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Reference Material 2

European Union

Informal Council of Ministers Responsible for Regional Policy and Regional Planning

Conclusions of the Presidency

The first informal Council of Ministers responsible for regional policy and regional planning was held in Liege on 12 and 13 November 1993. The agenda was as follows:

The following conclusions may be drawn from the Council proceedings.

Committee of the Regions

The Ministers welcomed the establishment of the Committee of the Regions and local authorities, as provided for in the Treaty on the European Union, and stressed the importance of the Committee, which will have a significant role to play in the Community decision-making process, beginning work quickly.

Establishing the Committee by 15 January 1994 will avoid any hiatus in the Community decision-making process.

Assessment and Future Prospects of Regional Policies and their Evaluation

The Ministers reaffirmed the importance of economic and social cohesion in the construction of Europe and the crucial role played by Community structural assistance, especially in view of the difficult economic circumstances which prevail throughout the Community.

The resources earmarked for regional policy each year amount to one third of the Community budget. Over the next six years, the total resources available under the Structural Funds will amount to about ECU 141 billion, while those available under the Cohesion Fund will amount to ECU 15.5 billion.

European regional policy is gradually encouraging cohesion, at a pace which varies from one region to another. A dynamic regional policy must contribute to a gradual reduction in regional disparities, a process which requires a sustained effort.

The Ministers expressed their satisfaction at the implementation of the Structural Funds over the period 1989 - 93. They noted that the present Community Support Frameworks would be implemented by the end of the year, as originally planned, along with the necessary adjustments made by the Monitoring Committees to the programming of structural assistance, in accordance with the flexibility provided by regulations on the Funds.

The Ministers welcomed approval by the Council on 20 July of the revised Structural Funds regulations for the new 1994 - 99 programming period. They also took note of the Commission decision of 21 October 1993 concerning the indicative allocation of resources devoted to the CSFs in the regions whose development is lagging behind for the period up to 1999.

The Ministers were informed that applications from the Member States for Objective 2 resources far exceeded the ceiling of 15% of Community population set by the regulation. They noted that the Commission would adopt the list of regions eligible under Objectives 2 and 5(b) by the end of the year, before drawing up the indicative allocation of resources available under the corresponding CSFs.

The Ministers endorsed the ambitious objectives included in the revised Structural Funds regulations. They regarded the quest for more effective Community financing as a top priority for Community structural policies. In the ensuing debate, the Ministers highlighted the following priorities:

Noting that the adoption of a systematic approach entailing ex ante appraisal, monitoring and ex post assessment was the appropriate response to those concerns, the Ministers spent a substantial amount of time discussing policy on the assessment of Community structural assistance. They acknowledged the need, as advocated in the new regulations, to develop ex ante appraisal so that decisions can be taken on a basis which will ensure that they are effective and provide value for money while also permitting genuine monitoring of their implementation.

The Ministers also undertook to build on the achievement of structural assistance within the framework of the joint responsibility of the Member States and the Commission provided for in the regulations by allocating the necessary administrative and budgetary resources to these works.

They further noted that exchanges of information between the Member States and the Commission on the methodology and practice of assessment should be continued through the partnership so that European assessment policy can meet the requirements of the regulations.

The Ministers took note of the guidelines set out by the Commission in the Green Paper on the future of the Community initiatives. They reaffirmed their desire for the implementation of new initiatives to be simplified.

The Ministers examined the potential for synergy with the work of the Structural Funds which will be generated when the EIB implements the growth initiative and the European Investment Fund decided on by the Edinburgh European Council. These new instruments will significantly extend the traditional work of the Structural Funds and the EIB in favour of investments, including those of small firms.

The Ministers once again called on the Member States to ratify swiftly the amendments to the EIB statute required for the establishment of the European Investment Fund so that they can come into force at the beginning of 1994.

Like the European Parliament, the Ministers considered that the problem of the urban areas experiencing difficulties because of social exclusion and economic decline should be added to the five subjects listed in the Commission Green Paper.

Finally, the Ministers considered that the Structural Funds should be used to promote economic policies designed to alleviate people's concerns about the long-lasting crisis.

This discussion forms an integral part of the White Paper on growth, competitiveness and employment which the Commission will present by the end of the year.

The Spatial Planning of the European Union's Territory

The Ministers expressed their satisfaction at the progress achieved through reflections on the spatial development of the Community's territory, a process which had begun at the meetings in Nantes, Turin, The Hague and Lisbon, and continued in particular through work on the "Europe 2000" programme and within the Committee on Spatial Development. The pace of the changes which are reshaping Europe means that this work must be systematically updated. The Ministers therefore supported the Commission in the implementation of its 1993-94 work programme and in the preparation of the "Europe 2000" document, which will examine the present situation and emerging trends in Europe, the dynamics of integration and planning policies.

In the Ministers' opinion, the very focus of the debate is now changing: the initial stage dedicated to reflection and research work should now be followed by projects and concrete achievements. While respecting the principle of subsidiarity, significant progress could and should be made on a concerted planning strategy for the European territory. In this respect, it was interesting to note the numerous co-operation initiatives which are springing up: a large number of authorities and the Member States have now realised that economic integration has to be accompanied by territorial integration. The first experiences of co-operation in a strictly cross-border context have now given way to new areas which can provide the basis for trans-national co-operation.

The technical base provide by the "Europe 2000" programme, and in particular the eight trans-regional studies and the three external impact studies, will serve as a useful starting point for the preparation of new projects for co-operation in the field of spatial planning. These studies may also be of value in the assessment of the territorial aspects of the Regional Development Plans and the Community Support Frameworks.

Co-operation initiatives should be vigorously supported, financially as well as otherwise. The Ministers supported the principle of part-financing by the Commission and the Member States of activities such as feasibility studies concerning transnational areas which were to be protected or restored, cohesion scenarios and exchanges of experience among the Member States. They also welcomed the Commission's intention of providing funds for pilot projects under Article 10(1)(b) of the ERDF Regulation.

In order to develop cross-border, trans-national and inter-regional co-operation in the spatial planning field, the Ministers invited the Commission to provide suitable responses, principally through an appropriate formulation of Interreg II.

The fresh boost for co-operation should also apply to projects covering the maritime regions of the European Union. Given the closer relations with non-member European and Mediterranean countries, the Ministers also called on the Commission to make the necessary arrangements in order to meet these countries' expectations in terms of co-operation.

The Ministers expressed their satisfaction with the work of the Committee on Spatial Development and thanked the Commission for its contribution to the Committee. They noted that several Ministers considered that the Committee's proceedings should be speeded up.

Turning to the perspectives with regard to spatial development for the whole of the Community, the Ministers began reflecting on the possible preparation of a strategic document entitled "Outline for Spatial Development in the Community" (O.S.D.C.). This document, which would not be binding on the Member States, could include the territorial aspects of the various Community sectoral policies and set out certain basic objectives and principles, such as the need for a spatial planning policy which meets the requirements of sustainable development. The document would be drawn up within the Committee on Spatial Development and would constitute the political extension of the "prospective outline" to be drawn up in "Europe 2000" pursuant to Article 10 (1)(a) of the ERDF regulation.

Most of the Ministers expressed a marked interest in these perspectives. The principle of subsidiarity would, however, have to be strictly observed so that the document would cover only matters of concern to the Community and would not intrude on the areas covered by the authorities specifically responsible for spatial planning.

Moreover, the Ministers considered that measures introducing transparency across the European Union's internal and external borders should also be implemented. They interpreted this as including the organisation of consultation procedures involving the authorities responsible for spatial planning in the adjacent regions of neighbouring countries prior to the approval of a national or regional planning document.

Finally, the Ministers welcomed the decision communicated by the Greek and German delegations to organise informal Councils of the Ministers responsible for spatial planning and regional policy in May and September 1994.

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