and sustainable transport systems and improved access to information society
Promotion of the environment and good management cultural heritage and of natural resources, in particular water resources
Specific measures
- Promotion of integrated co-operation of maritime and regions and of insular regions
- Promotion of integrated co-operation of the outermost regions

Strand C - Interregional Co-operation

Objective: Interregional Co-operation is intended to improve the effectiveness of policies and instruments for regional development and cohesion through networking, particularly for regions whose development is lagging behind and those undergoing conversion.

Eligible Areas: All of the Community is eligible

Measures: TO BE DEFINED BY THE COMMISSION around such issues as Research, technological development, and Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SME's), the information society, tourism, culture and employment, entrepreneurship and environment.

Proposals may be presented separately for each strand. However, if deemed appropriate by the partners, programmes may cover all three strands A,B and C. whilst specifying the priorities, measures and joint structures for each strand.

Timetable:

July - September 2000	Consultation process
22 November 2000	Programmes submitted to European Commission
End April 2001	Commission Approval
Spring/Summer 2001	Application round

EQUAL

EQUAL is a new Community Initiative which has been developed to deal with transnational co-operation to promote new means of combating all forms of discrimination and inequalities in connection with the labour market. It will also take account of the social and vocational integration of asylum seekers.

This initiative is built around Development Partnerships (DPs) based on location or sector and working on themes structured around the four pillars of the European Employment Strategy:

Employability
- Facilitating access and return to the labour market for those who have difficulty in being integrated or re-integrated into a labour market which must be open to all
- Combating racism and xenophobia in relation to the labour market
Entrepreneurship
- Opening up the business creation process to all by providing the tools required for setting up in business and for the identification and exploitation of new possibilities for creating employment in urban and rural areas
- Strengthening the social economy (the Third Sector), in particular the services of interest to the community, with a focus on improving the quality of jobs
Adaptability
- Promoting lifelong learning and inclusive work practices which encourage the recruitment and retention of those suffering discrimination and inequality in connection with the labour market
- Supporting the adaptability of firms and employees to structural economic change and the use of information technology and other new technologies
Equal Opportunities).
- Reconciling family and professional life, as well as the re-integration of men and women who have left the labour market, by developing more flexible and effective forms of work organisation and support services
- Reducing gender gaps and supporting job desegregation

The total EQUAL budget is 2.847 billion euros (approx. £1.8 billion) with the United Kingdom receiving approximately £230 million during the 2000-2006 Programme. This is the most of the four Initiatives and is funded solely by the European Social Fund (ESF).

Eligibility: All areas within the European Union are eligible.

There are four actions which EQUAL will fund activities under:

Action 1

Setting up Development Partnerships and transnational co-operation

The Development Partnerships must identify at least one partner from another Member State. It is also possible to work with non Member States which run similar projects and are eligible for funding under the PHARE, EACIS or MEDA programmes.

Out of this Action each Development Partnership must develop two documents:

Development Partnership Agreement
Transnational Co-operation Agreement

Action 2

Implementing the work programmes of the Development Partnerships

Eligibility of activities are those which are normally applicable to the European Social Fund. However, to increase effectiveness EQUAL may also fund normally eligible under European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), European Agricultural Guidance & Guarantee Fund (EAGGF) or Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance (FIFG).

Action 3

Thematic networking, dissemination of good practice and making an impact on national policy

Activities will likely involve:

Identifying and assessing the factors leading to good practice and benchmarking their performance
Disseminating best practice

Action 4

Technical Assistance to support actions 1,2 and 3.

Technical Assistance will be available to support the implementation of EQUAL and will be used to assist in running the programme and finding suitable transnational partners. This is likely to be undertaken by Government Office North East.

Timetable

May-August 2000	Member States preparing their programme document.
Sept 2000 - Jan 2001	European Commission approval period.
Jan 2001 - April 2001	Programme Complement developed

Once Programme Complement agreed, projects can submit bids and receive approvals.

LEADER+

LEADER+ continues on from the previous LEADER II Programme in 1997-1999 period. The new LEADER+ has been established to encourage the design and implementation of innovative development strategies for rural areas. This will be undertaken through wide dissemination of information and networking including interregional and transnational co-operation.

For the 2000-2006 Programme there is a budget of 2020 million euros (approx. £1.25 billion). The United Kingdom will receive approximately £65 million. In Objective 1 regions (which does not include the North East of England), 75% of the total costs of the Leader programme may be funded by Europe and up to 50% of the total costs in other regions.

Eligible Areas: All rural areas are eligible. However, not all areas will be able to access Strands 1 and 2 as it is felt concentration of resources is the most effective utilisation of resources. These areas have yet to be decided. All areas can apply to Strand 3.

LEADER+ consists of three strands:

Support for integrated rural development strategies of a pilot nature based on the bottom up approach and horizontal partnerships
Support for interregional and transnational co-operation
Networking all EU rural areas - whether or not they receive LEADER+ funding - as well as for those involved in rural development.

These strands are intended to encourage experimenting with new ways of:

Enhancing the natural and cultural heritage
Reinforcing the economic environment, in order to contribute to jobs
Improving the organisational abilities of their communities.

Strand 1 - Support for integrated rural development strategies of a pilot nature based on the bottom up approach and horizontal partnerships.

The pilot need not be a radical break from previous projects which may have been conducted under LEADER II, but not a mere replicate.

The Commission Guidelines suggest a pilot project to be:

The emergence of new products and services which incorporate the distinctiveness of the area
New methods permitting the combination of the area's human natural and/or financial resources, resulting in better use of indigenous potential
The combination of and the links between economic sectors which are traditionally separate.
Original forms of organisation and involvement of the local population in the decision-making process and in the implementing the projects.

Additionally, it is necessary to have a project which is:

Integrated, enabling interaction between all those concerned
Coherent with the needs of the North East
Economically viable
Sustainable
Complementary to mainstream programme in the North East (eg Objective 2, Objective 3, Rural Development Plan and the 1997-1999 Objective 5b)

Strand 2 - Support for interregional and transnational co-operation

This Strand will only support Local Action Groups (LAGS) able to access Strand 1. It will support co-operation between:

Local action groups in the UK or between local action groups and other areas organised according to the LEADER approach (eg former LEADER I or LEADER II areas. Expenditure on organising the project would be eligible for Community financing in all areas, whether or not LEADER+ groups
Local action groups in at least two Member States
Local action groups and areas outside the European Union which are organised according to the LEADER approach

There are two main aims of this Strand:

Achieving critical mass (eg economies of scale) necessary for a project to be viable
Encourage complementary actions

Strand 3 - Networking The objective of this Strand is to support rural development and promote best practice through the exchange of relevant experiences, achievements and know-how.

The United Kingdom will have organisation appointed to facilitate the networking of all organisations and administrations involved in rural developments. The European Commission will lead a parallel network ('Observatory of Rural Areas').

URBAN

The new Urban initiative aims to promote the design and implementation of innovative development models for the economic and social regeneration of urban areas in crisis. It is also there to strengthen exchanges of information and experience on sustainable urban development in the European Union.

The Urban budget, funded solely through European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), is 700 million euros (approx. £430 million). The United Kingdom will receive approximately £70 million over the life of the programme. In the North East grants can be accessed up to a maximum of 50% of total eligible costs. Furthermore, loans can be obtained from the European Investment Bank.

Eligible Areas: Around 50 towns with 10,000 inhabitants or more may be eligible for this Community Initiative so long as it fulfils at least three of the following:

High long-term unemployment
Low rate of economic activity
High level of poverty and exclusion
The need for structural adjustment due to the economic and social difficulties
High proportion of immigrants, ethnic minorities or refugees
Low level of education, major gaps in terms of qualifications and a high rate of pupil failure
High level of criminality and delinquency
Unstable demographic development
Particularly poor environmental conditions.

Activities which can be funded include:

Renovating buildings to assist creating employment, integrating the local population, respecting the environment and generally improving urban life
Local employment initiatives leading to jobs linked to the environment, culture and services. Equality between men and women will be particularly targeted
Improving education and training systems for those excluded
Developing more environmentally-friendly public transport systems
Encouraging the introduction of more efficient energy management systems and the use of renewable energy
Developing the potential created by information society technologies in the economic, social and environmental sectors
Strengthening information exchanges and sharing experience on urban regeneration.