REPORT on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the European Regional Development Fund

16.6.2005 - (COM(2004)0495 – C6‑0089/2004 – 2004/0167(COD)) - ***I

Committee on Regional Development
Rapporteur: Giovanni Claudio Fava

Amendments

• 110-110 (PDF - 72 KB)
• 110-110 (DOC - 91 KB)
• 111-111 (PDF - 68 KB)
• 111-111 (DOC - 71 KB)
• 114-116 (PDF - 110 KB)
• 114-116 (DOC - 103 KB)
• 117-122 (PDF - 92 KB)
• 117-122 (DOC - 118 KB)
• 123-123 (PDF - 67 KB)
• 123-123 (DOC - 89 KB)
• 124-126 (PDF - 82 KB)
• 124-126 (DOC - 99 KB)

DRAFT EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION

on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the European Regional Development Fund

(COM(2004)0495 – C6‑0089/2004 – 2004/0167(COD))

(Codecision procedure: first reading)

The European Parliament,

–   having regard to the Commission proposal to the European Parliament and the Council (COM(2004)0495)[1],

–   having regard to Article 251(2) and Articles 162 and 299(2) of the EC Treaty, pursuant to which the Commission submitted the proposal to Parliament (C6‑0089/2004),

–   having regard to Article 160 of the EC Treaty,

–   having regard to Rule 51 of its Rules of Procedure,

–   having regard to the report of the Committee on Regional Development and the opinions of the Committee on Budgets, the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs, the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety, the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy, the Committee on Transport and Tourism, the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development, the Committee on Fisheries and the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (A6‑0184/2005),

1.  Approves the Commission proposal as amended;

2.  Calls on the Commission to refer the matter to Parliament again if it intends to amend the proposal substantially or replace it with another text;

3.  Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council and the Commission.

Text proposed by the Commission	Amendments by Parliament
Amendment 1 Recital 1
(1) Article 160 of the Treaty provides that the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) is intended to help redress the main regional imbalances in the Community. The ERDF therefore contributes to reducing the gap between the levels of development of the various regions and the extent to which the less­‑favoured regions and islands, including rural areas, are lagging behind.	(1) Article 160 of the Treaty provides that the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) is intended to help redress the main regional imbalances in the Community. The ERDF therefore contributes to reducing the gap between the levels of development of the various regions and the extent to which the less­‑favoured regions, including rural and urban areas, areas affected by industrial transition and regions affected by serious and permanent natural or demographic disadvantages, areas with a low population density, border and mountain areas and islands, are lagging behind.
Justification
Special attention needs giving to all the areas that face permanent handicaps because of their geographical situation or difficulties with accessibility, as these impede their development and integration in the internal market.
This amendment answers the need of completeness by making an explicit reference to all regions that suffer a handicap.
Amendment 2 Recital 3
(3) The ERDF should provide assistance within the framework of an overall strategy for cohesion policy which ensures greater concentration of assistance on the priorities of the Community, particularly outside the less-developed regions.	(3) The ERDF should provide assistance within the framework of an overall strategy for cohesion policy which ensures greater concentration of assistance on the priorities of the Community and seeks to address the underlying causes of regional disparities, particularly inside the less-developed regions.
Justification
This amendment should be considered in conjunction with Article 2 and adds to the overall strategy of the ERDF to address and eradicate the causes of regional disparity.
Amendment 3 Recital 3 a (new)
	(3a) The Member States and the Commission should ensure that there is no discrimination on grounds of gender, race or ethnic origin, religion or beliefs, disability, age or sexual orientation during the various stages of implementing the ERDF and the other Structural Funds, and in particular in granting access to them.
Amendment 4 Recital 4
(4) Regulation (EC) No (…) provides that the eligibility of expenditure is to be established at national level, with certain exceptions for which it is necessary to lay down specific provisions. The exceptions related to the ERDF should therefore be laid down.	(4) Regulation (EC) No (…) provides that the rules on eligibility of expenditure are to be established at national level, with certain exceptions for which it is necessary to lay down specific provisions. The exceptions related to the ERDF should therefore be laid down.
Justification
Regulation (EC) No (...) does not provide that the eligibility of specific expenditure is to be directly decided at national level but that the rules on eligibility of expenditure are to be established at national level, which enables the choices made to be more transparent.
Amendment 5 Recital 5
(5) Efficient and effective implementation of the action supported by the ERDF relies on good governance and partnership among all the relevant territorial and socio-economic actors, and in particular regional and local authorities.	(5) Efficient and effective implementation of the action supported by the ERDF relies on good governance and on the collaboration and involvement of all the relevant territorial, socio-economic and environmental partners, and in particular interregional, regional and local authorities, at all the programming stages: preparation, implementation, follow-up and evaluation. Where necessary, cooperation between regional and local bodies will be stepped up in order to fulfil common objectives.
Amendment 6 Recital 5 a (new)
	(5a) As part of the technical assistance provided for in Articles 43 and 44 of Regulation (EC) No (…), the ERDF may finance action relating to preparation, monitoring, administrative and technical support, evaluation, audit and control necessary both for the public administrative services and for other relevant territorial actors, such as non-governmental organisations (NGOs), associations of elected representatives and socio-professional and environmental organisations.
Justification
It is important to specify that territorial actors other than the State and regional and local authorities can claim the technical assistance necessary for implementing Regulation (EC) No (…) and each of the operational programmes because so far they have only rarely made use of it.
Amendment 7 Recital 6
(6) Building on the experience and strengths of the Urban Community initiative foreseen by Article 20(1)(b) of Council Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999 of 21 June 1999 laying down general provisions on the Structural Funds, the urban dimension should be reinforced by fully integrating measures in that field into the operational programmes co-financed by the ERDF.	(6)Building on the experience and strengths of the Urban Community initiative and of Objective 2 assistance in urban areas in difficulty foreseen by Article 20(1)(b) of Council Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999 of 21 June 1999 laying down general provisions on the Structural Funds, the urban dimension, including the level of investment in sustainable urban development, should be reinforced by fully integrating measures in that field into the operational programmes co-financed by the ERDF. Local development and employment initiatives, and their potential for innovation, play a significant role in this connection.
Amendment 8 Recital 7
(7) Particular attention should be paid to guaranteeing complementarity and consistency between support granted by the ERDF and that granted by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development pursuant to Regulation (EC) No (…) and by the European Fund for Fisheries pursuant to Regulation (EC) No (…). Programmes co-financed by the ERDF should therefore support the diversification of the rural economies and the areas dependent on fisheries, away from traditional activities.	(7) Particular attention should be paid to guaranteeing complementarity and consistency between support granted by the ERDF and that granted by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development pursuant to Regulation (EC) No (…) and by the European Fund for Fisheries pursuant to Regulation (EC) No (…). Programmes co-financed by the ERDF should therefore support the diversification of the rural economies, the cultural dimension of rural areas, the development of tourism, the diversification of areas dependent on fisheries, away from traditional activities, and the creation of sustainable jobs, and help such regions to become economically and socially more attractive.
Amendment 9 Recital 8 a (new)
	(8a) It is desirable to develop the means and areas of support available under the convergence objective by introducing a new mechanism of assistance to SMEs and a new approach to regional development by making available to SMEs free of any charge the fruits of research financed wholly by public funds.
Justification
This amendment introduces an innovative approach to research. First, it obliges those research institutes financed wholly by public (European or national) budgets to offer the results of their research to SMEs seeking to transpose it into a concrete industrial application. Second, we shall essentially have a direct transfer of knowledge gained by public funds to those interested in developing it further for the purpose of regional development.
Amendment 10 Recital 8 a (new)
	(8a) In addition, ERDF operations need to be coordinated more closely with the seventh framework programme.
Justification
The ERDF has to be coordinated with the seventh framework programme in order to bring about the knowledge-based society called for by the Lisbon strategy, as referred to in Articles 4 and 5 of the Commission proposal for a regulation.
Amendment 11 Recital 9
(9) Specific attention should be paid to the outermost regions, namely by enlarging, on an exceptional basis, the scope of the ERDF to the financing of operating aid linked to the compensation of the additional costs in certain sectors. Such a derogation requires the use of Article 299(2) of the Treaty as a legal basis.	(9) Specific attention should be paid to the outermost regions, namely by enlarging, on an exceptional basis, the scope of the ERDF to the financing of operating aid linked to the compensation of the additional costs arising from their special structural economic and social situation, which is compounded by their remoteness, insularity, smallsize, difficult topography and climate and their economic dependence on a few products, the permanence and combination of which severely restrain their development and access to the internal market, in keeping with Article 299(2) of the Treaty and Article III-424 of the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe.
Justification
The Regional Development Fund should address the market access difficulties facing all those areas affected by permanent handicaps due to their special geographical and economic features.
The need to apply existing Treaty provisions, not least Article 299(2), should be made clear.
Amendment 12 Recital 10
(10) The ERDF should address the problems of accessibility and remoteness from large markets confronting areas with an extremely low population density, as referred to in Protocol No 6 to the Act of Accession of Austria, Finland and Sweden. The ERDF should also address the specific difficulties encountered by certain islands, mountain areas and sparsely populated areas whose geographical situation slows down their development.	(10) The ERDF should address the problems of accessibility and remoteness from large markets confronting areas with an extremely low population density, as referred to in Protocol No 6 to the Act of Accession of Austria, Finland and Sweden. The ERDF should also address the specific difficulties encountered by islands, mountain areas, border regions and sparsely populated areas whose geographical situation slows down their development, with the aim of supporting independent, sustainable development in these regions.
Amendment 13 Recital 11
(11) The ERDF should ensure synergy with assistance from the European Social Fund and the Cohesion Fund. It should also ensure complementarity and consistency with other Community policies.	(11) The ERDF should ensure synergy with assistance from the European Social Fund and the Cohesion Fund. It should also ensure complementarity and consistency with other Community policies. Such synergy must feature in national strategic reference frameworks and in the corresponding operational programmes.
Amendment 14 Recital 12
(12) It is necessary to lay down specific provisions concerning the programming, management, monitoring and control of operational programmes under the 'European territorial cooperation' objective.	(12) It is necessary to lay down specific provisions concerning the programming, management, monitoring and control of operational programmes under the 'European territorial cooperation' objective and to establish a complementary and coherent relationship to other Community policies, including the ‘wider neighbourhood’ policy.
Justification
Consistent with the ‘Commission Communication – Third progress report on economic and social cohesion’ (COM(2004)0107).
Amendment 15 Recital 13
(13) It is necessary to support an effective cross-border and transnational cooperation with countries neighbouring the Community where this is necessary to ensure that the regions of the Member States which border third-countries can be effectively assisted in their development. Accordingly, it is appropriate to authorise on an exceptional basis the financing of assistance from the ERDF for projects located on the territory of third countries where they are for the benefit of the regions of the Community.	(13) It is necessary to support an effective cross-border and transnational cooperation with countries neighbouring the Community where this is necessary to ensure that the regions of the Member States which border third-countries can be effectively assisted in their development. It must also be ensured that the EU border regions concerned are no worse off, in terms of their current opportunities and rights, than they previously were and no worse off than regions at internal EU borders. Accordingly, it is appropriate to authorise on an exceptional basis the financing of assistance from the ERDF for projects located on the territory of third countries where they are for the benefit of cross-border cooperation with the regions of the Community. It is also necessary to ensure proper weighting of the distribution of financial resources between the transnational and cross-border strands of the European territorial cooperation objective. The cross-border strand requires particular attention, since the borders of the Union have significantly increased and many of the regions lagging behind are border regions.
Justification
This amendment aims at ensuring that the necessary financial means will be available for coping with the new challenges for the cross-border strand of European territorial cooperation in an enlarged Union.
The regulations, as currently drafted, reveal the risk that with regard to the involvement of EU border regions in drawing up and implementing programmes (subsidiarity and partnership) and with regard to eligibility (e.g. budgetary aid, food aid), those regions will be in a worse position than before, and that there is too much focus on non-EU border areas.
Amendment 16 Article 1, paragraph 1
This Regulation establishes that tasks of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the scope of its assistance with regard to the 'Convergence', 'Regional competitiveness and employment', and 'European territorial co-operation' as defined in Article 3 of Regulation (EC) No (…) laying down general provisions for the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund and the Cohesion Fund, and the types of expenditure eligible for assistance.	This Regulation establishes the tasks of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the scope of its assistance with regard to the 'Convergence', 'Regional competitiveness, employment and social inclusion', and 'European territorial co-operation' as defined in Article 3 of Regulation (EC) No (…) laying down general provisions for the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund and the Cohesion Fund, and the types of expenditure eligible for assistance.
Amendment 17 Article 1, paragraph 2
It lays down specific provisions concerning the treatment of urban and rural areas, of areas dependent on fisheries, of the outermost regions, and of areas with natural handicaps.	It lays down specific provisions concerning the treatment of urban and rural areas, of areas dependent on fisheries, of the outermost regions, of island regions, of border regions, of areas with serious and permanent natural, demographic handicaps and of mountain regions.
Amendment 18 Article 2
The ERDF shall contribute to the financing of assistance towards the reinforcement of economic, social and territorial cohesion by reducing regional disparities and supporting the structural development and adjustment of regional economies, including the conversion of declining industrial regions.	The ERDF shall contribute to the financing of assistance seeking to reinforce economic, social and territorial cohesion in the context of the European Union sustainable development strategy by addressing and dealing with the underlying causes of inter- and intra-regional disparities and supporting the structural development and adjustment of regional economies, including the conversion of declining industrial regions.
In so doing, the ERDF shall give effect to the priorities of the Community, and in particular the need to strengthen competitiveness and innovation, to create sustainable jobs, and to promote environmentally sound growth.	In so doing, the ERDF shall give effect to the priorities of the Community, the details of these priorities to be determined by regional and local partners in accordance with operational programmes and national rules, in particular: (a) the need to strengthen competitiveness through an innovative approach to regional and local development intended to create sustainable jobs, to promote social inclusion and equality between men and women and to achieve environmental and social improvements through the implementation of Community environmental and social legislation; (b) the need to remove the barriers faced by disabled people in accessing goods and services and built-up areas by ensuring that accessibility is a condition of any project benefiting from the Funds.
Justification
The eligible activities outlined for ‘Regional competitiveness and employment’ are too detailed and narrow to reflect the development needs of all regions in the EU. The current proposals do not recognise the needs of rural areas in particular.
Amendment 19 Article 3, paragraph 1
The ERDF shall focus its assistance on a limited number of thematic priorities. The type and range of actions to be financed within each priority shall reflect the different nature of the 'Convergence', 'Regional competitiveness and employment' and 'European territorial cooperation' objectives in accordance with Articles 4, 5 and 6 of this Regulation.	The ERDF shall focus its assistance on a limited number of thematic priorities. The type and range of actions to be financed within each priority shall reflect the different nature of the 'Convergence', 'Regional competitiveness , employment and social inclusion' and 'European territorial cooperation' objectives in accordance with Articles 4, 5 and 6 of this Regulation.
Amendment 20 Article 3, paragraph 2, point (a)
a) productive investment;	a) productive investment primarily aimed towards those SMEs that contribute to the creation and the safeguarding of jobs;
Justification
To clarify the nature of the ‘productive investment’.
Amendment 21 Article 3, paragraph 2, point (c)
c) other development initiatives including services to enterprises, creation and development of financing instruments such as venture capital, loan and guarantee funds and local development funds, interest subsidies, neighbourhood services, and exchange of experience between regions, towns, and relevant social, economic and environmental actors;	c) other development and employment initiatives consisting of services to enterprises, creation and development of financing instruments such as venture capital, loan and guarantee funds and local development funds, interest subsidies, neighbourhood services, joint local initiatives, networking and cooperation, and synergic exchanges of experience between regions, towns, and relevant social, economic and environmental actors;
Justification
The first part of the amendment is definitional in the sense that the 'development initiatives' should be specific, not abstract notions. The second part introduces the 'networking of experience' as an innovative means to attaining the scope of ERDF assistance, together with 'joint local initiatives', which promote the participation of the local authorities in regional development.
Amendment 22 Article 3, paragraph 2, point c a) (new)
	ca) growth and employment dynamics of small and medium-sized firms (entrepreneurial activities such as founding firms, transferring firms, company dynamics, exporting and developing skills;
Justification
In regions with socioeconomic problems, in particular, it is important to create the right conditions for economic growth and more employment by supporting these areas of activity.
Amendment 23 Article 3, paragraph 2, point (c a) (new)
	ca) the continuous training of workers, chiefly in respect of technological innovations;
Justification
The continuous training of workers, particularly of older workers, will in principle ensure high quality performance at work and familiarity with the new technologies, and will then help eliminate the phenomenon of the gradual replacement of the ‘older’ staff by younger staff who are more closely attuned to modern professional requirements. Lifelong learning must be a basic factor in safeguarding work and equal opportunities.
Amendment 24 Article 3 a (new)
	Article 3a
	Balanced and sustainable regional development
	Regional development means the preservation, development and, where necessary, reshaping of sustainable living and working in the regions.
Amendment 25 Article 4, introductory part
Under the 'Convergence' objective, the ERDF shall focus its assistance on supporting sustainable integrated regional and local economic development by mobilising and strengthening endogenous capacity through programmes aimed at the modernisation and diversification of regional economic structures, primarily in the following areas:	Under the 'Convergence' objective, the ERDF shall focus its assistance on supporting sustainable integrated regional, local, urban and rural economic and social development by mobilising and strengthening endogenous capacity through programmes aimed at the modernisation and diversification of regional and local economic, administrative and social structures, and the creation of sustainable jobs, primarily in the following areas:
Amendment 26 Article 4, point -1) (new)
	-1) Territorial innovation, not least to enhance the potential of regionally and locally based institutional, social and economic actors and modernise general government bodies, development agencies and financial institutions;
Justification
Territorial innovation and enterprise innovation are separate concepts and it is necessary to distinguish between the two. The latter, though undoubtedly important, is no more than one aspect of the former. What needs to be stressed, therefore, is the fundamental importance of the role that locally based institutions are called upon to play in promoting sustainable territorial development.
Amendment 27 Article 4, point 1)
1) Research and technological development (R&TD), innovation and entrepreneurship, including strengthening of regional research and technological development capacities, aid to R&TD in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and to technology transfer, improvement of links between SMEs and universities, and research and technology centres, development of business networks and clusters, support for the provision of business and technology services to groups of SMEs, fostering of entrepreneurship and innovation funding for SMEs through new financing instruments;	1) Research and technological development (R&TD), innovation and entrepreneurship, including strengthening of regional research and technological development capacities, and their integration into the European research area, with a view to reducing the technology gap between regions.
	Aid to R&TD in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and to technology transfer. Improvement of links in particular between SMEs and universities, non-governmental organisations and research and technology centres, development of business networks, private and public partnerships and clusters, support for the provision of business and technology services to groups of SMEs and micro-undertakings, fostering of entrepreneurship and innovation funding for SMEs and micro-undertakings through new financing instruments.
	Support for the classic range of instruments of regional economic development, such as targeted support for the establishment of firms and corporate investment, not exclusively in SMEs, as well as the creation and development of economic infrastructure. Particular efforts should be made to improve the expertise, capacity to take action and representativeness of organisations of SMEs, micro enterprises and craft enterprises;
Amendment 28 Article 4, point (1), subparagraph 1 a (new)
	The products of research financed wholly by public funds via the EC budget or national research institutes, which are not yet patented, may be offered to SMEs free of any charge provided that such research is directly transformed into an innovative industrial good. In order to support the exchange of knowledge without the necessity of developing new expertise, the application of a regional or national ‘knowledge voucher’ should be accessible as a general instrument.
Justification
In the EU and possibly in most Member States, there is no mechanism by which research undertaken by universities or research institutes would lead to an industrial application. This missing mechanism constitutes a hindrance to development and this amendment seeks to remedy it. It introduces a new mechanism of support for SMEs by applying already existing knowledge originating in research institutes and supports the use of knowledge vouchers for SMEs. Such research was rendered possible because of public sector financing.
Amendment 29 Article 4, point (2)
2) Information society, including development of local content, services and applications, improvement of access to and development of on-line public services, aid and services to SMEs to adopt and effectively use information and communication technologies (ICTs);	2) Information society, including development of local content, services and applications, improvement of access to and development of on-line public services, aid and services to SMEs to adopt and effectively use information and communication technologies (ICTs) or to exploit new ideas;
Justification
This amendment is the logical follow-up of the underlying premise of ICTs. Essentially, the information society should embrace the 'exploitation of new ideas'.
Amendment 30 Article 4, point (2 a) (new)
	2a) Local employment and development initiatives: aid for structures providing neighbourhood services to create new jobs but excluding measures financed by the European Social Fund (ESF).
Amendment 31 Article 4, point (2 b) (new)
	2b) Promotion of equality between men and women, including support for the creation of firms, specific measures for female entrepreneurs to facilitate the economic exploitation of new ideas, support for the creation of new firms by universities and existing enterprises, promotion of infrastructures and services enabling family and working life to be reconciled;
Justification
See European Parliament resolution P5_TA(2003) 0093, and in particular paragraphs 1 and 14 thereof.
Amendment 32 Article 4, point (3)
3) Environment, including investments connected with waste management, water supplies, urban waste-water treatment and air quality, integrated pollution prevention and control, rehabilitation of contaminated sites and land, promotion of biodiversity and nature protection, aid to SMEs to promote sustainable production patterns through the introduction of cost-effective environmental management systems and the adoption and use of pollution-prevention technologies;	3) Environment, including investments connected with waste management, water management and quality, including security of water supplies, urban waste-water treatment and air quality, integrated pollution prevention and control, elimination of contaminated waste dumps and rehabilitation of contaminated sites and land, promotion of biodiversity and nature protection, promotion of the development of infrastructures to implement NATURA 2000, aid to SMEs to promote sustainable production patterns through the introduction of cost-effective environmental management systems and the adoption and use of pollution-prevention technologies;
Amendment 33 Article 4, point (3 a) (new)
	3a) Conversion, including investigation of contaminated waste dumps, rehabilitation of areas previously in military use and their return to civilian use, return to nature or aforestation, removal of combat agents, reconstruction and modernisation of barrack buildings and sites for economic, social and cultural regeneration, including the relevant catchment area, and in this connection support for SMEs in particular;
Justification
Old military sites, as a legacy of the cold war, are a considerable rehabilitation burden, and an obstacle to development, for some regions, towns and cities with large barracks..
Amendment 34 Article 4, point (5)
5) Tourism, including promotion of natural and cultural assets as potential for the development of sustainable tourism, protection and enhancement of the cultural heritage in support of economic development, aid to improve the supply of tourism services through new higher value-added services;	5) Tourism and culture, including promotion of natural and cultural assets as potential for the development of sustainable tourism; protection and enhancement of the physical and cultural heritage in support of economic development; aid to improve the supply of tourism services through new higher value-added services and facilitate the changeover to new, more sustainable patterns of tourism;
Amendment 35 Article 4, point (5 a) (new)
	5a) Economic and social regeneration of crisis-hit towns, cities and peripheral urban areas: comprehensive plans for sustainable development of crisis-hit urban areas, medium-sized and small towns functioning as centres and peripheral urban areas, revival of the town-hinterland relationship with regard to services of general economic interest;
Amendment 36 Article 4, point (6)
6) Transport investments, including trans-European networks and integrated city-wide strategies for clean urban transport, which contribute to improving the access to and quality of passenger and goods services, to achieving a more balanced modal split, to promoting intermodal systems and reducing environmental impacts;	6) Transport investments, including trans-European networks, major European technical and logistical projects, road construction and upgrading outside the scope of the TEN-T backbone, taking into account the need to create links with island, rural, landlocked and otherwise remote regions and between those regions and the Community's central regions, and integrated city-wide strategies for clean, sustainable urban transport, which contribute to improving the access to and quality of passenger and goods services, to achieving a more balanced modal split, to promoting intermodal systems and reducing environmental impacts, and the road accident rate;
Justification
The construction and upgrading of roads outside the TEN-T backbone should explicitly appear in the text of the regulation, especially given the Commission’s comments at the 1 October SAWP meeting, where it argued that TEN-T is financed from the Cohesion Fund and the secondary systems from the ERDF in the case of roads as well. The second part of the amendment provides more focus on transport needs in peripheral regions.
Transport needs to be sustainable in the urban areas.
Amendment 37 Article 4, point (7)
7) Energy, including trans-European networks, which contribute to improving security of supply, completing the internal market, and integrating environmental considerations, improvement of energy efficiency and the development of renewable energies;	7) Energy, including trans-European networks, which contribute to improving security and quality of supply, safeguarding jobs, completing the internal market, and integrating environmental considerations, improvement of energy efficiency and the development of renewable energies;
Amendment 38 Article 4, point (8)
8) Education investments, which contribute to increasing the attractiveness and quality of life in regions;	8) Education investments, in vocational training and life-long learning, particularly of young people and women, which contribute to increasing the attractiveness and quality of life in regions, to rehabilitating production systems and to supporting the enhancement of skills and the promotion of lifelong learning, even through the application of new technologies;
Justification
The education, vocational training and life-long learning sectors are significant factors in strengthening and developing employment, particularly in the regions, where young people and women encounter significant problems in finding work.
Amendment 39 Article 4, point (9)
9) Health, including investments to develop and improve health provision which contribute to regional development and quality of life in regions;	9) Health, including investments to develop and improve health provision, disease prevention and easier access to medical services, which contribute to regional development and quality of life in regions;
Justification
To meet the objective of convergence, the Fund rightly supports investment in health services, although aid in this sector should not be confined to developing and improving health provision, but should also extend to disease prevention, and - particularly important in rural areas - improving access to medical services, since inhabitants of rural areas are usually at a disadvantage in this field.
Amendment 40 Article 4, point (10 a) (new)
	10a) Public security to facilitate the operation of territorial economic activities, to be achieved through investment in technologies and in information and awareness campaigns to prevent criminal infiltration of the economy and disseminate the culture of legality.
Amendment 41 Article 4, point (10 b) (new)
	(10b) Capacity building of local and regional institutions to maximise the absorption rate through exchange of experience between convergence and non-convergence regions.
Justification
The new Member States must urgently build their capacity to absorb structural funds. Therefore the programme should focus, in particular in the initial years, on building institutional capacity in order for the funds to be spent efficiently and effectively. The Commission has focused resources to date on the central administrations to prepare for membership but this effort must now be concentrated at the local and regional levels which have largely been ignored.
Amendment 42 Article 4, point (10 c) (new)
	(10c) Strengthening of the structuring, institutional capacity and representativeness of organisations and intermediate chambers of SMEs, micro enterprises and craft enterprises.
Justification
SMEs need to continually adapt and improve their environment in order to remain competitive and thereby contribute to economic and social cohesion. They need help to fulfil that role.
Amendment 43 Article 4, point (10 d) (new)
	10d) Direct aid to investment, with particular attention to high-quality clean technologies, in order to restructure heavy industries in the regions where transition to the market economy took place only recently.
Justification
The regions supported by the assistance under the 'Convergence' objective have often outdated industries and strongly polluted sites. Moreover, these regions have also a high population density. Therefore, the restructuring of certain industries in these areas requires not only the achievement of economic profitability but also high environmental protection standards. The application of the most advanced technological solutions is necessary.
Amendment 44 Article 5, introductory part
Under the 'Regional competitiveness and employment' objective, the ERDF shall focus its assistance, in the context of regional sustainable development strategies, on the following priorities:	Under the 'Regional competitiveness, employment and social inclusion' objective, the ERDF shall focus its assistance, in the context of regional economic and sustainable development strategies, in the following areas, while maintaining some flexibility for regions that are phasing in:
Justification
Regions that are starting to join the new category of Regional competitiveness and employment, but have not yet completed their actual convergence process, should benefit from some flexibility in the setting of priorities, to allow them to increase the effectiveness of the measures in response to their real and specific needs at a given time, so as not to be outpaced by the other regions that have comparative development advantages in certain sectors.
All regions have some form of existing regional economic strategy and the ERDF should seek to add value to these rather than provide duplication.
It is essential that better synergy exists between the Framework funding programme and the structural funding programme.
Amendment 45 Article 5, point (1). introductory part
(1) innovation and the knowledge economy, through support to the design and implementation of regional innovation strategies conducive to efficient regional innovation systems, and specifically:	(1) innovation and the knowledge economy, through support to the design and implementation of regional innovation strategies conducive to efficient regional innovation systems, capable of reducing the technology gap, taking into account local needs, and specifically:
Amendment 46 Article 5, point 1 (a)
(a) enhancing regional R&TD and innovation capacities directly linked to regional economic development objectives by supporting industry or technology-specific competence centres, by promoting technology transfer, and by developing technology forecasting and international benchmarking of policies to promote innovation, and by supporting inter-firm collaboration and joint R&TD and innovation policies;	(a) enhancing regional R&TD and innovation capacities directly linked to regional economic development objectives and combating unemployment and poverty in particular by supporting industry or technology-specific competence centres, by promoting industrial R&TD and SMEs and technology transfer, and by developing technology forecasting and international benchmarking of policies to promote innovation, and by supporting inter-firm collaboration and joint R&TD and innovation policies;
Justification
Combating unemployment and poverty must constitute a primary objective, and it should be understood that it is indissolubly linked to development and technological progress.
Amendment 47 Article 5, point (1) (b)
(b) stimulating innovation in SMEs by promoting university-enterprise cooperation networks, by supporting business networks and clusters of SMEs and by facilitating SMEs’ access to advanced business support services, by supporting the integration of cleaner and innovative technologies in SMEs;	(b) stimulating innovation and modernisation in SMEs, in particular by boosting direct investment, by promoting university-enterprise cooperation networks, by supporting business networks and clusters of SMEs, by improving access to finance and loans, and by facilitating SMEs’ access to advanced business support services, by supporting the integration of cleaner and innovative technologies in SMEs and by specific measures and action plans intended to stimulate innovation in very small enterprises;
Amendment 48 Article 5, point (1) (b a) (new)
	ba) establishing a closer link between knowledge and employment so as to enable young students to benefit from training options geared to the job opportunities actually existing in industry;
Justification
Within the ‘competitiveness and employment’ objective, the ERDF should promote development that creates jobs, especially for young people, who could do most to bring about the knowledge-based society.
Amendment 49 Article 5, point 1 (b b) (new)
	(bb) the provision of infrastructure on a scale appropriate to local and employment development;
Justification
This wording is taken from the existing regulation where it applies to local employment initiatives, in particular in urban areas.
Amendment 50 Article 5, point 1 (b c) (new)
	(bc) aid for structures providing neighbourhood services to create new jobs but excluding measures financed by the European Social Fund (ESF);
Amendment 51 Article 5, point (1) (c)
(c) promoting entrepreneurship by facilitating the economic exploitation of new ideas, and by fostering the creation of new firms by universities and existing firms;	(c) promoting entrepreneurship by facilitating the economic exploitation of new ideas, including innovative actions to stimulate the social economy and local development, and by fostering the creation of new firms by higher education institutions, technical and vocational training institutions, apprenticeship institutions; universities and existing firms;
Amendment 52 Article 5, point (1) (c a) (new)
	(ca) promoting public-private partnerships in the production of products and services;
Justification
This is a clarifying amendment that adds the 'public/private partnership' to the armoury of instruments.
Amendment 53 Article 5, point (1) (d)
d) creating new financial instruments and incubation facilities conducive to the creation or expansion of knowledge-intensive firms.	d) creating new financial instruments that, by investment capital and by incubation facilities, are conducive to the research and technological development capacity of SMEs and to encouraging entrepreneurship and new business formation, especially of knowledge-intensive SMEs..
Amendment 54 Article 5, point (1) (d a) (new)
	da) promoting equality between men and women, including support for the creation of firms, specific measures for female entrepreneurs to facilitate the economic benefits of new ideas, support for the creation of new firms arising from universities and existing enterprises, promotion of infrastructures and services enabling family and working life to be reconciled; the necessary measures should also be provided to ensure that female heads of businesses can take maternity leave in accordance with Council Directive 86/613/EEC of 11 December 1986 on the application of the principle of equal treatment between men and women engaged in an activity, including agriculture, in a self-employed capacity, and on the protection of self-employed women during pregnancy and motherhood1, _____________ 1 OJ L 359, 19.12.1986, p. 56
Justification
Directive 86/613 exists and a reminder should be given here to apply it.
Amendment 55 Article 5, point (1) (d a) (new)
	(da) drawing up plans and actions to stimulate the creation, takeover, development and modernisation of small and micro enterprises and craft enterprises.
Justification
Regions which so wish will still be able to support the development of very small enterprises as is the case at present.
Amendment 56 Article 4, point 1 (d a) (new)
	da) providing direct assistance for investments in SMEs which help to create and maintain jobs.
Justification
In problem regions support for the existing economic structure is often the best help. Direct assistance for investment is particularly important here, alongside support for innovation, and should be made possible.
Amendment 57 Article 5, point (2) (a)
a) stimulating investment for the rehabilitation of contaminated sites and land, and promoting the development of infrastructure linked to biodiversity and Natura 2000 contributing to sustainable economic development and diversification of rural areas;	a) stimulating investment for:
	- the management of solid and liquid waste,
	- the rehabilitation of contaminated brownfield or derelict sites and land,
	- the development of urban green areas and
	- promoting the development of infrastructure linked to the implementation of environmental legislation
	- Stimulating, biodiversity and Natura 2000 management
	- contributing to the sustainable development and diversification of rural areas.
	Actions should be aimed inter alia at:
	- tourism, including the promotion of natural and cultural assets as potential for the development of sustainable tourism;
	- aid to improve the supply of tourism services through new high value-added services where it can be clearly demonstrated that this will increase the GNI of the area concerned;
	- the protection and enhancement of the cultural heritage in support of economic development.
Justification
Investment in biodiversity and Natura 2000 are not only linked to direct economic benefits.
Tourism and promotion of natural and cultural assets play an important part in building regional competitiveness and employment. This premise has been accepted under the present round of structural funds and has been successfully used to achieve targets. The scope of eligible activities covered should be augmented to include derelict and brownfield sites and land. Brownfield land can be defined as any land or premises which have previously been used or developed and are not currently fully in use, although they may be partially occupied or utilised. The land or premises may also be vacant, derelict or contaminated.
Given the magnitude of the problem, it is important to make express reference to the management of solid and liquid waste among the priorities for ERDF support in the environmental sector.
Furthermore it is important to improve the environmental value of contaminated sites for nature and biodiversity, recognising that this has wider social, environmental and economic benefits. Cf. also the justification to the amendment on Article 5, paragraph 2, point (aa) (new)
Amendment 58 Article 5, point (2) (a a) (new)
	aa) Conversion, including investigation of contaminated waste dumps, rehabilitation of areas previously in military use and their return to civilian use, return to nature or aforestation, removal of combat agents, reconstruction and modernisation of barrack buildings and sites for economic, social and cultural regeneration, including the relevant catchment area, and in this connection support for SMEs, in particular;
Justification
Old military sites, as a legacy of the cold war, are a considerable rehabilitation burden, and an obstacle to development, for some regions, towns and cities with large barracks.
Amendment 59 Article 5, point (2) (b)
b) stimulating energy efficiency and renewable energy production;	b) stimulating energy efficiency and renewable energy production, the development of efficient energy management systems and the reduction of CO2 and other noxious emissions;
Justification
Reflects URBAN II (2000/C 141 04), point 12, fifth indent.
Amendment 60 Article 5, point (2) (c)
c) promoting clean urban public transport;	c) promoting environmentally friendly public transport;
Amendment 61 Article 5, point (2) (d)
(d) developing plans and measures to prevent and cope with natural and technological risks;	(d) developing plans and measures to prevent and cope with natural and technological risks and to mitigate the environmental impact of business and domestic activity;
Justification
Many regions face a number of sustainable development challenges, particularly in the context of the anticipated levels of economic and physical growth and the predicted impacts of climate change. Equally, the sustainability appraisals of both the regional economic strategy and the regional spatial strategy have identified the potential impacts of the predicted levels of growth upon the region’s environment, particularly highlighting issues such as sustainable supplies of water and energy and managing the predicted increases in waste and transport across the region.
Amendment 62 Article 5, point (2) (d a) (new)
	(da) building infrastructure for waste management, water supply and waste water treatment.
Justification
To achieve the objectives of the Lisbon and Göteborg strategy for research and innovation, there also needs to be support for the creation of high-quality research centres and technology centres.
Amendment 63 Article 5, point (3) (a)
a) strengthening secondary networks by improving links to TEN-transport networks, to regional railway hubs, airports and ports, or to multimodal platforms, by providing radial links to main railways lines, and by promoting regional and local inland waterways;	a) strengthening secondary networks by improving links to priority TEN-transport networks, to regional railway hubs, airports and ports, or to multimodal platforms, by providing radial links to main railway lines, and by promoting regional and local inland waterway cabotage, maritime connections with smaller islands and transversal air connections between first and second-class airports;
Justification
This would ensure that certain types of sea and air routes in European peripheral maritime regions are not neglected.
Amendment 64 Article 5, point (3) (b)
b) promoting access to and efficient use of ICTs by SMEs by supporting access to networks, the establishment of public Internet access points, equipment, and the development of services and applications.	(b) promoting access to and efficient use of ICTs by SMEs by setting up infrastructure in the most remote regions, by supporting access to networks, the establishment of public Internet access points, equipment, and the development of services and applications, including in particular the development of action plans for very small and craft enterprises.
Amendment 65 Article 6, point (1), introductory part
1) the development of cross-border economic and social activities through joint strategies for sustainable territorial development, and primarily:	1) the development of cross-border economic, social and environmental activities through joint strategies for sustainable territorial development, and primarily:
Amendment 66 Article 6, point (1) (a)
a) by encouraging entrepreneurship and, in particular, the development of SMEs, tourism, culture, and cross-border trade;	a) by encouraging entrepreneurship and, in particular, the development of SMEs, tourism, culture, sporting activities and cross-border trade;
Justification
Sport also has a major contribution to make to European territorial cooperation.
Amendment 67 Article 6, point (1) (b)
b) by encouraging the protection and joint management of the environment;	b) by encouraging the protection and joint management of the environment and risk prevention relating to disaster management;
Justification
Natural risk prevention has a clear cross-border dimension and should not be excluded from ERDF assistance.
Disaster management has a clear cross-border dimension and should be covered by ERDF measures.
Amendment 68 Article 6, point 1 (b a) (new)
	ba) by promoting the sustainable development of rural areas;
Amendment 69 Article 6, point (1) (d)
d) by developing collaboration, capacity and joint use of infrastructures in particular in sectors such as health, culture and education.	d) by developing collaboration, capacity and joint use of infrastructures in particular in sectors such as health, culture, sport and education.
Justification
Sport also has a major contribution to make to European territorial cooperation.
Amendment 70 Article 6, point (1) (d a) (new)
	da) by combating crime and protecting borders,
Justification
It is absolutely necessary to include combating crime and protecting borders among ERDF priorities for achieving 'European territorial cooperation', since they are directly linked with the EU's objectives in the field of justice and home affairs. Moreover, the existence of these phenomena undermines regional development and the investment climate.
Amendment 71 Article 6, point (1) (d b) (new)
	(db) protection and enhancement of the natural and/or physical cultural heritage in support of economic development, urban or rural regeneration or tourism by promoting the decentralised INTERREG management model.
Justification
This amendment clarifies the logic of Recital (12), which lays down specific provisions, one of which is management. The decentralised INTERREG model has proved its worth and therefore should be considered useful for the purpose of territorial cooperation.
This area of activity is not confined simply to local or regional activity. There are clear examples where trans-national cooperation in problem solving and sharing best practice are offering substantial European value-added in ways that will not be addressed in networks. Regeneration issues often encompass the historic environment and it has been found that across the EU regions the same problems are being tackled in order to bring about sustainable development. More work needs to be done and trans-national projects are an effective means of making progress, ensuring best available techniques and know-how are employed.
Amendment 72 Article 6, point (2)
2) the establishment and development of transnational cooperation, including bilateral cooperation between maritime regions, through the financing of networks and of actions conducive to integrated territorial development on the following priorities:	2) the establishment and development of transnational cooperation, including bilateral or multilateral cooperation between maritime regions consistent with the ‘wider neighbourhood action plan’, through the financing of networks and of actions conducive to integrated territorial development in particular on the following priorities:
Justification
Consistent with the ‘Commission Communication – Third progress report on economic and social cohesion’ (COM(2004)0107).
Amendment 73 Article 6, point (2) (b)
b) improving accessibility, including investments in cross-border sections of trans-European networks, improved local and regional access to national and transnational networks and platforms, enhanced inter-operability of national and regional systems, and promotion of advanced communications and information technologies;	b) improving accessibility, including investments in cross-border sections of trans-European networks, improved local and regional access to national and transnational networks and platforms, enhanced inter-operability of national and regional systems and the setting-up and development of motorways of the sea, and promotion of advanced logistics, communications and information technologies;
Justification
Motorways of the sea are one of the key elements of the European transport strategy and their promotion is essential to reduce road congestion and air pollution.
Amendment 74 Article 6. point (2) (c)
c) risk prevention, including the promotion of maritime security and protection against flooding, marine and inland water pollution, prevention of and protection against erosion, earthquakes and avalanches. Programmes may include the provision of equipment and development of infrastructure, drawing up and implementing transnational assistance plans, common risk mapping systems, and the development of common instruments for studying, preventing, monitoring and controlling natural and technological risks.	(c) risk prevention and climate change, including the promotion of maritime security and protection against flooding, drought, marine and inland water pollution, protection against erosion, not least of the coastline, hydrologic accidents, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, avalanches, typhoons, forest fires and desertification, as well as biodiversity, environmental management and sustainable energy production. Programmes may include the provision of equipment and development of infrastructure, drawing up and implementing transnational assistance plans, common risk mapping systems, and the development of common instruments for studying, preventing, monitoring and controlling natural and technological risks.
Amendment 75 Article 6, point (2) (d )
d) the creation of scientific and technological networks connected with issues relating to the balanced development of transnational areas, including the establishment of networks between universities and links for accessing scientific knowledge and technology transfer between R&TD facilities and international centres of R&TD excellence, the development of transnational consortia for sharing R&TD resources, twinning of technology transfer institutions, and development of joint financial engineering instruments directed at supporting R&TD in SMEs.	d) the creation of scientific and technological networks connected with issues relating to the balanced development of transnational areas and reducing the technology gap, including the establishment of networks between universities, thus making for their effective integration into the European research area, and links for accessing scientific knowledge and technology transfer between R&TD facilities and international centres of R&TD excellence, the development of transnational consortia for sharing R&TD resources, twinning of technology transfer institutions, and development of joint financial engineering instruments directed at supporting R&TD in SMEs.
Amendment 76 Article 6, point (2) (d a) (new)
	(da) collaboration in entrepreneurship and SME development, including in the tourism, culture, education and health sectors and in the support for sustainable communities.
Justification
This will help to attain the Lisbon Goals.
Amendment 77 Article 6, point (2) (d b) (new)
	(db) the protection of natural resources and the cultural heritage, the protection and improvement of the natural environment of the regions, the preservation and development of natural assets and the protection and improvement of the built environment and cultural heritage, the development of effective, integrated, long-term strategies for sustainable development and the achievement of a fuller picture of natural resources and the cultural heritage and the way in which they can be integrated into transnational strategies successfully.
Justification
Building on the success of the current Interreg IIIB programme, the European territorial cooperation objective of the ERDF should look at broader themes than those currently proposed. Therefore, these amendments propose additional areas for cooperation between European partners.
Amendment 78 Article 6, point (2)(d c) (new)
	(dc) cooperation on maritime-related issues, including port network development, shipping services, economic linkages between ports and linkages between ports and their hinterlands.
Justification
Building on the success of the current Interreg IIIB programme, the European territorial cooperation objective of the ERDF should look at broader themes than those currently proposed. Therefore, these amendments propose additional areas for cooperation between European partners.
Amendment 79 Article 6, point (2)(d d) (new)
	(dd) urban and rural spatial planning issues, with a clear transnational dimension as outlined in the European Spatial Development Perspective.
Justification
These issues are a fundamental part of the European Spatial Development Perspective and a priority theme where significant progress has been made under current programmes.
Amendment 80 Article 6, point (3)
(3) reinforcement of the effectiveness of regional policy by promoting networking and exchange of experience among regional and local authorities focusing on the topics referred to under Article 5(1) and (2) and Article 8, including cooperation network programmes covering the whole Community and actions involving studies, data collection, and the observation and analysis of development trends in the Community.	(3) the development of interregional cooperation and the reinforcement of the effectiveness of regional policy by promoting networking and exchange of experience and project development among regional and local authorities focusing on the topics referred to under Article 5(1) and (2) and Articles 8, 9, 10 and 11, including cooperation network programmes covering the whole Community and actions involving studies, data collection, and the observation and analysis of development trends in the Community.
Justification
Interregional cooperation should be included under the ‘European territorial cooperation’ objective.
Interregional cooperation must be possible under the ‘European territorial cooperation’ objective because if it is decided solely by the joint management of programmes under the ‘Convergence’ and ‘Regional cooperation and employment’ objectives, regions that are not eligible under these objectives will not be able to engage in interregional cooperation. Moreover, such interregional cooperation must also be possible for rural areas, fisheries-dependent areas, areas with natural handicaps and the outermost regions.
It is important to include interregional cooperation under the ‘territorial cooperation’ objective.
The amendment serves to clarify the article and underlines the importance of project development for territorial cooperation.
This cooperation should not be limited to strictly urban areas but must include rural areas, regions dependent on fishing, and areas affected by natural handicaps.
Amendment 81 Article 6, point (3), subparagraph 1 a (new)
	Networking projects shall be coordinated under a single EU wide zone.
	Mid-term evaluation of existing networks such as ESPON, URBAct and INTERACT shall be carried out.
Justification
INTERREG IIIc is currently divided into a North, South, East and West zone. Since the networks demonstrably cut across these zones they are unnecessarily bureaucratic, costly to run and pointless. There is a clear case for rationalising and refocusing into one EU-wide zone for networks. This would be a more efficient use of the budget and would improve efficiency and delivery of coherent projects.
The current networks funded under INTERREG IIIc include three Commission-sponsored networks for which there has been no review: ESPON, URBAct and INTERACT.
Amendment 82 Article 7, point (d)
(d) housing;	(d) housing, with the exception of expenditure which relates to renovation of social housing with a view to saving energy and protecting the environment in the context of sustainable urban development;
Amendment 83 Article 8, paragraph 1
1. In the case of action involving urban regeneration as referred to in Article 25(4) a) and 36(4) b) of Regulation (EC) No (…), the ERDF shall support the development of participative, integrated strategies to tackle the high concentration of economic, environmental and social problems affecting urban agglomerations.	1. In the case of action involving sustainable urban development as referred to in Article 25(4) a) and 36(4) b) of Regulation (EC) No (…), the ERDF shall support the development of participative, integrated strategies to strengthen sustainable growth and tackle the high concentration of economic, environmental and social problems in urban areas and the removal of architectural barriers.
This may combine the rehabilitation of the physical environment, brownfield redevelopment, and the preservation and development of the historical and cultural heritage with measures to promote entrepreneurship, local employment and community development, as well as the provision of services to the population taking account of changing demographic structures.	This shall be intended to improve the urban environment through brownfield redevelopment and the protection and development of the historical and cultural heritage, the development of cultural services providing for appropriate measures to promote innovation and the knowledge economy, entrepreneurship, local employment, the environment and the development of local ways of life as well as the setting-up of services to citizens taking account of changing demographic structures and sustainable mobility.
Justification
The second part of Article 8(1) has been reworded in order to make the point that the strategies referred to in the first part may encompass a range of problems and are intended to improve the environment in general.
Amendment 84 Article 8, paragraph 2
2. By way of derogation from Article 33(2) of Regulation (EC) No (…), the ERDF funding of measures under the 'Regional competitiveness and employment' objective falling within the scope of Regulation (EC) N° (…) on the European Social Fund shall be raised to 10% of the priority concerned.	2. By way of derogation from Article 33(2) of Regulation (EC) No (…), the ERDF funding of measures under the 'Regional competitiveness, employment and social inclusion' objective falling within the scope of Regulation (EC) N° (…) on the European Social Fund shall be raised to 20 % of the priority concerned.
Justification
Building on the positive experience of the URBAN Community initiative, the ERDF should be allowed to fund ESF-type measures in urban areas by up to 20%, in order to allow cities to define in a more flexible way the appropriate measures to tackle local challenges.
Amendment 85 Article 9, paragraph 1
Member States and regions shall ensure complementarity and consistency between the measures co-financed by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) pursuant to Regulation (EC) No (…) and the actions co-financed by the European Fund for Fisheries (EFF) pursuant to Regulation (EC) No (…), on the one hand, and the programmes co-financed by the ERDF, on the other.	Member States and regional and local authorities shall ensure complementarity and consistency between the measures co-financed by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) pursuant to Regulation (EC) No (…) and the actions co-financed by the European Fund for Fisheries (EFF) pursuant to Regulation (EC) No (…), on the one hand, and the programmes co-financed by the ERDF, on the other.
Amendment 86 Article 9, paragraphs 2 and 3
The ERDF intervention in rural areas and areas dependent on fisheries shall concentrate on the economic diversification of such areas, including:	The ERDF intervention in rural areas and areas dependent on fisheries shall concentrate, without undermining the principle of sustainability, on measures to tackle the economic, environmental and social problems affecting such areas and the need to develop diversification measures, including:
1) infrastructure to improve accessibility;	1) infrastructure to improve accessibility and to enhance the attractiveness of the region;
2) acceleration of the rolling-out of telecommunication networks and services in rural areas;	2) acceleration of the rolling-out of telecommunication networks and services in rural areas and creation of high-quality jobs outside the agricultural and fishery sectors;
3) development of new economic activities outside the agricultural and fishery sectors;	3) development of new economic activities, in particular promotion of SMEs, craft businesses and the creation of firms outside the agricultural and fishery sectors, including the creation, takeover and development of small, micro and craft enterprises;
	3a) development of education and research institutions in rural areas, but excluding measures financed by the European Social Fund (ESF);
4) reinforcement of links between urban and rural areas;	4) reinforcement of links between urban and rural areas;
	4a) improvement in the quality of cultural institutions and cultural life;
	4b) development of training measures in rural areas;
5) development of tourism and rural amenities.	5) development of sustainable tourism and rural amenities and enhancement of physical assets including infrastructure for biodiversity and Natura 2000 management;
	5a) the production of biofuels and/or use of energy from renewable sources;
	5b) preservation and maintenance of historic farm buildings;
	5c) investments in energy efficiency (infrastructure, technical support and information to end-users);
	5d) training of workers so that they can find work or upgrade their professional situation;
Member States and regions shall ensure complementarity and coherence between the actions co-financed by the EAFRD and those co-financed by the EFF on the one hand, and the actions co-financed by the ERDF on the other hand. To this end, for actions under points 1), 3) and 5) Member States shall set when preparing operational programmes clear demarcation criteria for actions to be supported from the ERDF by virtue of this Article, on the one hand, or from the EAFRD by virtue of Article 49(1), a), b) and i) of Regulation (EC) No (…), for rural areas, or from the EFF by virtue of Article (…) of Regulation (EC) No (…) for areas dependent on fisheries.	Member States and regional and local authorities shall ensure, within the framework of the operational programmes under Article 36 of Council Regulation (EC) (...), complementarity and coherence, in compliance with the coordination measures under Article 25(4)(c) of that Regulation, between the actions co-financed by the EAFRD and those co-financed by the EFF on the one hand, and the actions co-financed by the ERDF under the national strategic reference framework on the other hand. To this end, for actions under points 1), 3) and 5) Member States, regions and the relevant partners shall set when preparing operational programmes clear demarcation criteria for actions to be supported from the ERDF by virtue of this Article, on the one hand, or from the EAFRD by virtue of Article 49(1), a), b) and i) of Regulation (EC) No (…), for rural areas, or from the EFF by virtue of Article (…) of Regulation (EC) No (…) for areas dependent on fisheries. This demarcation is technical in nature and may not disadvantage uniform integrated development. In addition, provision should be made for in itinere and ex post checks to monitor complementarity and coherence.
Justification
The rural areas should contribute to the ambitious target of the European Union of producing 12% of its gross income energy consumption by using renewable energy sources.
One of the problems facing rural development is the number of derelict farm buildings. This is a problem faced by rural areas throughout the enlarged EU. These are often historic buildings whose preservation and reuse can play an important role in improving the quality of life in rural areas. This would work towards sustainability, but is not investment aid, since the state of these buildings is a result of market failure.
Amendment 87 Article 10, paragraph 2
Without prejudice to Article 3 and 4, the ERDF shall in particular contribute towards the financing of investments aimed at improving accessibility, promoting and developing economic activities related to the cultural heritage, promoting the sustainable use of natural resources, and stimulating the tourism sector.	Without prejudice to Article 3 and 4, the ERDF shall in particular contribute towards the financing of investments aimed at improving accessibility at all levels, promoting and developing all kinds of sustainable economic activities, not just those related to the cultural heritage, but also those related to innovation and the new technologies that are especially suited to the features of the region, promoting the sustainable use of natural resources, stimulating the tourism sector and preventing depopulation.
Amendment 88 Article 11, introductory part
In accordance with the additional allocation referred to in Article 16(1) d) of Regulation (EC) No (…) and by way of derogation from Article 3(2) of this Regulation, the ERDF shall help finance operating aid in the outermost regions to offset the additional costs incurred in the areas covered by Article 4 and in the following additional areas, with the exception of products falling within Annex I to the Treaty:	In accordance with the additional allocation referred to in Article 16(1) d) of Regulation (EC) No (…) and by way of derogation from Article 3(2) of this Regulation and pursuant to Article 299(2) of the Treaty, the ERDF shall help finance operating aid in the outermost regions to prevent the additional costs incurred in the areas covered by Article 4 and in the following additional areas, with the exception of products falling within Annex I to the Treaty, from impeding completion of the single market:
Justification
The particular remoteness of these areas, and the difficulties involved in the transport of goods and scarcity of products that their markets provide, result in a significant restriction of these regions’ full integration in the market.
The need to apply existing Treaty provisions, not least Article 299(2), should be made clear.
Amendment 89 Article 11, point (b)
b) support linked to storage constraints, the excessive size and the maintenance of production tools, and the lack of human capital on the local labour market.	b) support linked to storage constraints, the excessive size and the maintenance of production tools, the lack of human capital on the local labour market and vocational training.
Amendment 90 Article 11, point (b a) (new)
	ba) support to remedy shortcomings and to overcome deficits in technological innovation, and research and development.
Justification
Problems relating to accessibility are encountered not only in goods transport and transport services, but also and above all in the field of electronic communications, telecommunications and development of the information society
Amendment 91 Article 12, point (1)
1) an analysis of the situation of the cooperation area in terms of its strengths and weaknesses, and the strategy adopted to deal with it;	1) an analysis of the situation of the cooperation area in terms of its strengths and weaknesses and sustainable development objectives, and the strategy adopted to deal with it, taking account of sustainability criteria, i.e. the impact on nature, heritage (including sites of historical interest) and economic and demographic imbalances;
Justification
All the national strategies should take into account the European sustainable development strategy goals. Operational programmes should provide clear information concerning their impact on nature and heritage analysed by experts in the field.
Amendment 92 Article 12, point (3)
3) the information on the priorities with their specific goals. Those goals shall be quantified using a limited number of indicators for implementation, results and impact. The indicators shall make it possible to measure the progress and effectiveness of the goals implementing the priorities;	3) the information on the priorities with their specific goals. Those goals shall be quantified using a limited number of indicators for implementation, results and impact. The indicators shall make it possible to measure the progress and effectiveness of the goals implementing the priorities and shall relate to the socio-economic, structural and environmental situation;
Justification
Projects and programmes should be assessed by a mixture of environmental, social and economic indicators.
Amendment 93 Article 12, point (3 a) (new)
	3a) the results of the strategic environmental impact assessment pursuant to Directive 2001/42/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on the assessment of the effects of certain plans and programmes on the environment1;
	–––––––––––––– 1 OJ L 197, 21.7.2001, p. 30.
Amendment 94 Article 12, point (3 b) (new)
	3b) an assessment of the impact on employment in the areas concerned and their territorial neighbours, including labour patterns, seasonal effects and skills;
Justification
The likely effects on employment should be examined when establishing operational programmes under the 'European territorial cooperation' objective, in order to better coordinate plans that may cut across educational, social and territorial divisions.
Amendment 95 Article 12, point (4 a) (new)
	4a) details of common eligibility and criteria;
Justification
The ERDF provides for eligibility according to national provisions. However, where cross-border and transnational cooperation is concerned it is essential to determine jointly eligible expenditure and work out common criteria. Otherwise, genuinely joint projects will become much more difficult or even impossible.
Amendment 96 Article 12, point (6) (b)
b) a description of the monitoring and evaluation systems as well as the composition of the monitoring committee;	b) a description of the common selection criteria and the monitoring and evaluation systems as well as the composition of the monitoring committee;
Amendment 97 Article 12, point (6) (e a) (new)
	ea) a description of the arrangements, to be laid down by each Member State jointly submitting an operational programme, in accordance with Article 10 of Council Regulation (EC) No (...), for the involvement of regional and local authorities during the preparatory phase of the programme and at subsequent stages;
Justification
It is important that, for the purposes of the ‘territorial cooperation’ objective, Member States apply the rules of partnership. The Commission should therefore stipulate that the admissibility of operational programme proposals will be subject to a requirement for Member States to specify how they intend to apply those rules.
Amendment 98 Article 12, point 7 a(new)
	7b) the partners' recommendations regarding the operational programme.
Amendment 99 Article 12, paragraph 1 a (new)
	Member States shall ensure that the regional authorities participate in the planning and follow-up of transfrontier and transnational cooperation operations.
Justification
There is a need to ensure the participation of the regional authorities in the transfrontier and transnational cooperation programmes, together with the option to establish regional cooperation subprogrammes to improve the application of such programmes.
Amendment 100 Article 12, paragraph 1 b (new)
	It shall be possible to establish regional cooperation subprogrammes in transfrontier cooperation programmes. The management authority shall ensure that the competent regional authorities participate in the certification process and may delegate the management of such subprogrammes to the regional authorities.
Justification
There is a need to ensure the participation of the regional authorities in the transfrontier and transnational cooperation programmes, together with the option to establish regional cooperation subprogrammes to improve the application of such programmes.
Amendment 101 Article 13
Without prejudice to Article 55 of Regulation (EC) No (…), the Commission may propose rules on eligibility for certain categories of expenditures replacing national rules, following a request by Member States. These Community rules on eligibility of expenditure are adopted in a Commission regulation in conformity with the provisions of Article 104(3) of Regulation (EC) No (…).	Without prejudice to Article 55 of Regulation (EC) No (…), the Commission may propose rules on eligibility for certain categories of expenditures replacing national rules, following a request by Member States, in each case specifying a deadline for drawing up such rules before starting to implement the projects covered. These Community rules on eligibility of expenditure are adopted in a Commission regulation in conformity with the provisions of Article 104(3) of Regulation (EC) No (…).
Justification
Given the particular nature of the programmes concerned, a deadline should be laid down whereby the Commission would have to draw up the rules before starting to implement the projects covered, the idea being to keep a clear picture of eligible expenditure and avoid future problems.
Amendment 102 Article 14, paragraph 1, subparagraph 2
The Member States shall set up a joint technical secretariat, which shall be located within the managing authority. It shall assist the managing authority and the monitoring committee in carrying out their respective duties.	The Member States shall set up a joint technical secretariat, which shall be functionally located within the managing authority. It shall assist the managing authority and the monitoring committee in carrying out their respective duties.
Justification
The Joint Technical Secretariat for a cooperation programme should not necessarily have to be physically located within the Managing Authority.
Amendment 103 Article 14, paragraph 3
3. Each Member State participating in the operational programme shall appoint representatives to sit on the monitoring committee referred to in Article 64 of Regulation (EC) No (…)	3. Each Member State participating in the operational programme shall appoint representatives to sit on the monitoring committee referred to in Article 64 of Regulation (EC) No (…) and shall seek to provide for appropriate representation of the regional or local authorities concerned.
Justification
In keeping with the partnership and subsidiarity principles, Member States must allow local or regional authorities to be properly represented on monitoring committees.
Amendment 104 Article 14, paragraph 3 a (new)
	3a. Member States shall undertake these tasks within a timeframe agreed with the Commission in order to prevent any unnecessary delay in the establishment and implementation of the operational programme.
Justification
Some Member States and government departments have unnecessarily delayed the setting-up of the various mechanisms required for the implementation of funding programmes. This has created significant strain on the ability of the managing authority to meet spending targets. Member States and their government departments need to comply with an agreed timetable for setting up the programme to prevent this happening in the future.
Amendment 105 Article 14, paragraph 3 a (new)
	3a. Managing authorities, under the supervision of the Member States, shall publish in a regular and appropriate manner the operations benefiting from Community funding and the appropriations available broken down by eligibility criteria.
Justification
Detailed information on the operations co-financed is important in order to increase the profile of European funding at local level. It would also seem equally important to know the exact amounts available.
Amendment 106 Article 15
The managing authority shall perform the duties provided for in Article 59 of Regulation (EC) No (…), with the exception of those concerning the regularity of operations and expenditure in relation to national and Community rules. In this connection, its responsibilities shall be limited to checking that the expenditure of each beneficiary participating in an operation has been validated by the approved auditor.	The managing authority shall perform the duties provided for in Article 59 of Regulation (EC) No (…), with the exception of those concerning the regularity of operations and expenditure in relation to national and Community rules. In this connection, its responsibilities shall be limited to checking that the expenditure of each beneficiary participating in an operation has been validated by a qualified auditor.
Justification
It is essential that we streamline the auditing process of the structural funds. Approved auditors would require the Commission to have assessed the auditor in question, which would be very bureaucratic. A qualified auditor is sufficient.
Amendment 107 Article 16, paragraph 2
Each Member State shall ensure that the expenditure can be validated by the approved auditors within a period of two months.	Each Member State shall ensure that the expenditure can be validated by qualified auditors within a period of two months.
Justification
It is essential that we streamline the auditing process of the structural funds. Approved auditors would require the Commission to have assessed the auditor in question, which would be very bureaucratic. A qualified auditor is sufficient.
Amendment 108 Article 19, paragraph 2
2. Operations selected for operational programmes involving cooperation networks and exchange of experience, as referred to in Article 6(3), shall include at least three beneficiaries from at least three regions of at least two Member States, which shall cooperate in the following ways for each operation: joint development, joint implementation, joint staffing and joint financing.	2. Operations selected for operational programmes involving interregional cooperation and cooperation networks and exchange of experience, as referred to in Article 6(3), shall include at least three beneficiaries from at least three regions of at least two Member States, which shall cooperate in the following ways for each operation: joint development, joint implementation, joint staffing and joint financing.
Justification
Interregional cooperation should be included under the ‘European territorial cooperation’ objective.
It is important to make interregional cooperation part of the ‘European territorial cooperation’ objective.
Article 19 should be brought into line with Article 6, as amended (cf. amendment 6), by including interregional cooperation in the ‘European territorial cooperation’ objective.
Amendment 109 Article 21
The legality and regularity of the expenditure declared by each beneficiary participating in the operation shall be validated by the approved auditors referred to in Article 14(2). Each beneficiary participating in the operation shall assume responsibility in the event of any irregularity in the expenditure which it has declared.	The legality and regularity of the expenditure declared by each beneficiary participating in the operation shall be validated by independent and qualified auditors referred to in Article 14(2). Each beneficiary participating in the operation shall assume responsibility in the event of any irregularity in the expenditure which it has declared.
Justification
Functionally external, qualified and independent auditors should be sufficient for the certification of expenditure.

• [1]  OJ C ... / Not yet published in OJ.

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

Established in 1975, following the first enlargement of the Union, the European Regional Development Fund helps to ‘redress the main regional imbalances’ (Article 160 of the EC Treaty).

The duty of European solidarity is clearly central to the process of building the Union. It is thus true to say that if the European Union were just a free trade area, cohesion policy could serve merely to redistribute funds for the benefit of less developed regions or countries so as to offset income disparities. However, it has other ambitions: it is as much a political project as a social and economic project. Consequently, cohesion policy is employed as a means of promoting a development model in which solidarity and cooperation play an active role[1].

Faced with the challenge of the latest enlargement, which has exacerbated regional disparities to an unprecedented degree, the Commission has drawn up a new regulation on the European Regional Development Fund aimed at rationalising the objectives and gearing them to the Lisbon and Göteborg keynotes.

The ERDF will help to finance the three new objectives.

Regions whose development is lagging behind will thus be covered by the ‘Convergence’ objective, affording wide scope for ERDF assistance to enable regions to tap and modernise their resources and embark on a sustainable development process (Article 4).

The ‘Regional competitiveness and employment’ objective (Article 5) revolves around three keynotes, namely innovation and the knowledge economy, environment and risk prevention, and access to transport and information and communication technology services.

‘Territorial cooperation’ (Article 6), prompted by the success of the INTERREG III Community initiative, breaks down into cross-border, transnational, and regional networking components encompassing a list of activities based on the Lisbon and Göteborg keynotes.

In addition, the regulation lays down specific provisions to allow for particular territorial aspects (Articles 8, 9, 10, and 11):

As regards the urban dimension (Article 8), the ERDF ‘shall support the development of participative, integrated strategies to tackle the high concentration of economic, environmental and social problems affecting urban agglomerations’. Urban-oriented measures are consequently encompassed within the ERDF-funded operational programmes, and there are no longer any specific programmes along the lines of the URBAN Community initiative.

ERDF assistance can also be used in rural areas and areas dependent on fisheries (Article 9) to promote economic diversification. The Member States and the regions will have the task of bringing measures co-financed by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) or by the European Fund for Fisheries (EFF) into a coherent complementary relationship with the programmes co-financed by the ERDF.

Furthermore, under the ‘competitiveness’ objective, the ERDF will support regional programmes in areas with natural handicaps (Article 10).

Lastly, the outermost regions (Article 11), whether or not they fall under the ‘Convergence’ objective, will be eligible for specific ERDF financial support.

Substantive points

Your rapporteur believes that the Commission proposal for a regulation strikes an effective balance between the aims of cohesion policy and the Lisbon and Göteborg priorities, that is to say, competitiveness, employment and social integration, environmental protection and risk prevention, and the knowledge-based economy.

He notes that there are sound options set out in the proposal, as can be seen from the fact that, for example:

- measures in the area of research and innovation are to be treated as a priority for the purposes both of the ‘Convergence’ objective and of the ‘competitiveness and employment’ objective;

- attention is to be focused on matters of sustainable development through targeted measures related to the environment, transport, energy, and prevention and management of natural risks;

- accessibility problems are to be taken into account under the ‘competitiveness and employment’ objective;

- territorial cooperation is elevated to the status of a third objective and, in particular, sea borders are to be recognised for the purposes of cross-border cooperation.

He also welcomes the stronger emphasis on certain fundamental principles of cohesion policy such as concentration of assistance, additionality, and partnership.

He does, however, think it necessary to make some changes relating specifically to:

· Principle of non-discrimination and equal opportunities

It is important to refer to the principle of non-discrimination and equal opportunities as regards access to the European Regional Development Fund and, more generally, to the Structural Funds as a whole.

· Disabled people

It is agreed that the ERDF should be a primary means of reducing the social exclusion affecting disabled people in every aspect of life. Accordingly, and in addition to the above-mentioned reference to the principle of non-discrimination, the rapporteur intends to amend the purpose of the ERDF (Article 2) by introducing an explicit commitment to removing the obstacles posed to people with disabilities.

· Environment and cultural heritage

While welcoming the reference to the promotion of biodiversity and the development of infrastructure linked to Natura 2000, the rapporteur thinks it necessary to add further amendments to safeguard, protect, and enhance the environment and the cultural heritage in the context of sustainable development outlined by the Commission.

He also believes that environmental actors should be involved on the same footing as other territorial and socio-economic actors for the purpose of managing the implementation of ERDF operations.

· Urban dimension

Although the resources to be earmarked for urban policy are more substantial than under the old URBAN initiative, your rapporteur considers that the urban dimension should be secured more effectively by means of

o an increase in the maximum ERDF contribution to ESF-funded measures in urban areas ,

o a sufficient level of investment in policies to promote sustainable urban development ,

o greater involvement of local authorities when national strategic frameworks are drawn up, so as to ensure compliance with the partnership principle.

· Security

As far as the ‘Convergence’ objective is concerned, the rapporteur believes that the aims set out in Article 4 should include a reference to public security, that is to say, a guarantee of protection against infiltration of the economy and Structural Fund expenditure procedures by organised crime.

· Shipping

The rapporteur considers that the scope of the ‘competitiveness’ and ‘territorial cooperation’ objectives should be extended to encompass shipping, focusing particular attention on motorways of the sea.

• [1]  See M. Jouen, ‘Etude sur l’adaptation de la politique de cohésion à l’Europe élargie et aux objectifs de Lisbonne et de Göteborg’, in Notre Europe.

OPINION OF THE commiTTEE ON budgets (24.5.2005)

for the Committee on Regional Development

on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the European Regional Development Fund
(COM(2004)0495 – C6‑0089/2004 – 2004/0167(COD))

Draftswoman: Nathalie Griesbeck

SHORT JUSTIFICATION

Proposal COM(2004)0495 has been drafted as part of the cohesion policy legislative package comprising five documents.

This proposal for a regulation is the subject of the codecision procedure in the European Parliament. The Committee on Budgets intends to adopt an opinion for the Committee on Regional Development on COM(2004)0495, pursuant to Rule 46 of the Rules of Procedure.

The Committee on Regional Development, which is the committee responsible, should adopt its report on 24 May 2005, with a view to final adoption by Parliament in plenary on 5 July 2005.

SUBSTANCE

Article 158 of the EC Treaty establishes the Community objective of promoting harmonious development, and Article 160 provides for the European Regional Development Fund, in order to support the correction of regional imbalances.

The purpose of the proposal for a regulation is to establish the tasks of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) in the framework of the revised cohesion policy for the period 2007-2013.

The most recent enlargement has heightened regional disparities within the EU, particularly in regions whose development is lagging behind. In the more developed regions, the continuing challenge is to establish and reinforce their relative attractiveness by increasing their competitiveness in order to contribute to the harmonious development of the Community's territory.

Enlargement has increased the overall number of internal borders. This calls for greater territorial cooperation, based around joint projects for local development under cross-border cooperation, actions conducive to integrated territorial development under transnational development, and inter-regional development and exchange networks.

The differences in the level of development within the Community require a suitable budgetary and political response that is tailored to these needs and focused upon the Union's priorities, as defined in the Lisbon Strategy and fleshed out at the Gothenburg Summit.

The ERDF will give effect to the priorities of the Community, and in particular the need to strengthen competitiveness and innovation, facilitate the creation of sustainable jobs, and promote environmentally sound growth.

Programming under this fund must be in keeping with the cohesion policy objectives ('convergence', 'regional competitiveness and employment' and 'European territorial cooperation'), as set out in this regulation.

Convergence must allow the regions to mobilise and modernise their resources and launch a process of integrated and sustainable regional development. A new emphasis must be placed upon research, innovation and risk prevention.

The 'Regional competitiveness and employment' objective is constructed around themes: innovation and the knowledge economy, which seeks to raise the quality of regional economies; environment and risk prevention, in order to ensure the sustainability of these developments; and accessibility to transport services and information and communication technologies (ICTs), aimed at reducing regional isolation from transport and digital networks, - a precondition for their attractiveness.

A specific objective is dedicated to territorial cooperation, which is organised around cross-border and transnational elements coming under the Lisbon and Gothenburg policies. The inter-regional dimension, in turn, is part of the joint management of programmes under the preceding two objectives. This is based upon a bottom-up approach, with the involvement of all actors. Support for the development of networks of exchange, analysis and study between regions and local authorities will continue to be provided by this objective.

Finally, the ERDF pays particular attention to territorial specificities, in particular in accordance with Article 299(2) of the EC Treaty. In this regard, the regulation allows account to be taken of the particular situation of urban and rural areas and that of areas with natural handicaps and also provides for financing of the additional costs brought about by the peripheral location of the outermost regions.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

According to the Commission proposal the resources available for commitment from the Funds for the period 2007 to 2013 will stand at EUR 336.194 billion at 2004 prices, which breaks down as follows:

Table 1: annual breakdown

(EUR millions – 2004 prices)

2007	2008		2009		2010		2011		2012		2013	2007-2013
46 333	47 168		47 879		48 024		48 163		48 923		49 704	336 194

Source: COM(2004)0492, Annex, p. 87.

Table 2: breakdown by objective

Objective	Allocation (EUR billions)	Percentage of resources
'Convergence'	264.0	78.54%
'Regional competitiveness and employment'	57.9	17.22%
'European territorial cooperation'	13.2	3.94%

Source: COM(2004)0492, Articles 16 to 18.

The budget is equivalent to 0.41% of the gross national income of a 27-Member State European Union.

AMENDMENTS

The Committee on Budgets calls on the Committee on Regional Development, as the committee responsible, to incorporate the following amendments in its report:

Draft legislative resolution

Amendment 1 Paragraph 1

1.  Points out that the appropriations set out in the proposal for a regulation cover only the period starting with the 2007 financial year and are for guidance only until such time as an agreement is reached on the financial perspective covering 2007 and the following years;

Amendment 2 Paragraph 2

2.  Takes the view that, once the next financial perspective has been adopted, the Commission will either confirm the figures set out in the proposal for a regulation or submit adjusted figures to the European Parliament and the Council, for their approval, thus ensuring compatibility with the ceilings;

Proposal for a regulation

Text proposed by the Commission[1]	Amendments by Parliament
Amendment 3 Recital 2
(2) The provisions common to the Structural Funds and the Cohesion Fund are set out in Regulation (EC) No (…) laying down general provisions for the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund, and the Cohesion Fund. Specific provisions concerning the type of activities which may be financed by the ERDF under the objectives defined in that Regulation need to be laid down.	(2) The provisions common to the Structural Funds and the Cohesion Fund are set out in Regulation (EC) No (…) laying down general provisions for the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund, and the Cohesion Fund. Specific provisions concerning the type of activities which may be financed by the ERDF under the objectives defined in that Regulation and in accordance with the provisions of the Financial Regulation, need to be laid down.
Justification
It should be pointed out that the entirety of the budget shall be established and implemented in accordance with the principles and provisions set out in the Financial Regulation.
Amendment 4 Article 3, paragraph 2, point d)
d) technical assistance as referred to in Articles 43 and 44 of Regulation (EC) No (…).	d) in accordance with the budget authority decisions, technical assistance as referred to in Articles 43 and 44 of Regulation (EC) No (…).

PROCEDURE

Title	Proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the European Regional Development Fund
References	(COM(2004)0495 – C6‑0089/2004 – 2004/0167(COD))
Committee responsible	REGI
Committee asked for its opinion   Date announced in plenary	BUDG 1.12.2004
Enhanced cooperation	No
Drafts(wo)man   Date appointed	Nathalie Griesbeck 20.09.2004
Discussed in committee	11.4.2005	23.5.2005
Date amendments adopted	23.5.2005
Result of final vote	for: against: abstentions:		19 0 0
Members present for the final vote	Gérard Deprez, Valdis Dombrovskis, Markus Ferber, Nathalie Griesbeck, Catherine Guy-Quint, Ville Itälä, Anne Elisabet Jensen, Wiesław Stefan Kuc, Zbigniew Krzysztof Kuźmiuk, Janusz Lewandowski, Vladimír Maňka, Mario Mauro, Gérard Onesta, Antonis Samaras, Esko Seppänen, László Surján, Ralf Walter
Substitutes present for the final vote	Lidia Joanna Geringer de Oedenberg, Robert Navarro
Substitutes under Rule 178(2) present for the final vote

• [1]  Not yet published in OJ.

OPINION OF THE COMMITTEE ON EMPLOYMENT AND SOCIAL AFFAIRS (22.4.2005)

for the Committee on Regional Development

on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the European Regional Development Fund
(COM(2004)0495 – C6‑0089/2004 – 2004/0167(COD))

Draftsperson: Roselyne Bachelot-Narquin

AMENDMENTS

The Committee on Employment and Social Affairs calls on the Committee on Regional Development, as the committee responsible, to incorporate the following amendments in its report:

Text proposed by the Commission	Amendments by Parliament
Amendment 1 Recital 6
(6) Building on the experience and strengths of the Urban Community initiative foreseen by Article 20(1)(b) of Council Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999 of 21 June 1999 laying down general provisions on the Structural Funds [5], the urban dimension should be reinforced by fully integrating measures in that field into the operational programmes co-financed by the ERDF.	(6) Building on the experience and strengths of the Urban Community initiative foreseen by Article 20(1)(b) of Council Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999 of 21 June 1999 laying down general provisions on the Structural Funds [5], the urban dimension should be reinforced by fully integrating measures in that field into the operational programmes co-financed by the ERDF, and both economic and employment policy measures, complemented by measures to combat social exclusion and to improve the environment, should be grouped together.
Amendment 2 Recital 10
(10) The ERDF should address the problems of accessibility and remoteness from large markets confronting areas with an extremely low population density, as referred to in Protocol No 6 to the Act of Accession of Austria, Finland and Sweden. The ERDF should also address the specific difficulties encountered by certain islands, mountain areas and sparsely populated areas whose geographical situation slows down their development..	(10) The ERDF should address the problems of accessibility and remoteness from large markets confronting areas with an extremely low population density, as referred to in Protocol No 6 to the Act of Accession of Austria, Finland and Sweden. The ERDF should also address the specific difficulties encountered by certain islands, the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla, which have high population density and high unemployment rates, mountain areas and sparsely populated areas whose geographical situation slows down their development.
Amendment 3 Article 1, subparagraph 2
It lays down specific provisions concerning the treatment of urban and rural areas, of areas dependent on fisheries, of the outermost regions, and of areas with natural handicaps.	It lays down specific provisions concerning the treatment of urban and rural areas, of areas dependent on fisheries, of the outermost regions, of areas with natural handicaps and of isolated areas of dense population and high unemployment.
Amendment 4 Article 2, paragraph 1
The ERDF shall contribute to the financing of assistance towards the reinforcement of economic, social and territorial cohesion by reducing regional disparities and supporting the structural development and adjustment of regional economies, including the conversion of declining industrial regions.	The ERDF shall contribute to the financing of assistance towards the reinforcement of economic, social and territorial cohesion by reducing regional disparities and supporting the structural development and adjustment of regional economies, including both the conversion of declining industrial regions and areas and combating unemployment and poverty.
Justification
The development of declining industrial regions must be one leg in attaining the objective, since in these regions a situation already exists which needs to be remedied. Having said that, we should focus on what is a major issue in the development of places and human resources, namely the fight against poverty, which can occur only under conditions of full and sound employment.
Amendment 5 Article 2, paragraph 2
In so doing, the ERDF shall give effect to the priorities of the Community, and in particular the need to strengthen competitiveness and innovation, to create sustainable jobs, and to promote environmentally sound growth.	In so doing, the ERDF shall give effect to the priorities of the Community, and in particular the need to strengthen economic growth, competitiveness and innovation, to create sustainable jobs, to promote environmentally sound growth and sustainable development and to ensure equality between men and women, non-discrimination on the grounds of sex, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation and social inclusion, ensuring that accessibility for disabled people is a condition for all projects benefiting from the Funds.
Justification
The ERDF is an essential tool for reducing and alleviating social exclusion of disabled persons in all areas of life in particular by promoting and creating an accessible physical environment for disabled persons in relation to tourism, transport and the built environment.
It is of vital importance that Structural Funds do not lead to the creation of further access barriers for disabled people; therefore explicit reference is necessary to link accessibility requirements for disabled persons to allocation of resources.
Amendment 6 Article 3, paragraph 2, point (c)
(c) other development initiatives including services to enterprises, creation and development of financing instruments such as venture capital, loan and guarantee funds and local development funds, interest subsidies, neighbourhood services, and exchange of experience between regions, towns, and relevant social, economic and environmental actors;	(c) other development and employment initiatives including services to enterprises, creation and development of financing instruments such as venture capital, loan and guarantee funds and local development funds, interest subsidies, neighbourhood services, and exchange of experience between regions, towns, and relevant social, economic and environmental actors;
Amendment 7 Article 3, paragraph 2, point (c a) (new)
	ca. the continuous training of workers, chiefly in respect of technological innovations;
Justification
The continuous training of workers, particularly of older workers, will in principle ensure high quality performance at work and familiarity with the new technologies, and will then help eliminate the phenomenon of the gradual replacement of the ‘older’ staff by younger staff who are more closely attuned to modern professional requirements. Lifelong learning must be a basic factor in safeguarding work and equal opportunities.
Amendment 8 Article 4, introductory part
Under the 'Convergence' objective, the ERDF shall focus its assistance on supporting sustainable integrated regional and local economic development by mobilising and strengthening endogenous capacity through programmes aimed at the modernisation and diversification of regional economic structures, primarily in the following areas:	Under the 'Convergence' objective, the ERDF shall focus its assistance on supporting sustainable integrated regional and local economic development by mobilising and strengthening endogenous capacity through programmes aimed at the modernisation and diversification of regional and local economic structures, primarily in the following areas:
Amendment 9 Article 4, point 1
1) Research and technological development (R&TD), innovation and entrepreneurship, including strengthening of regional research and technological development capacities, aid to R&TD in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and to technology transfer, improvement of links between SMEs and universities, and research and technology centres, development of business networks and clusters, support for the provision of business and technology services to groups of SMEs, fostering of entrepreneurship and innovation funding for SMEs through new financing instruments;	1) Research and technological development (R&TD), innovation and entrepreneurship, including strengthening of regional research and technological development capacities, aid to R&TD in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and to technology transfer, improvement of links between SMEs and universities, and research and technology centres, development of business networks and clusters, support for the provision of business and technology services to groups of SMEs and micro-undertakings, fostering of entrepreneurship and innovation funding for SMEs and micro-undertakings through new financing instruments;
Amendment 10 Article 4, point 1 a (new)
	1a) Fostering equality between men and women in the labour market, in particular through promoting the start-up of enterprises, infrastructures and services which make it easier to reconcile family and professional life;
Amendment 11 Article 4, point 2
2) Information society, including development of local content, services and applications, improvement of access to and development of on-line public services, aid and services to SMEs to adopt and effectively use information and communication technologies (ICTs);	2) Information society, including development of local content, services and applications, improvement of access -particularly for disabled people and other socially excluded groups - to and development of on-line public services, aid and services to SMEs to adopt and effectively use information and communication technologies (ICTs);
Justification
Article 4 of ERDF which concerns Objective 1 regions only, rightly gives emphasis to the importance of the information society.
Inclusion is an essential element of the European Community’s objective to achieve an information society for all, i.e. the promotion of access to the information society for vulnerable groups. The ERDF must be fully committed to the overall aims and objectives of e-inclusion and e-accessibility and, therefore, must ensure that the activities supported in this field give attention and recognition of the need to promotion and secure accessibility by disabled persons to the information society.
Amendment 12 Article 4, point 2 a (new)
	2a) Local employment and development initiatives: aid for structures providing neighbourhood services to create new jobs but excluding measures financed by the European Social Fund (ESF).
Amendment 13 Article 4, point 3
3) Environment, including investments connected with waste management, water supplies, urban waste-water treatment and air quality, integrated pollution prevention and control, rehabilitation of contaminated sites and land, promotion of biodiversity and nature protection, aid to SMEs to promote sustainable production patterns through the introduction of cost-effective environmental management systems and the adoption and use of pollution-prevention technologies;	3) Environment, including investments connected with waste management and recycling, water supplies, urban waste-water treatment and air quality, integrated pollution prevention and control, rehabilitation of contaminated sites and land, promotion of biodiversity and nature protection, aid to SMEs to promote sustainable production patterns through the introduction of cost-effective environmental management systems and the adoption and use of pollution-prevention technologies;
Amendment 14 Article 4, point 5
5) Tourism, including promotion of natural and cultural assets as potential for the development of sustainable tourism, protection and enhancement of the cultural heritage in support of economic development, aid to improve the supply of tourism services through new higher value-added services;	5) Tourism, including promotion of natural and cultural assets as potential for the development of sustainable tourism and protection and enhancement of the social and cultural heritage in support of economic growth and employment development. This shall also include aid to improve the supply of tourism services, in particular by means of vocational training for jobs in tourism, through new higher value-added services;
Amendment 15 Article 4, point 6
6) Transport investments, including trans-European networks and integrated city-wide strategies for clean urban transport, which contribute to improving the access to and quality of passenger and goods services, to achieving a more balanced modal split, to promoting intermodal systems and reducing environmental impacts;	6) Transport investments, including trans-European networks and integrated city-wide strategies for clean urban transport, which contribute to improving the access to, and quality of passenger and goods services, particularly equal access to transport for disabled people, to achieving a more balanced modal split, to promoting intermodal systems and reducing environmental impacts;
Justification
Article 4 of ERDF which concerns Objective 1 region only, rightly gives emphasis to the importance of the information society.
The ERDF is an essential tool for reducing and alleviating social exclusion of disabled persons in all areas of life in particular by promoting and creating an accessible physical environment for disabled persons in relation to tourism, transport and the built environment.
It is of vital importance that Structural Funds do not lead to the creation of further access barriers for disabled people; therefore explicit reference is necessary to link accessibility requirements for disabled persons to allocation of resources.
Attention must also be given to ensuring vulnerable groups, such as disabled persons, have equal access to health care including access to health care information which should be provided in accessible formats for disabled persons.
Amendment 16 Article 4, point 7
7) Energy, including trans-European networks, which contribute to improving security of supply, completing the internal market, and integrating environmental considerations, improvement of energy efficiency and the development of renewable energies;	7) Energy, including trans-European networks, which contribute to improving security and quality of supply, safeguarding jobs, completing the internal market, and integrating environmental considerations, improvement of energy efficiency and the development of renewable energies;
Amendment 17 Article 4, point 8
8) Education investments, which contribute to increasing the attractiveness and quality of life in regions;	8) Investments in education and vocational training, which contribute to increasing the attractiveness and quality of life in regions, and in the continuous training of workers in new technologies;
Justification
The continuous training of workers, particularly of older workers, will in principle ensure high quality performance at work and familiarity with the new technologies, and will then help eliminate the phenomenon of the gradual replacement of the ‘older’ staff by younger staff who are more closely attuned to modern professional requirements. Lifelong learning must be a basic factor in safeguarding work and equal opportunities.
Amendment 18 Article 4, point 9
9) Health, including investments to develop and improve health provision which contribute to regional development and quality of life in regions;	9) Health, including investments to develop and improve health provision and equal access to health care for vulnerable groups which contribute to local and regional development and quality of life in regions;
Justification
Article 4 of ERDF which concerns Objective 1 region only, rightly gives emphasis to the importance of the information society.
The ERDF is an essential tool for reducing and alleviating social exclusion of disabled persons in all areas of life in particular by promoting and creating an accessible physical environment for disabled persons in relation to tourism, transport and the built environment.
It is of vital importance that Structural Funds do not lead to the creation of further access barriers for disabled people; therefore explicit reference is necessary to link accessibility requirements for disabled persons to allocation of resources.
Attention must also be given to ensuring vulnerable groups, such as disabled persons, have equal access to health care including access to health care information which should be provided in accessible formats for disabled persons.
Amendment 19 Article 4, point 10
10) Direct aid to investment in SMEs contributing to creating and safeguarding jobs.	10) Direct aid to investment in SMEs contributing to technological modernisation and creating and safeguarding sustainable and high-quality employment.
Justification
Whether SMEs can be profitable and therefore viable depends to a great extent on how up-to-date they are and therefore how accessible they are to consumers. The modernisation of SMEs will bring profitability and will therefore ensure both the existence and the quality of jobs.
Amendment 20 Article 5, point 1
1) innovation and the knowledge economy, through support to the design and implementation of regional innovation strategies conducive to efficient regional innovation systems, and specifically:	1) innovation and the knowledge economy, through support to design and implementation of regional innovation strategies conducive to job creation and efficient regional innovation systems, which should also take into account accessibility features for disabled people. More specifically:
Justification
The ERDF is an essential tool for reducing and alleviating social exclusion of disabled persons in all areas of life in particular by promoting and creating an accessible environment for disabled persons.
Accessibility is a crucial and central part of a sustainable regional development strategy and must be recognised as one of the priorities.
In relation to urban development, particular attention to socially excluded persons is necessary notably in urban planning. Accessibility for disabled persons to the urban environment is essential.
Amendment 21 Article 5, point 1, point (a)
(a) enhancing regional R&TD and innovation capacities directly linked to regional economic development objectives by supporting industry or technology-specific competence centres, by promoting technology transfer, and by developing technology forecasting and international benchmarking of policies to promote innovation, and by supporting inter-firm collaboration and joint R&TD and innovation policies;	(a) enhancing regional R&TD and innovation capacities directly linked to regional economic development objectives and combating unemployment and poverty by supporting industry or technology-specific competence centres, by promoting technology transfer, and by developing technology forecasting and international benchmarking of policies to promote innovation, and by supporting inter-firm collaboration and joint R&TD and innovation policies;
Justification
Combating unemployment and poverty must constitute a primary objective, and it should be understood that it is indissoluble linked to development and technological progress.
Amendment 22 Article 5, point 1, point (b a) (new)
	(ba) the provision of infrastructure on a scale appropriate to local and employment development;
Justification
This wording is taken from the existing regulation where it applies to local employment initiatives, in particular in urban areas.
Amendment 23 Article 5, point 1, point (b b) (new)
	(bb) aid for structures providing neighbourhood services to create new jobs but excluding measures financed by the European Social Fund (ESF);
Amendment 24 Article 5, point1, point (c a) (new)
	(ca) fostering equality between men and women in the labour market, in particular through promoting the start-up of enterprises and infrastructures and services which make it easier to reconcile family and professional life, together with specific measures for women entrepreneurs to facilitate the economic application of new ideas, and measures to encourage the start-up of new enterprises derived from universities and existing enterprises;
Amendment 25 Article 5, point 1, point (d a) (new)
	da) increasing the active involvement of the most disadvantaged groups in urban and rural areas in the development of their communities and the local economy;
Amendment 26 Article 5, point 2, point (a)
a) stimulating investment for the rehabilitation of contaminated sites and land, and promoting the development of infrastructure linked to biodiversity and Natura 2000 contributing to sustainable economic development and diversification of rural areas;	a) stimulating investment for the rehabilitation of contaminated sites and land, and promoting the development of infrastructure linked to biodiversity and Natura 2000 contributing to sustainable economic development, diversification of production and retention of jobs in rural areas;
Amendment 27 Article 5, point 2, point (c)
c) promoting clean urban public transport;	c) promoting clean urban public transport accessible for all, including disabled people;
Justification
The ERDF is an essential tool for reducing and alleviating social exclusion of disabled persons in all areas of life in particular by promoting and creating an accessible environment for disabled persons. Accessibility is a crucial and central part of a sustainable regional development strategy and must be recognised as one of the priorities. In relation to urban development, particular attention to socially excluded persons is Necessary notably in urban planning. Accessibility for disabled persons to the urban environment is essential.
Amendment 28 Article 5, point 3
3) access, outside major urban centres, to transport and telecommunication services of general economic interest, and specifically:	3) access, in particular for disabled people and other socially excluded persons, outside major urban centres, to transport and telecommunication services of general economic interest, and specifically:
Justification
The ERDF is an essential tool for reducing and alleviating social exclusion of disabled persons in all areas of life in particular by promoting and creating an accessible environment for disabled persons. Accessibility is a crucial and central part of a sustainable regional development strategy and must be recognised as one of the priorities. In relation to urban development, particular attention to socially excluded persons is necessary notably in urban planning. Accessibility for disabled persons to the urban environment is essential.
Amendment 29 Article 6, point 1, introductory part
1) the development of cross-border economic and social activities through joint strategies for sustainable territorial development, and primarily:	1) the development of cross-border economic and social activities through joint strategies for territorial development and sustainable employment, and primarily:
Amendment 30 Article 6, point 2, point (d a) (new)
	(da) the creation of joint infrastructures for continuous cross-border educational and training systems intended particularly for bilingual and multilingual training;
Amendment 31 Article 8, paragraph 1, subparagraph 1
1. In the case of action involving urban regeneration as referred to in Article 25(4) a) and 36(4) b) of Regulation (EC) No (…), the ERDF shall support the development of participative, integrated strategies to tackle the high concentration of economic, environmental and social problems affecting urban agglomerations.	1. In the case of action involving urban regeneration as referred to in Article 25(4) a) and 36(4) b) of Regulation (EC) No (…), the ERDF shall support the development of participative, integrated strategies to tackle the high concentration of economic, environmental and social problems affecting urban agglomerations, support the removal of access barriers faced by disabled people in the urban environment and require urban development projects funded by the ERDF to comply with accessibility criteria.
Justification
Urban regeneration cannot succeed if socially disadvantaged groups are not accommodated in urban policy and planning. In particular urban development must explicitly recognise the need to promote an urban environment which is accessible for disabled people.
Amendment 32 Article 8, paragraph 1, subparagraph 2
This may combine the rehabilitation of the physical environment, brownfield redevelopment, and the preservation and development of the historical and cultural heritage with measures to promote entrepreneurship, local employment and community development, as well as the provision of services to the population taking account of changing demographic structures.	This may combine the rehabilitation of the physical environment, brownfield redevelopment, and the preservation and development of the historical, social and cultural heritage with measures to promote entrepreneurship, local employment and community development, paying particular attention to the quality of life of people suffering any kind of disability, as well as the provision of services to the population taking account of changing demographic structures and the unemployment rate.
Amendment 33 Article 9, point 5 a (new)
	5a) combating poverty and unemployment;
Justification
See justifications to amendments 4 and 21.
Amendment 34 Article 9, point 5 b (new)
	5b) training of workers so that they can find work or upgrade their professional situation.
Justification
See justifications to amendments 7 and 17.
Amendment 35 Article 10, paragraph 1
Regional programmes co-financed by the ERDF covering areas facing natural handicaps as referred to in Article 52(1) b) of Regulation (EC) No (...) shall pay particular attention to addressing the specific difficulties of those areas.	Regional programmes co-financed by the ERDF covering areas facing natural handicaps or serious social problems as referred to in Article 52(1) b) of Regulation (EC) No (...) shall pay particular attention to addressing the specific difficulties of those areas.
Justification
It is very important that we take into account the specific conditions obtaining in certain regions in which unemployment, and also geophysical factors, exacerbate poverty, since the scope for development, employment and prosperity is clearly limited in relation to developed centres.
Amendment 36 Article 10, paragraph 2
Without prejudice to Article 3 and 4, the ERDF shall in particular contribute towards the financing of investments aimed at improving accessibility, promoting and developing economic activities related to the cultural heritage, promoting the sustainable use of natural resources, and stimulating the tourism sector.	Without prejudice to Article 3 and 4, the ERDF shall in particular contribute towards the financing of investments aimed at improving accessibility, promoting and developing economic and social activities related to the cultural heritage, promoting the sustainable use of natural resources, and stimulating the tourism sector.
Amendment 37 Article 11, title
Outermost regions	Outermost regions and the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla
Amendment 38 Article 11, introductory part
In accordance with the additional allocation referred to in Article 16(1) d) of Regulation (EC) No (…) and by way of derogation from Article 3(2) of this Regulation, the ERDF shall help finance operating aid in the outermost regions to offset the additional costs incurred in the areas covered by Article 4 and in the following additional areas, with the exception of products falling within Annex I to the Treaty:	In accordance with the additional allocation referred to in Article 16(1) d) of Regulation (EC) No (…) and by way of derogation from Article 3(2) of this Regulation, the ERDF shall help finance operating aid in the outermost regions and in the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla, which have high population density, to offset the additional costs incurred in the areas covered by Article 4 and in the following additional areas, with the exception of products falling within Annex I to the Treaty:
Amendment 39 Article 11, point (b)
b) support linked to storage constraints, the excessive size and the maintenance of production tools, and the lack of human capital on the local labour market.	b) support linked to storage constraints, the excessive size and the maintenance of production tools, the lack of human capital on the local labour market and vocational training.
Amendment 40 Article 12, point 6, point (b)
(b) a description of the monitoring and evaluation systems as well as the composition of the monitoring committee;	(b) a description of the monitoring and evaluation systems as well as the composition of the monitoring committee and documentation on the partners’ opinions;

PROCEDURE

Title	Proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the European Regional Development Fund
References	COM(2004)0495 - C6-0089/2004 - 2004/0167(COD)
Committee responsible	REGI
Committee asked for its opinion   Date announced in plenary	EMPL 1.12.2004
Enhanced cooperation	-
Draftsperson   Date appointed	Roselyne Bachelot-Narquin 10.11.2004
Discussed in committee	16.3.2005	19.4.2005
Date amendments adopted	20.4.2005
Result of final vote	for: against: abstentions:		28 0 0
Members present for the final vote	Jan Andersson, Roselyne Bachelot-Narquin, Emine Bozkurt, Milan Cabrnoch, Alejandro Cercas, Ole Christensen, Luigi Cocilovo, Jean Louis Cottigny, Carlo Fatuzzo, Ilda Figueiredo, Joel Hasse Ferreira, Stephen Hughes, Sepp Kusstatscher, Jean Lambert, Raymond Langendries, Bernard Lehideux, Thomas Mann, Ana Mato Adrover, Maria Matsouka, Ria Oomen-Ruijten, Csaba Őry, Marie Panayotopoulos-Cassiotou, Jacek Protasiewicz, José Albino Silva Peneda, Anne Van Lancker.
Substitutes present for the final vote	Udo Bullmann, Elisabeth Schroedter, Marc Tarabella, Patrizia Toia.
Substitutes under Rule 178(2) present for the final vote	-

OPINION of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (29.4.2005)

for the Committee on Regional Development

on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the European Regional Development Fund
(COM(2004)0495 – C6‑0089/2004 – 2004/0167(COD))

Draftsman: Jerzy Buzek

SHORT JUSTIFICATION

Your draftsman welcomes the Commission's proposal for a Regulation on the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). In his view, the proposal succeeds in linking the cohesion policy with the Lisbon and Gothenburg objectives. One of the main objectives of the European Union is indeed to guarantee an adequate balance between economic, social and environmental aspects of the development process. The intervention of the ERDF is foreseen in a range of topics and areas which, generally speaking, appear to be consistent with the above-mentioned objectives. However, your draftsman thinks that further areas need to be added to the relevant articles in order to improve the environmental performance of this Fund in particular.

As an example, we should underline the importance of the environmental protection pillar when it comes to the regional funds oriented to the underdevelopped regions within the 'Convergence' objective. These regions have often outdated industries and strongly polluted sites and also a high population density. The restructuring of certain industries in these areas requires not only the achievement of economic profitability but also high environmental protection standards. Therefore, direct aid to investment introducing the most advanced technological solutions needs to be encouraged and financed.

The creation of conditions aiming at reducing the gap in the environmental protection measures between the Member States is essential and should be taken as a priority, especially in the context of the last enlargement. In order to be effective, the implementation of the Natura 2000 network or Water Framework Directive and promoting the Sustainable Development Strategy as a whole has to be done at EU level.

The effectiveness of the EU structural policy would be highly increased if the regions were not overburdened by a series of long term and rigid constraints giving more importance to specific local priorities. Moreover, simplification of procedures would be welcome as far as the use of the funds is concerned. In fact, detailed and specific procedural requirements create a great risk of slowing down the implementation of new high quality clean technologies and blocking the whole process of the environmental protection improvement. Therefore, the issue of the absorption capacity deserves special attention from the European Commission and the Member States.

On a more specific point concerning the rules on eligibility of expenditure, the draft regulation declares VAT ineligible for financing from the ERDF (and the Cohesion Fund) in all cases, notwithstanding, whether it is reimbursable or not. Consequently, if the new eligibility rules on VAT enter into force, the actual support rate would be reduced by the VAT rate applied, which effectively means that the level of national co-financing would increase. Taking this into account, your draftsman thinks that the current rules on eligibility of VAT should be maintained for the next programming period. The VAT, which is non-reimbursable should therefore remain eligible for the ERDF contributions as it is the case for the European Social Fund. Your draftsman considers that the same rules on eligibility of expenditure should apply for all the Funds.

AMENDMENTS

The Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety calls on the Committee on Regional Development, as the committee responsible, to incorporate the following amendments in its report:

Text proposed by the Commission[1]	Amendments by Parliament
Amendment 1 Article 2, paragraph 1
The ERDF shall contribute to the financing of assistance towards the reinforcement of economic, social and territorial cohesion by reducing regional disparities and supporting the structural development and adjustment of regional economies, including the conversion of declining industrial regions.	The ERDF shall contribute to the financing of assistance towards the reinforcement of economic, social and territorial cohesion by reducing regional disparities and supporting the sustainable structural development and adjustment of regional economies, including the conversion of declining industrial regions.
Justification
Structural Funds must contribute to and deliver the EU Sustainable Development Strategy.
Amendment 2 Article 2, paragraph 2
In so doing, the ERDF shall give effect to the priorities of the Community, and in particular the need to strengthen competitiveness and innovation, to create sustainable jobs, and to promote environmentally sound growth.	In so doing, the ERDF shall give effect to the priorities of the Community, and in particular the need to strengthen competitiveness and innovation, to promote sustainable growth, to create sustainable jobs, and to protect and improve the natural and urban environment.
Justification
One of the main objectives of the European Union is to guarantee an adequate balance between economic, social and environmental aspects of the development process. The importance of the environmental protection pillar when it comes to the regional funds oriented to the underdevelopped regions within the Convergence objective (art. 4 of the ERDF Regulation, COM(2004)495) cannot be underestimated. In these regions, due to the low investment rate, not only the development and the civilizational progress but also the environmental protection are neglected. By environment we should also mean the natural and urban environment which frequently is managed by city councils.
Amendment 3 Article 3 a (new)
	Article 3a
	Balanced and sustainable regional development
	Regional development means the preservation, development and, where necessary, reshaping of sustainable living and working in the regions.
Amendment 4 Article 4, point 3
3) Environment, including investments connected with waste management, water supplies, urban waste-water treatment and air quality, integrated pollution prevention and control, rehabilitation of contaminated sites and land, promotion of biodiversity and nature protection, aid to SMEs to promote sustainable production patterns through the introduction of cost-effective environmental management systems and the adoption and use of pollution-prevention technologies;	3) Environment, including investments connected with waste management, water supplies, water quality, protection and exploitation of river basins, environmental risk prevention (including protection against flooding and the pollution of inland waters), waste-water treatment and air quality, integrated pollution prevention and control, prevention of noise pollution, rehabilitation of contaminated sites and land, landscape development in rural areas, promotion of biodiversity and nature protection, aid to SMEs to promote sustainable production patterns, the introduction of simpler cost-effective environmental management systems and the adoption and use of pollution-prevention technologies, including technologies to prevent climate change.
Amendment 5 Article 4, point 5
5) Tourism, including promotion of natural and cultural assets as potential for the development of sustainable tourism, protection and enhancement of the cultural heritage in support of economic development, aid to improve the supply of tourism services through new higher value-added services;	5) Tourism, including promotion of natural and cultural assets as potential for the development of sustainable tourism, protection and enhancement of the physical and cultural heritage in support of balanced economic development, aid to improve the supply of tourism services through new higher value-added services;
Amendment 6 Article 4, point 10 a (new)
	10 a) Direct aid to investment, with particular attention to high-quality clean technologies, in order to restructure heavy industries in the regions where transition to the market economy took place only recently.
Justification
The regions supported by the assistance under the 'Convergence' objective have often outdated industries and strongly polluted sites. Moreover, these regions have also a high population density. Therefore, the restructuring of certain industries in these areas requires not only the achievement of economic profitability but also high environmental protection standards. The application of the most advanced technological solutions is necessary.
Amendment 7 Article 5, paragraph 2, point (a)
a) stimulating investment for the rehabilitation of contaminated sites and land, and promoting the development of infrastructure linked to biodiversity and Natura 2000 contributing to sustainable economic development and diversification of rural areas;	a) stimulating investment for the rehabilitation of contaminated sites and land that promotes economic, social and environmental potential;
Justification
It is important to improve the environmental value of contaminated sites for nature and biodiversity, recognising that this has wider social, environmental and economic benefits. Cf. also the justification to the amendment on Article 5, paragraph 2, point (aa) (new).
Amendment 8 Article 5, paragraph 2, point (a a) (new)
	aa) promoting the development of infrastructure linked to the implementation of the Water Framework Directive, biodiversity and Natura 2000 management contributing to sustainable development and diversification of rural areas;
Justification
Investment in biodiversity and Natura 2000 sites should not only be linked to direct economic benefits but should also contribute to the regions' sustainable objectives. Cf. also the justification to the amendment on Article 5, paragraph 2, point a)
Amendment 9 Article 5, point 2, point (a b) (new)
	ab) promoting the development of infrastructure along access routes to protected zones in order to encourage sustainable tourism and provide added value to protected zones such as the Natura 2000 network;
Justification
In the interest of sustainable tourism, access routes to protected zones should also be developed and taken care of.
Amendment 10 Article 5, point 2, point (c)
c) promoting clean urban public transport;	c) promoting environmentally friendly public transport;
Justification
It should be clear that we aim for transport solutions with a positive overall environmental effect regarding the whole of the Union and not just its urban complexes.
Amendment 11 Article 5, paragraph 2, point (d)
d) developing plans and measures to prevent and cope with natural and technological risks.	d) developing plans and measures to prevent and cope with natural and technological risks including mitigation of, and adaptation to, climate change and reducing the risk of floods through implementation of the Water Framework Directive.
Justification
Climate change is one of the biggest environmental threats we face. Floods and the Water Framework Directive are linked and should be mentioned here.
Amendment 12 Article 5, paragraph 2, point (d a) (new)
	da) promoting the sustainable use of natural resources and enhancing regional assets through pollution prevention and the sustainable management of waste and water.
Justification
The aim of this amendment is to help businesses to reduce their environmental impact, in particular through waste and water.
Amendment 13 Article 6, paragraph 2, point (c)
c) risk prevention, including the promotion of maritime security and protection against flooding, marine and inland water pollution, prevention of and protection against erosion, earthquakes and avalanches. Programmes may include the provision of equipment and development of infrastructure, drawing up and implementing transnational assistance plans, common risk mapping systems, and the development of common instruments for studying, preventing, monitoring and controlling natural and technological risks.	c) risk prevention, including the promotion of maritime security and protection against flooding, marine and inland water pollution, prevention of and protection against erosion, earthquakes and avalanches and mitigation of, and adaptation to, climate change. Programmes may include the provision of equipment and development of infrastructure, drawing up and implementing transnational assistance plans, common risk mapping systems, and the development of common instruments for studying, preventing, monitoring and controlling natural and technological risks.
Amendment 14 Article 7, point (a)
a) VAT;	a) reimbursable VAT;
Justification
Cf. Short Justification of draftsman.
Amendment 15 Article 9, paragraph 2, point (5)
5) development of tourism and rural amenities.	5) development of tourism and rural amenities and enhancement of physical assets including infrastructure for biodiversity and Natura 2000 management.
Amendment 16 Article 9, paragraph 2 a (new)
	Integrated projects requiring the participation and/or cooperation of several local authorities shall be deemed to be an indicator of added value for the purposes of ERDF actions in rural areas.
Justification
The aim of the amendment is to encourage integrated regional projects involving cooperation between different municipalities.
Amendment 17 Article 10, paragraph 2
Without prejudice to Article 3 and 4, the ERDF shall in particular contribute towards the financing of investments aimed at improving accessibility, promoting and developing economic activities related to the cultural heritage, promoting the sustainable use of natural resources, and stimulating the tourism sector.	Without prejudice to Articles 3 and 4, the ERDF shall in particular contribute towards the financing of investments aimed at improving accessibility (in terms of infrastructure, networks and services), encouraging economic diversification, promoting and developing economic activities related to the cultural heritage, promoting the sustainable use and protection of natural resources, and stimulating the tourism sector.
Or. fr
Justification
The issue of accessibility is of fundamental importance to help regions with natural handicaps and it would also seem important to clearly specify the direction development should take. Often, areas with natural handicaps concentrate excessively on single activities and encouraging economic diversity may benefit their development. Sustainable use of natural resources should be linked to their protection.
Amendment 18 Article 12, point (1)
1) an analysis of the situation of the cooperation area in terms of its strengths and weaknesses, and the strategy adopted to deal with it;	1) an analysis of the situation of the cooperation area in terms of its strengths and weaknesses and sustainable development objectives, and the strategy adopted to deal with it, taking account of sustainability criteria, i.e. the impact on nature, heritage (including sites of historical interest) and economic and demographic imbalances;
Justification
All the national strategies should take into account the European sustainable development strategy goals. Operational programmes should provide clear information concerning their impact on nature and heritage analysed by experts in the field.
Amendment 19 Article 12, point (3)
3) the information on the priorities with their specific goals. Those goals shall be quantified using a limited number of indicators for implementation, results and impact. The indicators shall make it possible to measure the progress and effectiveness of the goals implementing the priorities;	3) the information on the priorities with their specific goals. Those goals shall be quantified using a limited number of indicators for implementation, results and impact. The indicators shall make it possible to measure the progress and effectiveness of the goals implementing the priorities and shall relate to the socio-economic, structural and environmental situation;
Justification
Projects and programmes should be assessed by a mixture of environmental, social and economic indicators.
Amendment 20 Article 14, paragraph 3 a (new)
	3a. Managing authorities, under the supervision of the Member States, shall publish in a regular and appropriate manner the operations benefiting from Community funding and the appropriations available broken down by eligibility criteria.
Justification
Detailed information on the operations co-financed is important in order to increase the profile of European funding at local level. It would also seem equally important to know the exact amounts available.

PROCEDURE

Title	Proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the European Regional Development Fund
References	COM(2004)0495 – C6-0089/2004 – 2004/0167(COD)]
Committee responsible	REGI
Committee asked for its opinion   Date announced in plenary	ENVI 1.12.2004
Enhanced cooperation
Drafts(wo)man   Date appointed	Jerzy Buzek 1.9.2004
Discussed in committee	15.3.20005
Date amendments adopted	21.4.2005
Result of final vote	for: against: abstentions:		33 0 0
Members present for the final vote	Georgs Andrejevs, Dorette Corbey, Avril Doyle, Anne Ferreira, Karl-Heinz Florenz, Françoise Grossetête, Cristina Gutiérrez-Cortines, Satu Hassi, Mary Honeyball, Holger Krahmer, Urszula Krupa, Jules Maaten, Roberto Musacchio, Riitta Myller, Vittorio Prodi, Dagmar Roth-Behrendt, Guido Sacconi, Richard Seeber, Kathy Sinnott, Bogusław Sonik, María Sornosa Martínez, Antonios Trakatellis, Thomas Ulmer, Anja Weisgerber, Åsa Westlund
Substitutes present for the final vote	Margrete Auken, María del Pilar Ayuso González, Danutė Budreikaitė, Jerzy Buzek, Erna Hennicot-Schoepges, Renate Sommer, Andres Tarand
Substitutes under Rule 178(2) present for the final vote	Albert Deß

• [1]  OJ C ... /Not yet published in OJ.

OPINION of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (21.4.2005)

for the Committee on Regional Development

on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the European Regional Development Fund
(COM(2004)0495 – C6‑0089/2004 – 2004/0167(COD))

Draftsman: Lambert van Nistelrooij

SHORT JUSTIFICATION

The proposal under consideration should be considered together with the General Provisions Regulation (COM (2004) 492 fin.) on the reform of the Union's structural funds and cohesion fund, and this is important for three reasons:

a) It lays down the general rules governing three Funds: the ERDF (being the main instrument of EU regional policy), the European Social Fund (ESF) and the Cohesion Fund;

b) It defines the specific areas of the EU, which will be eligible for financing provided that the objectives (convergence, regional competitiveness and territorial co-operation) are met; the ERDF is therefore a derivative legal instrument;

c) It defines practically most of the general terms and reference for ERDF assistance; hence the ERDF proposal cannot be treated separately from the General Provisions Regulation.

However, the Specific Provisions of the ERDF proposal may be examined against one criterion called 'the syndrome of peripherality'. It encompasses the hindrances (i.e. natural endowment, insufficient capital accumulation, lack of dynamism due to low human capital, poor infrastructure, poor services, non-existent cultural activities, etc.), which cause divergence of economic performance and activity and of economic well-being (GDP per capita).

Given this underlying premise, the draftsman concentrates on the ITRE competence in matters related to industrial policy and SMEs, research and science, energy, telecommunications, information society and TENs in energy and telecommunications. It is important to explain that these policies contribute significantly to regional development.

Furthermore, the draftsman underlines the lack of competence conferred on the European Parliament in matters related to the real causes of regional disparities. Yet he proposes substantial modifications to the EU regional policy.

The purpose and scope described in the Commission's ERDF proposal are welcomed by the draftsman but they need clarity and further elaboration in view of the stock of knowledge the EU has gained since the creation of the ERDF and the new priorities set out in the revised Lisbon Agenda and the Financial Perspectives for 2007-2013.

The importance of innovations should be embedded in the proposal. Inclusion of the Lisbon and Göteborg agendas and the proposals made by the Kok-report should be seen as essential conditions for attaining the objectives of the ERDF. A flexible interpretation of the innovative actions in order to create exchange of information and gain from experience and best practices should be welcome. The innovative actions should create the opportunity for regions to experiment in the fields having a potential for the future. Regions and local authorities have a role in defining the scope of European Regional policy.

The SMEs are at the base of the production structure of the regions. They should be given the opportunity to anticipate the new innovative challenges and to put them in practice as close to the citizens as possible. Less bureaucracy, transparency and new mechanisms of inducing investment and securing funding are necessary for making it easier for SMEs and other private actors to gain access to the European programmes and to execute the programmes in the most efficient way.

There are other factors influencing the regional development and policy. One of them is associated with new forms of endogenous cooperation conceived to provide for synergies of regions and Member States with other funding opportunities (i.e. between Objective 2 (ERDF) and the research Framework Programme ), flexibility in the co-financing of the programmes, including a well-specified private-public partnership (PPP), and more effective means of implementation of the regional policy. These new forms are partnerships such as private/public consortia, civil society/universities, SMEs/local authorities, etc.. The draftsman welcomes the Commission's proposals focusing on the importance of cross-border cooperation.

All these issues are transposed in appropriate amendments accompanied by brief justifications.

AMENDMENTS

The Committee on Industry, Research and Energy calls on the Committee on Regional Development, as the committee responsible, to incorporate the following amendments in its report:

Text proposed by the Commission[1]	Amendments by Parliament
Amendment 1 Recital 3
(3) The ERDF should provide assistance within the framework of an overall strategy for cohesion policy which ensures greater concentration of assistance on the priorities of the Community, particularly outside the less-developed regions.	(3) The ERDF should provide assistance within the framework of an overall strategy for cohesion policy which ensures greater concentration of assistance on the priorities of the Community and seeks to address the underlying causes of regional disparities, particularly in the less-developed regions.
Justification
This amendment should be considered in conjunction with the one introduced to Article 2. It adds to the overall strategy of the ERDF, i.e. the priority of this Fund to address and eradicate the causes of regional disparity.
Amendment 2 Recital 6
(6) Building on the experience and strengths of the Urban Community initiative foreseen by Article 20(1)(b) of Council Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999 of 21 June 1999 laying down general provisions on the Structural Funds[2], the urban dimension should be reinforced by fully integrating measures in that field into the operational programmes co-financed by the ERDF.	(6) Building on the experience and strengths of the Urban Community initiative foreseen by Article 20(1)(b) of Council Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999 of 21 June 1999 laying down general provisions on the Structural Funds[3], the urban dimension should be reinforced by fully integrating measures in that field into the operational programmes co-financed by the ERDF. In doing so, local development and employment initiatives and their innovation potential should play an important role.
Amendment 3 Recital 8 a (new)
	(8a) It is desirable to enlarge the means and areas of support under the convergence objective by introducing a new mechanism of assistance to SMEs and a new approach to regional development by making available to SMEs, free of charge, the fruits of research financed wholly by public funds.
Justification
This amendment introduces an innovative approach to research. First, it obliges those research institutes financed wholly by public (European or national) budgets to offer the results of their research to SMEs seeking to transpose it into a concrete industrial application. Second, it specifies the conditions for a direct transfer of knowledge gained by public funds to those interested in developing it further for the purpose of regional development.
Amendment 4 Article 2
The ERDF shall contribute to the financing of assistance towards the reinforcement of economic, social and territorial cohesion by reducing regional disparities and supporting the structural development and adjustment of regional economies, including the conversion of declining industrial regions.	The ERDF shall contribute to the financing of assistance seeking to reinforce the economic, social and territorial cohesion by addressing and dealing with the underlying causes of regional disparities and supporting the structural development and adjustment of regional economies, including the conversion of declining industrial regions.
In so doing, the ERDF shall give effect to the priorities of the Community, and in particular the need to strengthen competitiveness and innovation, to create sustainable jobs, and to promote environmentally sound growth.	In so doing, the ERDF shall give effect to the priorities of the Community, and in particular the need to strengthen competitiveness by an approach linking innovation to regional development, with specific attention being paid to the role of the regions in the Technology Platforms, to create sustainable jobs, and to promote environmentally sound growth.
Justification
This amendment makes the case that the main purpose of the ERDF is to uproot the causes of regional disparities. Hence ERDF assistance should be concentrated on the underlying factors inducing and accentuating regional disparities. Furthermore it clarifies that innovations per se do not necessarily lead to lessening regional disparities, nor do they lead to sustainable growth. On the other hand, an innovations approach would help induce a multiplier effect on job creation.
Amendment 5 Article 3, paragraph 2, point (b)
b) infrastructure;	b) physical and technological infrastructure;
Justification
The two adjectives: 'physical and technological' define the type of infrastructure considered eligible for ERDF financing. Infrastructure of any kind would not necessarily contribute to increasing the productivity of regions. Hence the clarification proposed by this amendment becomes necessary.
Amendment 6 Article 3, paragraph 2, point (c)
c) other development initiatives including services to enterprises, creation and development of financing instruments such as venture capital, loan and guarantee funds and local development funds, interest subsidies, neighbourhood services, and exchange of experience between regions, towns, and relevant social, economic and environmental actors;	c) development initiatives consisting of services to enterprises, creation and development of financing instruments such as venture capital, loan and guarantee funds and local development funds, interest subsidies, neighbourhood services, and networking or exchange of experience between regions, towns, joint local initiatives and relevant social, economic and environmental actors;
Justification
The first part of the amendment is definitional in the sense that the 'development initiatives' should be specific, not abstract notions. The second part introduces the 'networking of experience' as an innovative means to attaining the scope of ERDF assistance, together with 'joint local initiatives', which promote the participation of the local authorities in regional development.
Amendment 7 Article 4, point (1)
1) Research and technological development (R&TD), innovation and entrepreneurship, including strengthening of regional research and technological development capacities, aid to R&TD in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and to technology transfer, improvement of links between SMEs and universities, and research and technology centres, development of business networks and clusters, support for the provision of business and technology services to groups of SMEs, fostering of entrepreneurship and innovation funding for SMEs through new financing instruments;	1) Research and technological development (R&TD), innovation and entrepreneurship, including strengthening of regional research and technological development capacities and closing the technology gap between regions, aid to R&TD in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and to technology transfer, improvement of links between SMEs and universities, and research and technology centres, development of business networks and clusters, support for the provision of business and technology services to groups of SMEs, fostering of entrepreneurship and innovation funding for SMEs through new financing instruments and co-financing of regional venture and local investment development funds to create a leverage effect and attract private capital to support economic development of the region;
Justification
To reduce the digital gap existing between regions. As finding the start-up and development capital is one the major problems for SMEs, it is necessary to attract private investors through creation of venture capital funds and their co-financing from public sources. These funds are one of the best instruments to support economic development of the country by providing SMEs with the necessary resources to increase their innovative potential.
Amendment 8 Article 4, point (1 a) (new)
	(1a) Research financed wholly by public funds via the EC budget or national research institutes, which are not yet patented, may be offered to SMEs free of charge provided that such research is directly transformed into an innovation leading to an industrial good entailing less energy content;
Justification
In the EU and in most Member States, there is no mechanism by which research undertaken by universities or research institutes would lead to an industrial application. This missing mechanism constitutes a hindrance to development and this amendment seeks to remedy it. It introduces a new mechanism of support for SMEs by applying existing knowledge originating in research institutes to industrial innovation. Such research was rendered possible because of public sector financing. However, if not used appropriately, public funding is wasted. On the other hand, if offered to SMEs under minimum legal provisions, they would be encouraged to invest in new products.
Amendment 9 Article 4, point (2)
2) Information society, including development of local content, services and applications, improvement of access to and development of on-line public services, aid and services to SMEs to adopt and effectively use information and communication technologies (ICTs);	2) Information society, including development of local content, services and applications, improvement of access to and development of on-line public services, aid and services to SMEs to adopt and effectively use information and communication technologies (ICTs) or to exploit new ideas;
Justification
This amendment is the logical follow-up of the underlying premise of ICTs. Essentially, the information society should embrace the 'exploitation of new ideas'.
Amendment 10 Article 4, point (4)
4) Prevention of risks, including development and implementation of plans to prevent and cope with natural and technological risks;	4) Prevention of risks stemming from the development of the financial or capital markets, including development and implementation of plans to prevent and cope with natural and technological risks;
Justification
There are many sources of risk, requiring different techniques or approaches to their 'prevention'. For the regions covered by this regulation, an important source of risk is the volatility of the 'financial or capital markets', which affects adversely ex-ante investment. Hence a public guarantee would ensure an element of support and less uncertainty.
Amendment 11 Article 4, point (6)
6) Transport investments, including trans-European networks and integrated city-wide strategies for clean urban transport, which contribute to improving the access to and quality of passenger and goods services, to achieving a more balanced modal split, to promoting intermodal systems and reducing environmental impacts;	6) Transport investments, including trans-European networks, major European technological and logistical projects and integrated city-wide strategies for clean urban transport, which contribute to improving the access to and quality of passenger and goods services, to achieving a more balanced modal split, to promoting intermodal systems and reducing environmental impacts;
Justification
Including investment in major technical, logistical and spatial projects under the convergence objective.
Amendment 12 Article 4, point (8)
8) Education investments, which contribute to increasing the attractiveness and quality of life in regions;	8) Education investments, which contribute to increasing the attractiveness and quality of life in regions through the application of new technologies (such as digital blackboards) to facilitate remote access;
Justification
Closing the technology gap between regions in the field of education through the application of new technologies.
Amendment 13 Article 5, introductory part
Under the 'Regional competitiveness and employment' objective, the ERDF shall focus its assistance, in the context of regional sustainable development strategies, on the following priorities:	Under the 'Regional competitiveness and employment' objective, the ERDF shall take into account the objectives of the 7th Framework Programme and shall focus its assistance, in the context of regional sustainable development strategies, in the following areas:
Justification
It is essential that better synergy exists between the framework funding programme and the structural funding programme.
Amendment 14 Article 5, point (1)
1) innovation and the knowledge economy, through support to the design and implementation of regional innovation strategies conducive to efficient regional innovation systems, and specifically:	1) innovation and the knowledge economy, through support to the design and implementation of regional innovation strategies conducive to efficient regional innovation systems, or through the transposition of research wholly funded by the EC or Member States' budgets leading into new industrial goods or new services, and specifically:
Justification
See amendments to recital 8a (new) and to Article 4(1a) (new) for the logic of this proposal.
Amendment 15 Article 5, point (1) (b)
b) stimulating innovation in SMEs by promoting university-enterprise cooperation networks, by supporting business networks and clusters of SMEs and by facilitating SMEs’ access to advanced business support services, by supporting the integration of cleaner and innovative technologies in SMEs;	b) stimulating innovation in SMEs by promoting business support agencies-research centres, civil-society enterprise and university-enterprise cooperation networks, and other inter-sectoral cooperation networks, by supporting business networks and clusters of SMEs and by facilitating SMEs’ access to advanced business support services, by supporting the integration of cleaner and innovative technologies in SMEs;
Justification
Partnerships are new forms of cooperation seeking to promote industrial innovation. This amendment simply introduces the civil society-university partnership.
All relevant institutions should be involved in networking with SMEs in order to facilitate innovations and their implementation and to facilitate transfer of know-how and knowledge.
Innovative approaches could be developed not only within the university-enterprise framework or specialised business networks but also through new ways of inter-sectoral cooperation.
Amendment 16 Article 5, point (1) (c a) (new)
	ca) promoting public-private partnership in the production of products and services;
Justification
This is a clarifying amendment that adds the 'public-private partnership' to the armoury of instruments.
Amendment 17 Article 5, point (1) (d)
d) creating new financial instruments and incubation facilities conducive to the creation or expansion of knowledge-intensive firms.	d) creating new financial instruments and facilities conducive to the research and technological development capacity of SMEs and encouraging entrepreneurship and new business formation by the use of investment capital and incubation facilities.
Justification
It is essential that better synergy exists between the framework funding programme and the structural funding programme.
Amendment 18 Article 5, point (1) (d a) (new)
	(da) creating new regional markets for ecological products;
Justification
There is need to enlarge or even create the regional markets whose size determines regional specialisation and creation of sustainable jobs. Ecological products are in the main the natural endowments of peripheral regions. Yet there are no organised markets for such products.
Amendment 19 Article 5, point (1) (d b) (new)
	db) building and equipping technological centres and research and development centres.
Justification
To support the development of innovation policy.
Amendment 20 Article 5, point (2) (b)
(b) stimulating energy efficiency and renewable energy production;	(b) stimulating energy efficiency and renewable energy production, developing efficient energy management systems;
Amendment 21 Article 5, point (2 a) (new)
	(2 a) and for tourism, including the promotion of natural and cultural assets as potential for the development of sustainable tourism protection and enhancement of the cultural heritage in support of economic development, aid to improve the supply of tourism services through new high value-added services.
Justification
Tourism and promotion of natural and cultural assets play an important part in building regional competitiveness and employment. This premise has been accepted under the present round of structural funds and has been successfully used to achieve targets. There is no reason why targeting under the subjects outlined in 4 (5) should be confined to the least developed Member States alone, particularly since the purpose of the fund outlined in Article 2 talks about 'supporting the structural development and adjustment of regional economies, including the conversion of declining industrial regions'.
Amendment 22 Article 6, point (1)
1) the development of cross-border economic and social activities through joint strategies for sustainable territorial development, and primarily:	1) the development of cross-border research, energy, economic, social and cultural activities through joint strategies for sustainable territorial development, and primarily:
Justification
This is a pure clarification, possibly a missing activity that seems to be necessary for cross-border cooperation and better understanding of different cultures.
Amendment 23 Article 6, point (2) (d)
d) the creation of scientific and technological networks connected with issues relating to the balanced development of transnational areas, including the establishment of networks between universities and links for accessing scientific knowledge and technology transfer between R&TD facilities and international centres of R&TD excellence, the development of transnational consortia for sharing R&TD resources, twinning of technology transfer institutions, and development of joint financial engineering instruments directed at supporting R&TD in SMEs.	d) the creation of scientific and technological networks connected with issues relating to the balanced development of transnational areas and closing the technology gap, including the establishment of networks between universities and links for accessing scientific knowledge and technology transfer between R&TD facilities and international centres of R&TD excellence, the development of transnational consortia for sharing R&TD resources, twinning of technology transfer institutions, and development of joint financial engineering instruments directed at supporting R&TD in SMEs.
Justification
To close the technology gap between regions.
Amendment 24 Article 6, point (1) (d a) (new)
	(da) by promoting the decentralised INTERREG management model.
Justification
This amendment clarifies the logic of Recital (12) which lays down specific provisions, one of which is management. The decentralised INTERREG model has proved its worth and therefore should be considered useful for the purpose of territorial cooperation.
Amendment 25 Article 6, point (1), point (d b) (new)
	(db) protection and enhancement of the natural and/or physical cultural heritage in support of economic development, urban or rural regeneration or tourism by promoting the decentralised INTERREG management model.
Justification
This area of activity is not confined simply to local or regional activity. There are clear examples where trans-national cooperation in problem solving and sharing best practice are offering substantial European value added in ways that will not be addressed in networks. Regeneration issues often encompass the historic environment and it has been found that across the EU regions the same problems are being tackled in order to bring about sustainable development. More work needs to be done and transnational projects are an effective means of making progress, ensuring that best available techniques and know-how are employed.
Amendment 26 Article 6, point (3)
3) reinforcement of the effectiveness of regional policy by promoting networking and exchange of experience among regional and local authorities focusing on the topics referred to under Article 5(1) and (2) and Article 8, including cooperation network programmes covering the whole Community and actions involving studies, data collection, and the observation and analysis of development trends in the Community.	3) reinforcement of the effectiveness of regional policy by promoting networking and exchange of experience among regional and local authorities and public bodies focusing on the topics referred to under Article 5(1) and (2) and Article 8, including cooperation network programmes covering the whole Community and actions involving studies, data collection, and the observation and analysis of development trends in the Community.
Justification
The current wording is too restrictive. Great European value-added can be found by facilitating a range of organisations to network so as to improve European standards and expertise in subjects affecting regional policy.
Amendment 27 Article 6, point (3 a) (new)
	(3a) Networking projects shall be coordinated under a single EU wide zone .
	Mid-term evaluation of existing networks such as ESPON, URBAct and INTERACT shall be carried out.
Justification
INTERREG IIIc is currently divided into a North, South, East and West zone. Since the networks demonstrably cut across these zones they are unnecessarily bureaucratic, costly to run and pointless. There is a clear case for rationalising and re-focusing into one EU-wide zone for networks. This would be a more efficient use of the budget and would improve efficiency and delivery of coherent projects.
The current networks funded under INTERREG IIIc include three Commission-sponsored networks for which there has been no review: ESPON, URBAct and INTERACT.
Amendment 28 Article 9, subparagraph 2, point (5 a) (new)
	(5a) Preservation and maintenance of historic farm buildings
Justification
One of the problems facing rural development is the number of derelict farm buildings. This is a problem faced by rural areas throughout the enlarged EU. These are often historic buildings whose preservation and reuse can play an important role in improving the quality of life in rural areas. This would work towards sustainability, but is not investment aid, since the state of these buildings is a result of market failure.
Amendment 29 Article 10, paragraph 2
Without prejudice to Article 3 and 4, the ERDF shall in particular contribute towards the financing of investments aimed at improving accessibility, promoting and developing economic activities related to the cultural heritage, promoting the sustainable use of natural resources, and stimulating the tourism sector.	Without prejudice to Article 3 and 4, the ERDF shall in particular contribute towards the financing of investments aimed at improving accessibility, promoting and developing all kinds of economic activities, not only those related to the cultural heritage, but also those connected with innovation and new technologies particularly suited to the characteristics of the region (rural telecentres, etc.), promoting the sustainable use of natural resources, and stimulating the tourism sector.
Justification
Strengthening innovation policies and new technologies in the field of tourism, in rural areas and other areas suffering natural handicaps.
Amendment 30 Article 11, point (b a) (new)
	ba) support to overcome deficits in technological innovation and research and development (R&TD);
Justification
Problems relating to accessibility are encountered not only in goods transport and transport services, but also and above all in the field of electronic communications, telecommunications and development of the information society.
Amendment 31 Article 17, paragraph 2 a (new)
	(2a) Contributions shall be paid to the lead beneficiary and to the individual beneficiaries before, during and after implementation of a project.
Justification
Many companies and organisations have difficulty accessing risk capital and therefore have liquidity problems when all the contributions are paid long after expenditure has been effected. In extreme cases, projects have had to be abandoned because individual beneficiaries have gone bankrupt. If 25% of the contributions are paid before the project starts, 50% while the project is in progress and 25% after completion, this problem would be remedied.

PROCEDURE

Title	Proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the European Regional Development Fund
References	COM(2004)0495 – C6-0089/2004 – 2004/0167(COD)
Committee responsible	REGI
Committee asked for its opinion   Date announced in plenary	ITRE 1.12.2004
Enhanced cooperation	No
Draftsman   Date appointed	Lambert van Nistelrooij 26.10.2004
Discussed in committee	25.1.2004	17.3.2004		31.3.2004	20.4.2005
Date amendments adopted	20.4.2005
Result of final vote	for: against: abstentions:		42 1 0
Members present for the final vote	Ivo Belet, Šarūnas Birutis, Jan Březina, Jerzy Buzek, Joan Calabuig Rull, Jorgo Chatzimarkakis, Giles Chichester, Lena Ek, Adam Gierek, Umberto Guidoni, András Gyürk, Fiona Hall, Rebecca Harms, Ján Hudacký, Romana Jordan Cizelj, Werner Langen, Anne Laperrouze, Pia Elda Locatelli, Nils Lundgren, Eluned Morgan, Pier Antonio Panzeri, Miloslav Ransdorf, Vladimír Remek, Herbert Reul, Teresa Riera Madurell, Mechtild Rothe, Paul Rübig, Andres Tarand, Britta Thomsen, Catherine Trautmann, Claude Turmes, Nikolaos Vakalis, Alejo Vidal-Quadras Roca
Substitutes present for the final vote	Avril Doyle, Erna Hennicot-Schoepges, Edit Herczog, Lambert van Nistelrooij, Francisca Pleguezuelos Aguilar, Vittorio Prodi, John Purvis, Bernhard Rapkay, Alyn Smith
Substitutes under Rule 178(2) present for the final vote	Richard James Ashworth

• [1]  OJ C ... /Not yet published in OJ.
• [2]               OJ L 161, 26.6.1999, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by the 2003 Act of Accession.
• [3]               OJ L 161, 26.6.1999, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by the 2003 Act of Accession.

OPINION of the Committee on Transport and Tourism (26.4.2005)

for the Committee on Regional Development

on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the European Regional Development Fund
(COM(2004)0495 – C6‑0089/2004 – 2004/0167(COD))

Draftsman: Jaromír Kohlíček

SHORT JUSTIFICATION

This draft regulation defines the tasks of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the types of expenditure eligible for assistance and the scope of its assistance with regard to the objectives of 'convergence', 'regional competitiveness and employment' and 'European territorial cooperation'. These three objectives are defined in the draft Regulation laying down general provisions for the Structural and Cohesion Funds and arrangements for managing and controlling the Funds.

The ERDF is an important contributor to Community investment in transport infrastructure including the trans-European transport networks (TEN-T) and to support for tourism. It is from this perspective that your draftsman has prepared this explanatory statement which addresses which amendments could be made to the draft regulation.

ERDF expenditure on transport in the last programming period (2000 to 2006) is estimated at EUR 29 billion, which comfortably exceeds the amounts extended via the TEN-T budget line itself. The draft regulation gives no amount which must be set aside from the ERDF for transport projects or indeed for the ERDF as a whole. This will be determined in the context of the financial perspective and the budgetary procedure.

Contents of the Draft Regulation

Your draftsman welcomes the fact that both tourism and transport investment is included in the areas which the ERDF will support to achieve the 'convergence' objective (article 4). Equally welcome is the fact that promoting clean urban transport, access to transport outside major urban centres and the strengthening of secondary networks by improving links to TEN-T and other transport infrastructure is a priority in the context of 'regional competitiveness and employment' (Article 4). In the same vein in order to attain 'European territorial co-operation' the ERDF will concentrate on, inter alia, entrepreneurship in tourism; reducing isolation through improved access to transport; investment in the cross-border sections of TEN-T with improved local and regional access to these; and the promotion of maritime security (Article 6). Finally, in duly justified cases financing of up to 10% of the budget may be granted for operations of a cross-border nature where the partner country is not in the EU.

Proposed amendments

While the general direction of the draft regulation is to be welcomed, and clearly a Fund-specific regulation is required to complement the general regulation on the Funds, your draftsman considers that there are areas where amendments would bring greater clarity and focus.

Although ERDF support may be made available in certain circumstances to ports and for co-operation between maritime regions there is no specific reference to ferry services. ERDF appropriations may promote maritime security but no mention is made of security in other transport modes. Moneys may be made available for tourism in rural areas and areas dependent on fisheries but no mention is made of tourism in the context of the urban dimension (Article 8). Support can be provided for goods transport services and start-up for transport services in outermost regions (Article 11) but not as the draft currently stands in areas with natural handicaps.

Your draftsman's proposed amendments address these issues.

AMENDMENTS

The Committee on Transport and Tourism calls on the Regional Committee, as the committee responsible, to incorporate the following amendments in its report:

Text proposed by the Commission[1]	Amendments by Parliament
Amendment 1 Recital 10 a (new)
	(10a) The ERDF should address the problem of accessibility for people with disabilities in the design and implementation of regional development projects, in particular in relation to the extension and upgrading of infrastructures, transport and information communication and technology development, by making funding conditional on dismantling existing barriers and not creating new barriers to accessibility.
Amendment 2 Recital 11
(11) The ERDF should ensure synergy with assistance from the European Social Fund and the Cohesion Fund. It should also ensure complementarity and consistency with other Community policies.	(11) The ERDF should ensure synergy with the European Social Fund and the Cohesion Fund. It should also ensure complementarity and consistency with other Community policies, with special attention being paid to new neighbourhood policy, enlargement and energy policy. It is therefore necessary to synchronise financial instruments managed by the Regional Policy Directorate-General and the Directorate-General for Enlargement of the Commission and to ensure complementarity and synergy between financial instruments for Member States and those for non-Member States.
Justification
ERDF is managed by DG Regio while Tacis and Cards belong to DG Enlargement. Because of differences in regulation and provisions of these tools, cross-border and transnational projects from inside and outside of the Community often cannot be linked.
Amendment 3 Article 2, paragraph 2
In so doing, the ERDF shall give effect to the priorities of the Community, and in particular the need to strengthen competitiveness and innovation, to create sustainable jobs, and to promote environmentally sound growth.	In so doing, the ERDF shall give effect to the priorities of the Community, and in particular:
	- the need to strengthen competitiveness and innovation, to create sustainable jobs, and to promote environmentally sound growth, equality between men and women, non-discrimination and social inclusion;
	- the need to break down barriers faced by disabled people and others with reduced mobility in accessing goods and services by ensuring that accessibility for these groups is a condition of benefiting from the Funds.
Amendment 4 Article 4, point (5)
5) Tourism, including promotion of natural and cultural assets as potential for the development of sustainable tourism, protection and enhancement of the cultural heritage in support of economic development, aid to improve the supply of tourism services through new higher value‑added services;	5) Tourism, including promotion of natural and cultural assets as potential for the development of sustainable tourism accessible to disabled persons, to persons with long‑term or permanent illness and to old age pensioners, protection and enhancement of the cultural heritage in support of economic development, aid to improve the supply of tourism services through new higher value‑added services and facilitate the switch to new and more sustainable models of tourism;
Amendment 5 Article 4, point (6)
6) Transport investments, including trans-European networks and integrated city-wide strategies for clean urban transport, which contribute to improving the access to and quality of passenger and goods services, to achieving a more balanced modal split, to promoting intermodal systems and reducing environmental impacts;	6) Transport investments, including trans-European networks, major European technological and logistical projects (such as GALILEO) and integrated city-wide strategies for clean urban transport, particularly public transport, which contribute to improving accessibility, particularly for disabled persons, for persons with long‑term or permanent illness and for low income old age pensioners, and quality of passenger and goods services, to achieving a more balanced modal split, to promoting intermodal systems and reducing environmental impacts and road accident levels ;
Amendment 6 Article 4, point (8)
8) Education investments, which contribute to increasing the attractiveness and quality of life in regions;	8) Education investments, which contribute to increasing the attractiveness and quality of life in regions through the application of new technologies (such as digital blackboards) to facilitate remote access;

Amendment 7

Article 4, point (9)

9) Health, including investments to develop and improve health provision which contribute to regional development and quality of life in regions;	9) Health, including investments to develop and improve health provision and equal access to health care which contribute to regional development and quality of life in regions;

Amendment 8 Article 5, point (1) (a)
a) enhancing regional R&TD and innovation capacities directly linked to regional economic development objectives by supporting industry or technology-specific competence centres, by promoting technology transfer, and by developing technology forecasting and international benchmarking of policies to promote innovation, and by supporting inter-firm collaboration and joint R&TD and innovation policies;	a) establishing and enhancing regional R&TD and innovation capacities directly linked to regional economic development objectives by supporting industry or technology-specific competence centres, by promoting technology transfer, and by developing technology forecasting and international benchmarking of policies to promote innovation, and by supporting inter-firm collaboration and joint R&TD and innovation policies;
Amendment 9 Article 5, point (2) (a)
a) stimulating investment for the rehabilitation of contaminated sites and land, and promoting the development of infrastructure linked to biodiversity and Natura 2000 contributing to sustainable economic development and diversification of rural areas;	a) stimulating investment for the rehabilitation of contaminated sites and land, and promoting the development of infrastructure linked to biodiversity and Natura 2000 contributing to sustainable development and diversification of rural areas, particularly as regards tourism ; actions should be aimed inter alia at:
	- tourism, including the promotion of natural and cultural assets as potential for the development of sustainable tourism;
	- aid to improve the supply of tourism services through new high-value-added services;
	- the protection and enhancement of the cultural heritage in support of economic development.
Justification
Investment in biodiversity and Natura 2000 is not only linked to direct economic benefits. Tourism and promotion of natural and cultural assets play an important part in building regional competitiveness and employment. This premise has been accepted under the present round of structural funds and has been successfully used to achieve targets.
Amendment 10 Article 5, point (2) (c)
c) promoting clean urban public transport;	c) promoting environmentally friendly public transport;
Amendment 11 Article 5, point (3) (a)
a) strengthening secondary networks by improving links to TEN-transport networks, to regional railway hubs, airports and ports, or to multimodal platforms, by providing radial links to main railways lines, and by promoting regional and local inland waterways;	a) strengthening secondary networks by improving links to TEN-transport networks, to regional railway hubs, airports and ports, or to multimodal platforms, by providing radial links to main railways lines, and by promoting regional and local inland waterways and by supporting the ferry services needed to provide the islands with basic services;
Justification
The use of Community funds to support ferry services must not affect competition in the market economy and should therefore be confined to basic services.
Amendment 12 Article 6, point (1) (b)
b) by encouraging the protection and joint management of the environment;	b) by encouraging the protection and joint management of the environment and natural risk prevention;
Justification
Natural risk prevention has a clear cross-border dimension and should not be excluded from ERDF assistance.
Amendment 13 Article 6, point (1) (d)
d) by developing collaboration, capacity and joint use of infrastructures in particular in sectors such as health, culture and education.	d) by developing collaboration, capacity and joint use of and access to infrastructures in particular in sectors such as health, culture and education.
Amendment 14 Article 6, point (1), conclusion
In addition, the ERDF may contribute to promoting the integration of cross-border labour markets, local employment initiatives, equal opportunities, training and social inclusion, and sharing of human resources and facilities for R&TD.	In addition, the ERDF may contribute to promoting the integration of cross-border labour markets, local employment initiatives, equal opportunities, training and social inclusion, non-discrimination and sharing of human resources and facilities for R&TD.
Amendment 15 Article 6, point (2) (b)
b) improving accessibility, including investments in cross-border sections of trans-European networks, improved local and regional access to national and transnational networks and platforms, enhanced inter-operability of national and regional systems, and promotion of advanced communications and information technologies;	b) improving accessibility, including investments in cross-border sections of trans-European networks, improved local and regional access, particularly from urban areas, to national and transnational networks and platforms, enhanced inter-operability of national and regional systems, and promotion of advanced logistics, communications and information technologies;
Amendment 16 Article 6, point (2) (c)
c) risk prevention, including the promotion of maritime security and protection against flooding, marine and inland water pollution, prevention of and protection against erosion, earthquakes and avalanches. Programmes may include the provision of equipment and development of infrastructure, drawing up and implementing transnational assistance plans, common risk mapping systems, and the development of common instruments for studying, preventing, monitoring and controlling natural and technological risks.	c) risk prevention, including the promotion of transport security and protection against flooding, marine and inland water pollution, prevention of and protection against erosion and desertification , earthquakes and avalanches. Programmes may include the provision of equipment and development of infrastructure, drawing up and implementing transnational assistance plans, common risk mapping systems, and the development of common instruments for studying, preventing, monitoring and controlling natural and technological risks.
Amendment 17 Article 6, point (2) (d)
d) the creation of scientific and technological networks connected with issues relating to the balanced development of transnational areas, including the establishment of networks between universities and links for accessing scientific knowledge and technology transfer between R&TD facilities and international centres of R&TD excellence, the development of transnational consortia for sharing R&TD resources, twinning of technology transfer institutions, and development of joint financial engineering instruments directed at supporting R&TD in SMEs.	d) the creation of scientific and technological networks connected with issues relating to the balanced development of transnational areas and closing the technology gap, including the establishment of networks between universities and links for accessing scientific knowledge and technology transfer between R&TD facilities and international centres of R&TD excellence, the development of transnational consortia for sharing R&TD resources, twinning of technology transfer institutions, and development of joint financial engineering instruments directed at supporting R&TD in SMEs.
Amendment 18 Article 6, point (2), point (d a) (new)
	da) protection and enhancement of the natural and physical cultural heritage in the context of sustainable economic development.
Justification
This area of activity is not confined simply to the local or regional level. There are clear examples where transnational cooperation in problem-solving and sharing best practice are offering substantial European value added.
Amendment 19 Article 8, paragraph 1, subparagraph 2
This may combine the rehabilitation of the physical environment, brownfield redevelopment, and the preservation and development of the historical and cultural heritage with measures to promote entrepreneurship, local employment and community development, as well as the provision of services to the population taking account of changing demographic structures.	This may combine the rehabilitation of the physical environment, brownfield redevelopment, and the preservation and development of the historical and cultural heritage with measures to promote entrepreneurship, tourism, local employment, sustainable mobility and community development, as well as the provision of services to the population taking account of changing demographic structures.
Amendment 20 Article 9, paragraph 2, point (1)
1) infrastructure to improve accessibility;	1) infrastructure to improve accessibility, particularly for tourists;
Amendment 21 Article 9, paragraph 2, point (3)
3) development of new economic activities outside the agricultural and fishery sectors;	3) development of new economic activities outside the agricultural and fishery sectors, particularly through the enhancement of resources having potential for tourism;
Amendment 22 Article 10, paragraph 2
Without prejudice to Article 3 and 4, the ERDF shall in particular contribute towards the financing of investments aimed at improving accessibility, promoting and developing economic activities related to the cultural heritage, promoting the sustainable use of natural resources, and stimulating the tourism sector.	Without prejudice to Article 3 and 4, the ERDF shall in particular contribute towards the financing of investments aimed at improving accessibility for citizens by supporting public utility services and supporting the transportation of basic goods to remote areas, including support for start-ups, promoting and developing economic activities related to the cultural heritage, promoting the sustainable use of natural resources, and stimulating the tourism sector.
Justification
The use of Community funds to support goods transport must not affect competition in the market economy and should therefore be confined to basic services.

Accessibility should be encouraged not only for businesses but also for residents of areas facing handicaps.

PROCEDURE

Title	European Regional Development Fund
Procedure number	2004/0167(COD)
Committee responsible	REGI
Committee asked for its opinion   Date announced in plenary	TRAN 1.12.2004
Enhanced cooperation
Drafts(wo)man   Date appointed	Jaromír Kohlíček 01.9.2004
Discussed in committee	16.3.2005	18.4.2005
Date suggestions adopted	19.4.2005
Result of final vote	for: against: abstentions:		37 0 2
Members present for the final vote	Margrete Auken, Inés Ayala Sender, Etelka Barsi-Pataky, Sylwester Chruszcz, Paolo Costa, Michael Cramer, Luis de Grandes Pascual, Christine De Veyrac, Armando Dionisi, Petr Duchoň, Saïd El Khadraoui, Robert Evans, Mathieu Grosch, Ewa Hedkvist Petersen, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, Stanisław Jałowiecki, Georg Jarzembowski, Dieter-Lebrecht Koch, Jaromír Kohlíček, Jörg Leichtfried, Bogusław Liberadzki, Evelin Lichtenberger, Erik Meijer, Janusz Onyszkiewicz, Josu Ortuondo Larrea, Willi Piecyk, Luís Queiró, Reinhard Rack, Luca Romagnoli, Gilles Savary, Ingo Schmitt, Dirk Sterckx, Gary Titley, Marta Vincenzi, Corien Wortmann-Kool, Roberts Zīle
Substitutes present for the final vote	Fausto Correia, Zita Gurmai, Willem Schuth
Substitutes under Rule 178(2) present for the final vote

• [1]  Not yet published in OJ.

OPINION of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (29.4.2005)

for the Committee on Regional Development

on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the European Regional Development Fund
(COM(2004)0495 – C6‑0089/2004 – 2004/0167(COD))

Draftsman: Gábor Harangozó

SHORT JUSTIFICATION

The enlargement to EU-25 has, more than previous enlargements, introduced areas into the Union that suffer from significant disadvantages. The disparities exist not just in relation to the EU-15, but also in terms of uneven development within and between the new Member States themselves. Nowhere is this clearer than in the gulf between rural and urban areas, again of much more significance to the new members where the agricultural sector plays an important role in the overall economy. These rural areas will continue to undergo far reaching structural changes; therefore it is hard to imagine the EAFRD being the sole financing source for development in rural areas, so an increased focus on rural areas is necessary for the reformed ERDF.

It is indeed of paramount importance to ensure that such disparities are not reinforced by the changes to the ERDF but are combated and that citizens from all parts of the EU are given the opportunities to develop, modernise and enhance their environments, communities, economies and societies, along the lines laid out in the Lisbon and Gothenburg agendas.

The current focus of many Member States' attempts to combat long-term unemployment can often ignore the specific structural, demographic, social and economic factors affecting the countryside and, therefore, the draftsman thinks that provisions to diversify the economy in rural areas have great potential. However, it is important that the focus on developing tourism as an alternative employer doesn't simply result in the creation of low-wage, seasonal jobs in tourism to replace low-paid seasonal jobs in agriculture.

The draftsman suggests specific amendments to integrate rural and isolated areas into the wider economic life of the Union, while attempting to protect unique aspects of rural life that may be lost if such areas are drawn into a tighter, subordinate economic role with the centre. The rolling-out of transport and, particularly, ICT infrastructure offers the prospect of increasing the potential and diversity of economic life in these areas. By making specific reference to peripheral regions and villages with low-density population having low potential to access these infrastructures, the aim is to offset disadvantages, most notably physical distance from economic centres and social services.

Increased and more diverse economic activity should help regions and communities maintain themselves against pressures such as emigration and long-term unemployment, while concepts such as remote working clearly have the potential to turn 'disadvantages', such as isolation and depressed house prices into comparative advantages. Apart from the extension of the physical infrastructure it is important to ensure that isolated people acquire the necessary skills to allow them to have a role in the new economy and to directly target the problems of social exclusion often experienced. Both Commissioners Hübner and Fischer Boel have recently stressed the 'focus on education and training, research and development and promotion of innovation and sustainability' inherent in achieving the goals of the Lisbon agenda and the vital role of regional, urban and rural development.

As a matter of fact, it seems counter-productive to isolate rural development from regional policy and a greater focus on rural needs in these ERDF reforms seems to be a necessity. There is a significant need to implement complex development strategies that on the one hand address the obstacles to proper economic development and that on the other are in synergy with rural development. In this mind-set, the draftsman has some reservations concerning the mono-fund approach as proposed by the Commission.

Appreciable efforts have been made to simplify the administration and management of funds for the implementation of the above-mentioned objectives. In particular, the financial instruments have been reduced to three. Nevertheless, their effective scope remains unclear, especially if the various cohesion policies and their programmes are not better coordinated amongst themselves and with other EU policies.

The new architecture broadens the role of the ERDF not only as a vector for increased financing but, above all, as a benchmark for the alignment of different EU policies and programmes for the implementation of the cited objectives of convergence, competitiveness, employment and territorial cooperation.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Besides all the positive aspects, we would like to give the Commission the following recommendations:

· Ensuring an integrated approach that will allow for complementarily between the different structural plans by ensuring efficient coordination between ERDF, ESF and EAFRD programming and implementation.

· Maintaining synergy between the objective of competitiveness in rural areas and the EAFRD, by including ERDF and ESF actions into the rural strategic plans and drawing up appropriate strategic guidelines for effective coordination.

· Maintaining the integrity of the EAFRD budget (at the level proposed by the Commission), as the EAFRD acts as a necessary complement to European territorial development in rural areas.

· Elaborating on the 'clear demarcation criteria' mentioned in Article 9.

· Considering greater flexibility between the scope of priorities for both Articles 4 and 5.

· Including the word Interreg in the name of the new Objective 3 as this has a long history and a solidly based meaning.

· Considering the inclusion of the specific provisions for the territorial cooperation objective in the general regulation and not in the ERDF regulation.

· Clarifying the relationship between the particular strand of cross-border and transnational cooperation and the European neighbourhood and partnership and the IPA.

· Drawing up appropriate Community guidelines for EGCC since its added value, financing and concrete working procedures are not yet clear.

· Considering greater involvement of decentralised authorities and other social partners for ensuring the fulfilment of the partnership and subsidiarity principles.

· Ensuring equal opportunities between men and women, addressing the specific needs of the disabled as well as ensuring equal opportunities for minorities not only as horizontal goals for ESF but also within the framework of the ERDF.

AMENDMENTS

The Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development calls on the Committee on Regional Development, as the committee responsible, to incorporate the following amendments in its report:

Text proposed by the Commission[1]	Amendments by Parliament
Amendment 1 Recital 1
(1) Article 160 of the Treaty provides that the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) is intended to help redress the main regional imbalances in the Community. The ERDF therefore contributes to reducing the gap between the levels of development of the various regions and the extent to which the less favoured regions and islands, including rural areas, are lagging behind.	(1) Article 160 of the Treaty provides that the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) is intended to help redress the main regional imbalances in the Community. The ERDF therefore contributes to reducing the gap between the levels of development of the various regions and the extent to which the less favoured regions, including rural areas, islands, mountain areas, sparsely populated areas and cross-border regions, are lagging behind.
Justification
This amendment answers the need for completeness by making an explicit reference to all regions that suffer a handicap.
Amendment 2 Recital 6 a (new)
	(6a) The ERDF should play a particular role in favour of local economic development, in the context of raising the quality of life and developing the territory, especially by promoting territorial employment pacts, programmes for integrated urban development, rural development and employment initiatives.
Justification
To speed up the convergence of the less developed regions, many of which are experiencing rising unemployment, it is necessary to promote employment initiatives.
Amendment 3 Recital 7
(7) Particular attention should be paid to guaranteeing complementarity and consistency between support granted by the ERDF and that granted by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development pursuant to Regulation (EC) No (...) [6] and by the European Fund for Fisheries pursuant to Regulation (EC) No (...) [7]. Programmes co-financed by the ERDF should therefore support the diversification of the rural economies and the areas dependent on fisheries, away from traditional activities.	(7) Particular attention should be paid to guaranteeing complementarity and consistency between support granted by the ERDF and that granted by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development pursuant to Regulation (EC) No (...) [6] and by the European Fund for Fisheries pursuant to Regulation (EC) No (...) [7]. Programmes co-financed by the ERDF should therefore support the diversification of the economy and the cultural development of rural areas and the areas dependent on fisheries, away from traditional activities.
Amendment 4 Recital 10
(10) The ERDF should address the problems of accessibility and remoteness from large markets confronting areas with an extremely low population density, as referred to in Protocol No 6 to the Act of Accession of Austria, Finland and Sweden. The ERDF should also address the specific difficulties encountered by certain islands, mountain areas and sparsely populated areas whose geographical situation slows down their development.	(10) The ERDF should address the problems of accessibility and remoteness from large markets confronting areas with an extremely low population density, as referred to in Protocol No 6 to the Act of Accession of Austria, Finland and Sweden. The ERDF should also address the specific difficulties encountered by islands, mountain areas, rural areas, sparsely populated areas and cross-border areas whose situation slows down their development, with the aim of supporting independent sustainable development in these regions.
Justification
Here, the aim is to bring the wording of recital 10 in line with the amendments proposed under recital 1 to ensure better consistency.
Amendment 5 Recital 13
(13) It is necessary to support an effective cross-border and transnational cooperation with countries neighbouring the Community where this is necessary to ensure that the regions of the Member States which border third-countries can be effectively assisted in their development. Accordingly, it is appropriate to authorise on an exceptional basis the financing of assistance from the ERDF for projects located on the territory of third countries where they are for the benefit of the regions of the Community.	(13) It is necessary to support an effective cross-border and transnational cooperation with countries neighbouring the Community where this is necessary to ensure that the regions of the Member States which border third-countries can be effectively assisted in their development. Accordingly, it is appropriate to authorise on an exceptional basis the financing of assistance from the ERDF for projects located on the territory of third countries where they are for the benefit of the regions of the Community. It also is necessary to ensure proper weighting of the distribution of the financial resources between the transnational and cross-border strands of the 'European territorial cooperation' objective. The cross-border strand requires particular attention since the borders of the Union have extended significantly and many of the regions lagging behind are border regions.
Justification
This amendment aims at ensuring that the necessary financial means will be available for coping with the new challenges for the cross-border strand of European territorial cooperation in an enlarged Union.
Amendment 6 Recital 13 a (new)
	(13a) The difference between the needs of the regions eligible for the 'Regional competitiveness and employment' objective has significantly increased with the enlargement of the Union. Since the subsidiarity principle should allow regional authorities to define their priorities, more flexibility has to be given to the scope of intervention of Article 5. Nevertheless, it should not imply any changes in the distribution amongst the three objectives of the financial resources dedicated to the ERDF. The financial framework should be preserved as laid down in Regulation (EC) No…./2005.
Justification
With this new recital, the draftsman aims at ensuring that the necessity of broadening the scope of assistance under Article 5 will not lead to a different weighting of the distribution of the financial resources amongst the three ERDF objectives at the expense of the convergence objective, which remains the main ERDF assistance objective.
Amendment 7 Article 1, paragraph 2
It lays down specific provisions concerning the treatment of urban and rural areas, of areas dependent on fisheries, of the outermost regions, and of areas with natural handicaps.	It lays down specific provisions concerning the treatment of urban and rural areas, of areas dependent on fisheries, of the outermost regions, and of areas with natural or demographic handicaps.
Justification
An explicit reference to demographic handicaps addresses the need of completeness and also allows Article 1 to cover sparsely populated areas as well.
Amendment 8 Article 2, paragraph 1
The ERDF shall contribute to the financing of assistance towards the reinforcement of economic, social and territorial cohesion by reducing regional disparities and supporting the structural development and adjustment of regional economies, including the conversion of declining industrial regions.	The ERDF shall contribute to the financing of assistance towards the reinforcement of economic, social and territorial cohesion by reducing regional disparities and supporting the structural development and adjustment of regional economies, including strengthening competitiveness and innovation, creation of sustainable jobs, social inclusion and equality of opportunity, protection and improvement of the environment, conversion of declining industrial regions and the promotion of sustainable and balanced development throughout the Union, taking into account the specific needs of the disabled as well as the need to correct the particular disadvantages arising from remoteness, isolation or insularity.
Justification
This rewording allows a more precise definition of permitted operations.
Amendment 9 Article 4, point 3
3) Environment, including investments connected with waste management, water supplies, urban waste-water treatment and air quality, integrated pollution prevention and control, rehabilitation of contaminated sites and land, promotion of biodiversity and nature protection, aid to SMEs to promote sustainable production patterns through the introduction of cost-effective environmental management systems and the adoption and use of pollution-prevention technologies;	3) Environment, including investments connected with waste management, water supplies, urban waste-water treatment and air quality, integrated pollution prevention and control, rehabilitation of contaminated sites and land, rehabilitation of publicly owned common areas in deteriorated urban neighbourhoods, development of urban green areas, noise prevention, water quality protection, water management, promotion of clean public transport, risk prevention, landscape planning in rural areas, promotion of biodiversity, protection of animals and nature protection, aid to SMEs to promote sustainable production patterns through the introduction of cost-effective environmental management systems and the adoption and use of pollution-prevention technologies;
Justification
The aim is to include some of the aspects under the convergence objective affecting significantly more regions than are currently only eligible under the regional competitiveness and or the European territorial cooperation objectives. Furthermore, the environmental aspect of urban rehabilitation should also be taken into account.
Amendment 10 Article 4, point 5
5) Tourism, including promotion of natural and cultural assets as potential for the development of sustainable tourism, protection and enhancement of the cultural heritage in support of economic development, aid to improve the supply of tourism services through new higher value-added services;	5) Tourism, including promotion of natural, cultural and historical assets as potential for the development of sustainable tourism, promotion of physical culture and sport, protection and enhancement of the cultural heritage in support of economic development, aid to improve the supply of tourism services through new higher value-added services;
Justification
To meet the objective of convergence, Fund support should be given inter alia to tourism, including the promotion of natural and cultural assets. The historical heritage should also be included here (e.g. commemoration of places linked to important historical events). This is essential because in Article 8 the historical heritage is mentioned as a value separate from the cultural heritage. The goal of promoting tourism needs to be supplemented by the promotion of the closely related area of physical culture and sport. The aim is to improve the quality of life in regions which are lagging behind and physical culture and sport are obvious ways of doing this. The Fund should support investment in these areas, both in cities and in rural areas.
Amendment 11 Article 4, point 6
6) Transport investments, including trans-European networks and integrated city-wide strategies for clean urban transport, which contribute to improving the access to and quality of passenger and goods services, to achieving a more balanced modal split, to promoting intermodal systems and reducing environmental impacts;	6) Transport investments, including trans-European networks and road construction and upgrading outside the TEN-T backbone taking into account the need to create links with island, rural, landlocked and otherwise remote regions and between those regions and the Union's core areas, and integrated city-wide strategies for clean urban transport, which contribute to improving the access to and quality of passenger and goods services, to achieving a more balanced modal split, to promoting intermodal systems and reducing environmental impacts;
Justification
The construction and upgrading of roads outside the TEN-T backbone should explicitly appear in the text of the regulation especially as a reference to the Commission’s comment on the SAWP meeting of 1 October, at which the Commission argued that TEN-T is financed from the Cohesion Fund and the secondary systems from the ERDF in case of roads as well. The second part of the amendment provides more focus on transport needs in peripheral regions.
Amendment 12 Article 4, point 8
8) Education investments, which contribute to increasing the attractiveness and quality of life in regions;	8) Education investments, which contribute to increasing the attractiveness and quality of life in regions and helping to provide equal educational opportunities;
Justification
The Fund rightly supports investment in education (Article 4, point 8) in an effort to help increase the attractiveness and quality of life in the regions. Efforts to provide equal educational opportunities should also be included here. This is a matter of vital importance. One of the most troublesome aspects of life in rural areas is the difficulty of access to education, with the remoteness of schools, the need for long and expensive journeys, and so on. In addition, the maintenance of schools in rural areas is more expensive, owing to demographic factors and the lower number of pupils. The Fund should therefore also support investment designed to provide equal educational opportunities in rural areas.
Amendment 13 Article 4, point 9
9) Health, including investments to develop and improve health provision which contribute to regional development and quality of life in regions;	9) Health, including investments to develop and improve health provision, disease prevention and easier access to medical services which contribute to regional development and quality of life in regions;
Justification
To meet the objective of convergence, the Fund rightly supports investment in health services, although aid in this sector should not be confined to developing and improving health provision, but should also extend to disease prevention, and - particularly important in rural areas - improving access to medical services, since inhabitants of rural areas are usually at a disadvantage in this field.
Amendment 14 Article 5, introductory part
Under the 'Regional competitiveness and employment' objective, the ERDF shall focus its assistance, in the context of regional sustainable development strategies, on the following priorities:	Under the 'Regional competitiveness and employment' objective, the ERDF shall focus its assistance, in the context of regional sustainable development strategies, primarily on the following priorities:
Justification
The draftsman considers that the list of priorities should not be exclusive, but allow the ERDF to take into account the specific needs and the heterogeneous nature of the regions and their development and relative competitiveness.
Amendment 15 Article 5, point 2
c) promoting clean urban public transport;	c) promoting clean public transport;
Justification
There is no obvious reason why improvements in this field should be limited to urban areas as rural public transport tends to cover a far greater distance per customer journey.
Amendment 16 Article 5, point 3, (b a)(new)
	ba) facilitating dissemination of the knowledge economy in isolated and rural areas, by promoting the adoption and exploitation of ICT to add value, diversify and expand economic activity.
Amendment 17 Article 6, point 1, (b a) (new)
	ba) by promoting the sustainable development of rural areas;
Amendment 18 Article 7, point a
a) VAT;	a) reimbursable VAT;
Justification
This would ensure that the rule endorses previous and ongoing practices for ERDF programmes. It would also comply with the provisions of the ESF regulation and so avoid incomprehensible discrepancies within the European cohesion policy.
Amendment 19 Article 9, paragraph 1
Member States and regions shall ensure complementarity and consistency between the measures co-financed by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) pursuant to Regulation (EC) No (...) and the actions co-financed by the European Fund for Fisheries (EFF) pursuant to Regulation (EC) No (...), on the one hand, and the programmes co-financed by the ERDF, on the other.	Member States and regions shall ensure complementarity and consistency between the measures co-financed by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) pursuant to Regulation (EC) No (...), as provided for by Article 11(3), fifth indent, of the Regulation in question, and the actions co-financed by the European Fund for Fisheries (EFF) pursuant to Regulation (EC) No (...), on the one hand, and the programmes co-financed by the ERDF, on the other.
Justification
This amendment seeks to recall and draw attention to the provision in the new European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development Regulation in order to make clear that the need for synergy between the agricultural development policy and cohesion policy is a common factor in planning the two policies.
Amendment 20 Article 9, paragraph 2, point 1
1) infrastructure to improve accessibility;	1) infrastructure to improve the accessibility and the attractiveness of such areas;
Amendment 21 Article 9, paragraph 2, point 3
3) development of new economic activities outside the agricultural and fishery sectors;	3) development of economic activities outside the agricultural and fishery sectors;
Justification
Assistance should not simply be limited to new activities but also to deepening and improving already existing ones.
Amendment 22 Article 9, paragraph 2, point 4 a (new)
	4a) development of training measures in rural areas;
Amendment 23 Article 9, paragraph 2, point 5
5) development of tourism and rural amenities.	5) development of sustainable tourism, recreational amenities and cultural life in rural areas.
Amendment 24 Article 9, paragraph 2, point 5 a (new)
	5a) the production of biofuels and / or use of energy from renewable sources.
Justification
The rural areas should contribute to the ambitious target of the European Union of producing 12% of its gross income energy consumption by using renewable energy sources.
Amendment 25 Article 9, paragraph 2, point 5 b (new)
	5b) investments in energy efficiency (infrastructure, technical support and information to end-users).
Amendment 26 Article 10, paragraph 2
Without prejudice to Article 3 and 4, the ERDF shall in particular contribute towards the financing of investments aimed at improving accessibility, promoting and developing economic activities related to the cultural heritage, promoting the sustainable use of natural resources, and stimulating the tourism sector.	Without prejudice to Articles 3, 4 and 5, the ERDF shall in particular contribute towards the financing of investments aimed at improving accessibility, promoting and developing economic activities related to the cultural heritage, promoting job creation and the sustainable use of natural resources, and stimulating the tourism sector and the comprehensive development and diversification of rural areas.

Justification

Unemployment is a significant factor in the movement of people away from naturally handicapped areas.

Amendment 27 Article 12, point 3 a (new)
	3a) an assessment of the impact on employment in the areas concerned and their territorial neighbours, including labour patterns, seasonal effects and skills;
Justification
The likely effects on employment should be examined when establishing operational programmes under the 'European territorial cooperation' objective, in order to better coordinate plans that may cut across educational, social and territorial divisions.
Amendment 28 Article 14, paragraph 3
3. Each Member State participating in the operational programme shall appoint representatives to sit on the monitoring committee referred to in Article 64 of Regulation (EC) No (…).	3. Each Member State participating in the operational programme shall appoint representatives to sit on the monitoring committee referred to in Article 64 of Regulation (EC) No (…), ensuring that the participating regional and local authorities are appropriately represented, in accordance with the institutional framework.
Justification
Here the main aim is to ensure consistency with the partnership and subsidiarity principles.

PROCEDURE

Title	European Regional Development Fund
References	COM(2004)0495 – C6 0089/2004 – 2004/0167(COD)
Committee responsible	REGI
Committee asked for its opinion   Date announced in plenary	AGRI 1.12.2004
Enhanced cooperation	--
Drafts(wo)man   Date appointed	Gábor Harangozó
	5.10.2004
Discussed in committee	3.2.2005	16.3.2005		19.4.2005
Date amendments adopted	19.4.2005
Result of final vote	for:		28
	against:		--
	abstentions:		--
Members present for the final vote	Filip Adwent, Peter Baco, Thijs Berman, Joseph Daul, Albert Deß, Gintaras Didžiokas, Lutz Goepel, Bogdan Golik, Ioannis Gklavakis, Friedrich-Wilhelm Graefe zu Baringdorf, Gábor Harangozó, María Esther Herranz García, Elisabeth Jeggle, María Isabel Salinas García, Agnes Schierhuber, Czesław Adam Siekierski, Marc Tarabella, Kyösti Tapio Virrankoski, Janusz Wojciechowski
Substitutes present for the final vote	Liam Aylward, María del Pilar Ayuso González, Ilda Figueiredo, Milan Horáček, Wiesław Stefan Kuc, Anne Laperrouze, Jan Mulder, Zdzisław Zbigniew Podkański, Karin Resetarits
Substitutes under Rule 178(2) present for the final vote	--

• [1]  OJ C ... /Not yet published in OJ.

OPINION of the Committee on Fisheries (16.3.2005)

for the Committee on Regional Development

on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the European Regional Development Fund
(COM(2004)0495 – C6‑0089/2004 – 2004/0167(COD))Draftsman: Philippe Morillon

SHORT JUSTIFICATION

1.        Background: the structural policy reform

The Commission's proposal forms part of the reform of structural funds. The European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) is also regulated by the proposal for general provisions on the ERDF, the European Social Fund (ESF) and the Cohesion Fund[1], which makes a distinction between the ERDF, the ESF and the Cohesion fund on the one hand and support to fisheries, agriculture and the environment under funding for 'preservation and management of natural resources', on the other. Accordingly, the Commission has proposed that from 2007-2013 the aid for fisheries shall be concentrated on the new European Fisheries Fund (EFF), which will replace the current Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance (FIFG). Thus, the financing of fisheries from the EFF would be separated under its own budget heading. The Commission has anticipated expenditure of EUR 7.6 billion for the CFP, of which 4.963 billion would be allocated to the EFF.

The necessity to revise the ERDF regulations is mainly caused by the challenges arising from enlargement, which has not only aggravated the regional disparities, but has also increased the overall number of EU borders. In its proposal of February 2004 regarding the financial perspectives, the Commission presented an ambitious cohesion policy for the enlarged union, proposing an allocation of EUR 336.1 billion (EUR 373.9 billion before the transfers to the rural and fisheries instruments).

The programmes to be financed from the structural funds would be found among three new objectives of the cohesion policy: convergence, regional competitiveness and employment, and territorial co-operation. In addition, the emphasis on the territorial aspect of the new cohesion policy is visible in the Commission's proposal for the ERDF regulation, where it suggests paying special attention to territorial specifics, in particular to the outermost regions defined in Article 299(2) of the EC Treaty, and the areas with natural handicaps, such as an extremely low population density.

2.        The proposal for the ERDF regulation and fisheries

The proposal defines the tasks of the ERDF, the scope of its assistance, as well as the types of expenditure eligible for assistance. The general eligibility criteria for financing from the structural funds and the cohesion fund are defined in the framework regulation[2].

2.1      Areas dependent on fisheries

Regarding fisheries, the proposal includes specific provisions concerning the treatment of areas dependent on fisheries (Article 9). Member States and regions are obliged to ensure complementarity and consistency between support granted by the ERDF and that granted by the EFF. The ERDF intervention would be concentrated on the economic diversification of the areas dependent on fisheries. Programmes co-financed by the ERDF should therefore support the diversification of the rural economies and the areas dependent on fisheries, away from traditional activities (recital 7).

The ERDF intervention would include:

1) infrastructure to improve accessibility;

2) acceleration of the rolling-out of telecommunication networks and services in rural areas;

3) development of new economic activities outside the agricultural and fisheries sectors;

4) reinforcement of links between urban and rural areas;

5) development of tourism and rural amenities.

For actions under points 1), 3) and 5) Member States shall set clear demarcation criteria when preparing operational programmes for actions to be supported from the ERDF, on the one hand, or from the EFF, on the other.

Thus, outside of the EFF, the cohesion policy would mainly support the diversification of the areas dependent on fisheries away from traditional activities. Due to the transfer of the financing of fisheries into the EFF, and the role of the ERDF as complementary to EFF, justified concerns about the economic value of the ERDF to fisheries can be expressed. The resources available from the ERDF can however become used in a more rational and transparent way.

The reform of the structural funds includes an idea of the EFF as a fund participating in the financing of sustainable development. Further, the fisheries fund reform seems to include an idea of 'sustainable development' as an integrating principle of the EFF, and a concentration on over-fishing as the supposed main socio-environmental threat for fisheries. Other threats for the sea environment, such as the effects of pollution, climate warming, and active sonars have not been considered in this context. Taking into consideration the fields in which activities other than those concerning over-fishing could be carried out, it would be a welcome idea to include in the ERDF Regulation a complementary basis where community financing could be received from the ERDF for other activities aiming at improving the state of the environment of fish stocks than those financed from the EFF.

In addition, the distinctive nature of the socio-economic problems in the fisheries sector, caused by the common fisheries policy and the derogating stocks, should be taken into account while applying the intervention criteria of the cohesion policy.

2.2      Areas with natural handicaps and the outermost regions

In addition to the specific provisions concerning the treatment of areas dependent on fisheries, the proposal includes provisions of a territorial type which concern areas with natural handicaps (Article 10) such as extremely low population density (recital 10), as well as the outermost regions as defined in Article 299(1) of the Treaty (Article 11). These provisions also apply to areas where fisheries plays an important role.

The Commission states that specific attention should be paid to the outermost regions. This would be done by enlarging the scope of the ERDF to the financing of operating aid linked to the compensation of the additional costs in certain sectors into support for goods transport services and start-up aid for transport services, and support linked to storage constraints, the excessive size and maintenance of production tools, and the lack of human capital on the local labour market. The Commission proposes the change of legal basis for these measures, and thus Article 299(2) as a sole legal basis. Until now, the Council has adopted a double legal basis of Article 37 and 299(2) for these types of measures.

As to the areas with natural handicaps[3] such as those with extremely low population density, certain islands, mountain areas and sparsely populated areas whose geographical situation slows down their development, the Commission proposes that the ERDF should address their problems. In particular, the ERDF shall contribute towards the financing of accessibility improving investments, as well as developing economic activities related to the cultural heritage, promoting the sustainable use of natural resources, and stimulating tourism.

3.        Conclusions

In general, the draftsman welcomes the Commission's proposal, including the distinction of the structural funds and the cohesion fund from the EFF. The distinction underlines the complementarity of the EFDR to the EFF and increases the transparency of the use of these funds. However, concentration of the financing of fisheries from the EFF should not imply the overall decrease of Community funding to fisheries and fisheries-dependent areas.

The draftsman wants to point out that, once again, it seems that the specific nature of fisheries and the problems specific to fisheries and fisheries-dependent areas, as distinguished from agriculture, have not been properly addressed by the Commission's proposal. The specific problems of fisheries and areas dependent on fisheries are caused by the obligatory measures which have to be taken in the framework of the common fisheries policy reform, which is aimed at conservation of fish stocks. Overfishing is not the only reason for the collapse of stocks, and the objectives of the common fisheries policy should be better integrated in the other Community policies such as the environmental policy, not only the other way around.

Regarding the proposals for provisions on areas dependent on fisheries, the draftsman agrees on concentrating on the five proposed measures, but underlines that the list should not be exclusive.

The draftsman agrees with the Commission about the need to give specific attention to the outermost regions and to the areas with natural handicaps such as those with extremely low population density. Access to markets and additional costs for transport, storage, as well as to the maintenance of the production tools and the human capital in the local labour market incur extra costs to these geographically unfavourable regions, which still have an outstanding potential both as suppliers of fisheries products and as providers of tourism respecting their cultural heritage. Thus, emphasis on the development of their accessibility infrastructure is most crucial.

Finally, the draftsman wishes to draw attention to the work being undertaken on a definition of a European strategy for the sea, which may lead to the need for a rethinking of policy with regard to certain of these measures.

PROCEDURE

Title	Proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the European Regional Development Fund
References	COM(2004)0495 – C6-0089/2004 – 2004/0167(COD)
Committee responsible	REGI
Committee asked for its opinion   Date announced in plenary	PECH 1.12.2004
Enhanced cooperation
Draftsman   Date appointed	Philippe Morillon 1.9.2004
Discussed in committee	1.2.2005
Date amendments adopted	15.3.2005
Result of final vote	for: against: abstentions:		17 1 0
Members present for the final vote	Elspeth Attwooll, Marie-Hélène Aubert, Niels Busk, Mogens N.J. Camre, David Casa, Carmen Fraga Estévez, Ioannis Gklavakis, Alfred Gomolka, Heinz Kindermann, Henrik Dam Kristensen, Albert Jan Maat, Rosa Miguélez Ramos, Bernard Poignant, Dirk Sterckx, Struan Stevenson, Catherine Stihler, Daniel Varela Suanzes-Carpegna
Substitutes present for the final vote	María Isabel Salinas García
Substitutes under Rule 178(2) present for the final vote

• [1]  COM (2004) 492 final
• [2]  COM (2004) 492 final
• [3]  This refers to accessibility and remoteness from large markets confronting areas with an extremely low population density, as referred to in Protocol No 6 to the Accession of Austria, Finland and Sweden, as well as the specific difficulties encountered by certain islands, mountain areas, and sparsely populated areas whose geographical situation slows down their development.

OPINION of the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality (29.4.2005)

for the Committee on Regional Development

on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the European Regional Development Fund
(COM(2004)0495 – C6‑0089/2004 – 2004/0167(COD))

Draftswoman: Marta Vincenzi

SHORT JUSTIFICATION

Gender mainstreaming is of essential importance to the competitiveness and economic and social cohesion of the European model, and promoting equality between men and women is included among the Union objectives set out in the Treaties (cf. Treaty of Amsterdam). The targets set as part of the European competitiveness strategy (Lisbon Agenda) include raising the number of women in employment to 60% by 2010. The general Structural Funds regulation for the period 2000-2006 (cf. ...) provides for gender mainstreaming at all stages in the planning process, from analysis to the setting of targets, monitoring and assessment. This across-the-board approach needs to be maintained and built upon.

As it stands, the Commission's proposal for a regulation fails to provide for the necessary mainstreaming of equal opportunity objectives in regional development policy. Under the proposal's provisions, the ERDF would be used for regional competitiveness programmes based on support for innovation, the knowledge economy, entrepreneurship, environmental protection and risk prevention. It is significant that explicit reference is made to equal opportunities in connection only with the European territorial cooperation objective (Article 6) and not with the actions coming under the other objectives.

The ESF, on the other hand, would be used to fund national programmes in support of the European employment strategy, with particular reference to social inclusion. This approach tends to indicate that equal opportunities measures would be covered by the ESF alone, which is an unsatisfactory arrangement for a large number of reasons, and one that goes against the principle of gender mainstreaming within the Structural Funds established in Council Resolution 96/C 386/01 of 2 December 1996.

The Member States made a commitment to mainstreaming in connection with the Community Support Frameworks (CSFs), but failed fully to carry that commitment through in terms of practical measures. Given that these instruments are to be discontinued and that Equal, together with the other Community Initiatives, is also to disappear there is a danger that, in general, proper account will not be taken of the extraordinary strategic contribution equal opportunities can make at regional level to improve quality of life, well-being and competitiveness in the EU Member States.

In this connection, attention should be drawn to the role already played by the ERDF during the 2000-2006 programming period in promoting new forms of involvement in the labour market, and in connection with mobility, access to services, safety and environmental protection in urban areas - all of which issues have a major impact on the quality of women's lives. In the proposed regulation, however, no explicit reference is made to implementing gender mainstreaming as an essential added-value means of restoring a proper balance in the regions (Recital 6a (new)).

As regards specific articles of the proposal, the definition of areas requiring additional support that is given in Articles 10 and 11 (areas with natural handicaps and outermost regions) is too restrictive. From an equal opportunities point of view, new criteria are required with a view to introducing measures for regions with marked demographic imbalances which will have a disproportionate impact on women (e.g. regions with a low birth rate and a high concentration of over sixty-fives among the population). In this connection, it should be remembered that Commissioner Hubner gave an assurance that the Commission was in favour of greater attention being paid to regions with major long-term natural or demographic handicaps.

The draftswoman also takes the view that the provision excluding housing from eligibility for a contribution from the ERDF (Article 7, point d) should be reviewed, particularly in connection with the territorial cooperation objective. A derogation for, inter alia, temporary housing for non-Community nationals would facilitate family reunification for workers often obliged to live in precarious accommodation along with fellow workers.

Greater attention should be paid to social inclusion - a Community objective that should not be left solely up to the ESF - and the ERDF share of funding for ESF measures in urban area in connection with the regional competitiveness and employment objective should be increased, so as to ensure greater interaction between the activities of the two funds.

Lastly, there should be balanced participation by men and women in the management, control and audit bodies provided for in the regulation, so as to guard against any discrimination and to foster equal access to ERDF resources. In the past, an imbalance in gender representation has been one of the most abhorrent features of the process for the appointment of members of Structural Fund management, supervisory and control authorities in many of the Member States.

AMENDMENTS

The Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality calls on the Committee on Development, as the committee responsible, to incorporate the following amendments in its report:

Text proposed by the Commission[1]	Amendments by Parliament
Amendment 1 Recital 1 a (new)
	(1a) Article 13 of the Treaty provides that the Community may take action to combat discrimination based on sex, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation.
Amendment 2 Recital 1 b (new)
	(1b) On 3 July 2003 the European Parliament adopted a resolution on ‘gender budgeting - building public budgets from a gender perspective’ (2002/2198(INI)).*
	–––––––––––––– * OJ C 74 E, 24.3.2004, p. 746.
Amendment 3 Recital 5
(5) Efficient and effective implementation of the action supported by the ERDF relies on good governance and partnership among all the relevant territorial and socio-economic actors, and in particular regional and local authorities.	(5) Efficient and effective implementation of the action supported by the ERDF relies on good governance and partnership among all the relevant territorial and socio-economic actors, including non-governmental organisations, inter alia those active in the area of equal opportunities, and in particular regional and local authorities, the social and environmental partners, and the recognised non-governmental organisations engaged in promoting equality of men and women. Member States should ensure that all the competent bodies participate and that decisions are taken democratically.
Amendment 4 Recital 6 a (new)
	(6a) With reference to the Council resolution of 2 December 1996 on mainstreaming equal opportunities for men and women into the European Structural Funds, the promotion of gender equality should be included in ERDF-funded programmes. The dimensions of gender, social inclusion and the fight against all forms of discrimination must be incorporated in the operational programmes funded by the ERDF.
Justification
The principle of gender mainstreaming should be upheld in the ERDF regulation.
Council Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999. of 21 June 1999 laying down general provisions on the Structural Funds makes equal opportunities a key objective of the activities of all the funds. Over and above incorporating the gender dimension, the promotion of social inclusion and the fight against all forms of discrimination must be included as an objective in the operational programmes.
Amendment 5 Recital 8
(8) It is necessary to ensure that the action supported by the ERDF in favour of small and medium sized firms takes into account and supports the implementation of the European Charter for Small and Medium Sized Enterprises adopted at the European Council in Santa Maria de Feira.	(8) It is necessary to ensure that the action supported by the ERDF in favour of small and medium sized firms takes into account and supports the implementation of the European Charter for Small and Medium Sized Enterprises adopted at the European Council in Santa Maria de Feira, and also takes account of the need for special measures to be taken in support of female entrepreneurship.
Justification
Female entrepreneurship in SMEs is severely hampered in many Member States by a lack of proper welfare support. This deters women from working, as can be seen from the particularly high levels of female unemployment. This situation undermines competitiveness, quality of life and the efficiency of the European economic system.

Amendment 6

Recital 8a (new)

	(8a) Particular attention should be given to implementing equal opportunities in the sense of introducing gender mainstreaming into actions co-funded by the ERDF.

Justification

The general Regulation No. 1260/1991 on the structural funds, which applies to the programmes under all the funds, provides for equal opportunities as a fundamental objective of the funds in the sense of introducing gender mainstreaming into actions co-funded by the ERDF.

Amendment 7 Recital 11
(11) The ERDF should ensure synergy with assistance from the European Social Fund and the Cohesion Fund. It should also ensure complementarity and consistency with other Community policies.	(11) The ERDF should ensure synergy with assistance from the European Social Fund and the Cohesion Fund. It should also ensure complementarity and consistency with other Community policies and the integration of the policy of gender equality in the form of a percentage indicator which will be an important factor in determining the eligibility of programmes.
Justification
The principle of equal treatment of the two sexes is expressly provided for in the General Regulation on the Structural Funds and the Cohesion Fund. Consequently, gender equality must be expressly provided for and taken into account in the planning and implementation of the programmes and actions under the present, individual Regulation, in particular through practical measures such as quantified indicators as a criterion of eligibility.
Amendment 8 Recital 14a (new)
	(14a) Article 14 of Regulation (ΕC) No. .../... makes provision to ensure that equality between men and women and the integration of the gender perspective is promoted during the various stages of implementing the Funds. Consequently, special provisions are required in the present Regulation concerning the achievement of that objective and the type of activities which the ERDF can finance in the context of promoting gender equality.
Justification
See justification to Amendment 2.
Amendment 9 Article 1, subparagraph 2
It lays down specific provisions concerning the treatment of urban and rural areas, of areas dependent on fisheries, of the outermost regions, and of areas with natural handicaps.	It lays down specific provisions concerning the treatment of urban and rural areas, of areas dependent on fisheries, of the outermost regions, and of areas with natural and demographic handicaps.
Justification
With a view to ensuring that the provisions are consistent and comprehensive, explicit reference should be made to demographic handicaps which affect sparsely populated areas.
Amendment 10 Article 2, subparagraph 2
In so doing, the ERDF shall give effect to the priorities of the Community, and in particular the need to strengthen competitiveness and innovation, to create sustainable jobs, and to promote environmentally sound growth.	In so doing, the ERDF shall give effect to the priorities of the Community, and in particular the need to strengthen competitiveness and innovation, to create sustainable, high-quality, jobs, to promote social inclusion, to combat all forms of discrimination, by laying the emphasis on equal access and treatment for men and women, and to promote environmentally sound growth.
Justification
This compromise amendment condenses and synthesises the set of three amendments.
Amendment 11 Article 4, point 2
2) Information society, including development of local content, services and applications, improvement of access to and development of on-line public services, aid and services to SMEs to adopt and effectively use information and communication technologies (ICTs);	2) Information society, including development of local content, services and applications, improvement of access to and development of on-line public services, aid and services to SMEs, through direct investment, to adopt and effectively use information and communication technologies (ICTs), and the promotion of their use by young people, people with special needs and, in particular, women;
Justification
Women, especially older women, are at a particular disadvantage as regards access to ICTs. This objective must be socially inclusive.
Amendment 12 Article 4, point 8
8) Education investments, which contribute to increasing the attractiveness and quality of life in regions;	8) Education investments, in vocational training and life-long learning, particularly of young people and women, which contribute to increasing the attractiveness and quality of life in regions;
Justification
The education, vocational training and life-long learning sectors are significant factors in strengthening and developing employment, particularly in the regions, where young people and women encounter significant problems in finding work.
Amendment 13 Article 4, point 9
9) Health, including investments to develop and improve health provision which contribute to regional development and quality of life in regions;	9) Health, including investments to develop and improve health provision which contribute to regional development and quality of life in regions; particular attention should be given to special services for the health and quality of life of women.
Justification
Given that the female population in the regions is falling at a faster rate than the male population and that they have particular problems gaining access to services relating to health and quality of life, a special effort must be made to make life in the regions more attractive.
Amendment 14 Article 4, point 10
10. Direct aid to investment in SMEs contributing to creating and safeguarding jobs.	10. Direct aid to investment in SMEs contributing to creating and safeguarding jobs, particularly for women, young people and disadvantaged people, including those with disabilities.
Justification
Women, young people and disadvantaged people, including those with disabilities, are the groups that face the most difficulty when it comes to employment. This is why employment aid for SMEs must take special account of them.
Amendment 15 Article 5, point 1 (d)
d) creating new financial instruments and incubation facilities conducive to the creation or expansion of knowledge-intensive firms.	d) creating new financial instruments, local infrastructure conditions and incubation facilities conducive to the creation or expansion of knowledge-intensive firms.
Amendment 16 Article 5, point 1 (d a) (new)
	da) supporting female entrepreneurship by funding measures to make it easier for women to gain access to the labour market and to enable them to withdraw from it on a temporary basis; such measures shall include the introduction of business mentors, maternity support for entrepreneurs and child- and senior-citizen support services.
Justification
Such measures are intended to relieve women of various responsibilities that make it difficult for them to enter the labour market.
Amendment 17 Article 5, point 1 (d b) (new)
	(db) promoting equality of men and women, including: promoting the establishment of businesses, specific measures for businesswomen to facilitate the economic exploitation of new ideas and networking among businesswomen, and promotion of infrastructure and services enabling family life and employment to be combined;
Amendment 18 Article 5, point 1(d c) (new)
	(dc) support for businesswomen in the form of funding for measures to facilitate access to loans and grants for setting up businesses; the necessary measures should also be provided to ensure that female heads of businesses can take maternity leave in accordance with Council Directive 86/613/EEC of 11 December 1986 on the application of the principle of equal treatment between men and women engaged in an activity, including agriculture, in a self-employed capacity, and on the protection of self-employed women during pregnancy and motherhood1, _____________ 1 OJ L 359, 19.12.1986, p. 56
Justification
Directive 86/613 exists and a reminder should be given here to apply it.
Amendment 19 Article 5, point 3 a (new)
	3a) tourism, including promotion of natural and cultural assets as potential for the development of sustainable tourism, protection and enhancement of the cultural heritage in support of economic development, aid to improve the supply of tourism services through new higher value-added services.
Justification
Takes over Article 4(5). Support for tourism should not be left out of the priorities for Objective 2 areas, particularly in view of the fact that the sector's workforce is predominantly female.
Amendment 20 Article 8, paragraph 2
2. By way of derogation from Article 33(2) of Regulation (EC) No (…), the ERDF funding of measures under the 'Regional competitiveness and employment' objective falling within the scope of Regulation (EC) N° (…) on the European Social Fund shall be raised to 10% of the priority concerned.	2. By way of derogation from Article 33(2) of Regulation (EC) No (…), the ERDF funding of measures under the 'Regional competitiveness and employment' objective falling within the scope of Regulation (EC) N° (…) on the European Social Fund shall be raised to 20% of the priority concerned.
Justification
In view of the positive experience gained with the Urban Community initiative programme, ERDF funding for measures relating to the urban environment which come under the ESF should be increased, so as to give local authorities greater room for manoeuvre when tackling local problems.
Amendment 21 Article 10, heading
Areas with natural handicaps	Areas with natural and demographic handicaps
Justification
Areas with particular demographic handicaps (low birth rate, high percentage of older people among the population) are particularly disadvantaged in development terms, and women are disproportionately affected by this situation.
Amendment 22 Article 10, paragraph 1
Regional programmes co-financed by the ERDF covering areas facing natural handicaps as referred to in Article 52(1) b) of Regulation (EC) No (…) shall pay particular attention to addressing the specific difficulties of those areas.	Regional programmes co-financed by the ERDF covering areas facing natural handicaps as referred to in Article 52(1) b) of Regulation (EC) No (…) and demographic handicaps as referred to in Article (...) thereof shall pay particular attention to addressing the specific difficulties of those areas.
Justification
Areas with particular demographic handicaps (low birth rate, high percentage of older people among the population) are particularly disadvantaged in development terms, and women are disproportionately affected by this situation.
Amendment 23 Article 14, paragraph 3 a (new)
	3a. The Member States shall ensure balanced representation of men and women within the single management, certification and audit authorities referred to in Article 14(1).
Justification
A proper gender balance in the composition of the management, supervisory and control bodies is necessary in order to guard against any discrimination and to foster equal access to ERDF resources. In the past, there have been major imbalances in gender representation among the members of Structural Fund management, supervisory and control authorities in many of the Member States.

PROCEDURE

Title	Proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the European Regional Development Fund
References	(COM(2004)0495 – C6‑0089/2004 – 2004/0167(COD))
Committee responsible	DEVE
Committee asked for its opinion   Date announced in plenary	FEMM 1.12.2004
Enhanced cooperation	No
Draftsman   Date appointed	Marta Vincenzi 16.12.2004
Discussed in committee	31.03.2005	26.4.2005
Date amendments adopted	26.4.2005
Result of final vote	for: against: abstentions:		14 0 0
Members present for the final vote	Hiltrud Breyer, Nicole Fontaine, Claire Gibault, Lissy Gröner, Piia-Noora Kauppi, Rodi Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou, Pia Elda Locatelli, Siiri Oviir, Christa Prets, Amalia Sartori, Eva-Britt Svensson, Britta Thomsen, Anna Záborská
Substitutes present for the final vote	Marta Vincenzi

• [1]  OJ C ... /Not yet published in OJ.

PROCEDURE

Title	Proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the European Regional Development Fund
References	(COM(2004)0495 – C6‑0089/2004 – 2004/0167(COD)
Legal basis	Articles 251(2) and Articles 162 and 299(2) EC
Basis in Rules of Procedure	Rule 51
Date submitted to Parliament	15.7.2004
Committee responsible   Date announced in plenary	REGI 1.12.2004
Committee(s) asked for opinion(s)   Date announced in plenary	BUDG 1.12.2004		EMPL 1.12.2004				ENVI 1.12.2004		ITRE 1.12.2004		TRAN 1.12.2004
	AGRI 1.12.2004		PECH 1.12.2004				FEMM 1.12.2004
Not delivering opinion(s)   Date of decision	CONT 23.3.2005
Rapporteur(s)   Date appointed	Giovanni Claudio Fava 6.10.2004
Discussed in committee	30.11.2004	1.2.2005			15.3.2005			24.5.2005
Date adopted	24.5.2005
Result of final vote	for: against: abstentions:			40 6 -
Members present for the final vote	Alfonso Andria, Stavros Arnaoutakis, Elspeth Attwooll, Jean Marie Beaupuy, Rolf Berend, Adam Jerzy Bielan, Bernadette Bourzai, Bairbre de Brún, Giovanni Claudio Fava, Gerardo Galeote Quecedo, Iratxe García Pérez, Eugenijus Gentvilas, Ambroise Guellec, Pedro Guerreiro, Gábor Harangozó, Marian Harkin, Konstantinos Hatzidakis, Jim Higgins, Mieczysław Edmund Janowski, Gisela Kallenbach, Tunne Kelam, Miloš Koterec, Constanze Angela Krehl, Jamila Madeira, Sérgio Marques, Ioannis Matsis, Francesco Musotto, Lambert van Nistelrooij, Jan Olbrycht, István Pálfi, Markus Pieper, Francisca Pleguezuelos Aguilar, Elisabeth Schroedter, Alyn Smith, Grażyna Staniszewska, Catherine Stihler, Margie Sudre, Kyriacos Triantaphyllides, Vladimír Železný
Substitutes present for the final vote	Inés Ayala Sender, Simon Busuttil, Sylwester Chruszcz, Brigitte Douay, Emanuel Jardim Fernandes, Ana Mato Adrover, Mirosław Mariusz Piotrowski
Date tabled – A6	16.6.2005					A6-0184/2005
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