Text tabled : A7-0222/2011

  Thomas Ulmer (PPE), in writing. − (DE) During the next financing period from 2013 to 2020, the European Parliament aims to put in place stricter rules and introduce more transparency for the EU Structural Funds. This objective is hugely important. For example, the national distribution bodies must first of all be subjected to a European approval process. Funding will only be made available when the Member States are implementing EU law correctly. The report provides for a significant increase in the funding for European border regions, which will promote the cohesion of the EU. Unfortunately, we have not succeeded in preventing the introduction of the new intermediate category for regions with between 90% and 75% of the EU average per capita GDP, which in theory will cost an additional EUR 20 billion. This proposal by the Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance and the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament destroys all the incentives for using this funding for structural improvements. This is a classic case of a category where regions will sit back and do nothing.