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OUTLINE FOR REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES

IN ACCORDANCE WITH ITS TERMS OF REFERENCE UNDER ARTICLE 2 ( 1 ) ( C ) OF COUNCIL DECISION 75/185/EEC OF 18 MARCH 1975 SETTING UP A REGIONAL POLICY COMMITTEE ( 1 ) , THE REGIONAL POLICY COMMITTEE AT ITS MEETING ON 6 AND 7 OCTOBER 1975 ADOPTED THE FOLLOWING OUTLINE OF WHAT THE REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES REQUIRED BY REGULATION ( EEC ) NO 724/75 OF 18 MARCH 1975 ESTABLISHING A EUROPEAN REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT FUND ( 2 ) SHOULD CONTAIN .

AT THE COMMITTEE'S MEETING ON 1 AND 2 DECEMBER 1975 MEMBERS STATED WHAT PERIODS THE REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES WERE EXPECTED TO COVER AND ROUGHLY WHEN , ASSUMING THEY DID SO , THEY WOULD BE NOTIFIED TO THE COMMISSION ; THESE PARTICULARS ARE ANNEXED TO THE OUTLINE AS TO THE PROGRAMMES' CONTENTS .

THIS OUTLINE OF WHAT REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES SHOULD CONTAIN IS INDICATIVE , AND SHOULD BE INTERPRETED IN A FLEXIBLE MANNER , BEARING IN MIND THE CONSIDERABLE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MEMBER STATES IN THE NATURE AND SCALE OF THE REGIONAL PROBLEMS FACED , THE GEOGRAPHICAL SIZE OF REGIONAL PROGRAMMING UNITS , THE REGIONAL POLICY MEASURES IN FORCE , AND REGIONAL ADMINISTRATIVE SYSTEMS .

REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES IN THE SENSE OF THE EEC REGULATIONS ARE IN PRINCIPLE CONCERNED WITH REGIONS QUALIFYING FOR ERDF CONTRIBUTIONS . MEMBER STATES SHOULD PREPARE THESE PROGRAMMES BY REGIONS AND AREAS OR BY GROUPS OF REGIONS , TAKING ACCOUNT IN PARTICULAR OF THE INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK AND THE STATISTICS AVAILABLE .

REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES SHOULD HAVE FIVE CHAPTERS :

1 . ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL ANALYSIS ;

2 . DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVES ;

3 . MEASURES FOR DEVELOPMENT ;

4 . FINANCIAL RESOURCES ;

5 . IMPLEMENTATION .

1 . SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC ANALYSIS ( DIAGNOSIS )

THE PURPOSE IS AN APPROPRIATE ECONOMIC ANALYSIS AND NOT A SIMPLE STATISTICAL DESCRIPTION . THE ANALYSIS SHOULD REVEAL THE MAIN REGIONAL PROBLEMS AND THEIR CAUSES . IT IS MANDATORY FOR ALL MEMBER STATES . OBJECTIVES AND MEANS WILL BE DEFINED ACCORDINGLY .

THIS ANALYSIS PERFORMED WITH THE HELP OF THE RELEVANT STATISTICS THAT ARE AVAILABLE ( FOR INSTANCE STATISTICS ON INCOME , OUTPUT , POPULATION , ACTIVITY RATE , STRUCTURE OF PRODUCTION AND EMPLOYMENT , UNEMPLOYMENT , MIGRATION , PRODUCTIVITY , PROVISION OF INFRASTRUCTURE ) SHOULD COVER THE FOLLOWING SUBJECTS :

( A ) MAIN ASPECTS OF PAST ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT ;

( B ) PRINCIPAL IMBALANCES BESETTING THE REGION AND THEIR CAUSES ;

( C ) EFFECTS OF PAST CORRECTIVE ACTION ;

( D ) DEVELOPMENT POSSIBILITIES AND CONDITIONS , INCLUDING BOTTLENECKS ;

( E ) PROBABLE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT DURING THE PROGRAMME PERIOD PROVIDED NO NEW FACTORS INTERVENE , TO THE EXTENT THAT IT IS POSSIBLE TO FORESEE DEVELOPMENTS WITH A MINIMUM DEGREE OF ASSURANCE .

THIS ANALYSIS SHOULD BE SET IN THE WIDER ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL CONTEXT OF THE COUNTRY AS A WHOLE . WHAT MATTERS ARE THE CONCLUSIONS OF THE ANALYSIS , IRRESPECTIVE OF THE METHODS APPLIED AND THE STATISTICAL MATERIAL USED .

2 . DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVES

IN THIS CHAPTER , THE OUTLINE OF REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES SHOULD GO BEYOND A SIMPLE INDICATION OF BROAD AIMS SUCH AS RAISING THE STANDARD OF LIVING , CREATING JOBS , REDUCING UNEMPLOYMENT OR MIGRATION , ETC . THE DEVELOPMENT TARGETS OF THE REGION MUST BE MORE CLEARLY SPECIFIED AND , AS FAR AS POSSIBLE , QUANTIFIED , AT LEAST IN SO FAR AS CERTAIN BASIC ELEMENTS ARE CONCERNED . WHERE IT PROVES IMPOSSIBLE FOR SUFFICIENTLY IMPORTANT PRACTICAL REASONS TO QUANTIFY A DEVELOPMENT TARGET , OR TARGETS , A SUFFICIENTLY DETAILED SPECIFICATION , IF RELEVANT IN QUALITATIVE TERMS , OF THE AIM OR AIMS COULD BE GIVEN INSTEAD .

THE MOST BASIC ELEMENTS TO DEFINE ARE :

( A ) THE LEVEL OF EMPLOYMENT AND , WHERE POSSIBLE , THE NUMBER OF JOBS TO BE CREATED OR MAINTAINED ;

( B ) THE EFFECTS SOUGHT ON DIFFERENT ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES AND INCOME OF THE REGION ;

( C ) THE PROVISION OF INFRASTRUCTURE ( IF NOT TREATED UNDER POINT 3 ) .

IN ADDITION TO THOSE OBJECTIVES CONSIDERED TO BE ESSENTIAL , THERE COULD BE OTHERS AS IMPORTANT ( FOR INSTANCE PRODUCTION STRUCTURE , DEMOGRAPHIC OBJECTIVES ) WHICH THE MEMBER STATE IN QUESTION MIGHT WISH TO EMPHASIZE .

QUALITY OBJECTIVES SHOULD ALSO BE INDICATED TO THE EXTENT THAT THEY ARE IMPORTANT FOR REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT . PARTICULAR ATTENTION SHOULD BE GIVEN TO QUALITY OBJECTIVES WHICH ARE M * CLEARLY ALLIED TO THE OPERATIONS OF THE ERDF ( E.G . THE QUALITY OF THE EMPLOYMENT TO BE CREATED , OF THE ECONOMIC STRUCTURE AND MEANS OF PRODUCTION TO BE AIMED AT ) . OTHER QUALITY OBJECTIVES OF IMPORTANCE TO REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT COULD ALSO BE DESCRIBED , FOR EXAMPLE THE LEVEL OF VOCATIONAL TRAINING , PARTICULARLY IN MANAGEMENT , THE PROTECTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND , WHERE RELEVANT , THE ATTITUDE OF THE POPULATION TO INDUSTRIAL ACTIVITY .

THE DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVES OF A REGION SHOULD BE CAST IN A WIDER ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL FRAMEWORK . THIS RELATES IN PARTICULAR TO THE GENERAL AND SECTORAL MACRO-ECONOMIC OBJECTIVES LAID DOWN FOR THE WHOLE COUNTRY IN QUESTION AND FOR THE COMMUNITY .

THE OBJECTIVES INDICATED SHOULD NOT THEREFORE TAKE THE FORM OF AN INVENTORY OF REGIONAL NEEDS OR ASPIRATIONS ; INSTEAD THEY SHOULD MAKE UP A COHERENT WHOLE AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL . IN QUESTION HERE ARE REAL TARGETS , COMPRISING PRACTICALLY RELEVANT PRIORITIES FOR THE MEDIUM TERM , AND WHICH REGIONS CAN REASONABLY ACHIEVE IN THE GIVEN SITUATION WITH THE MEANS AVAILABLE .

THESE OBJECTIVES , DEFINED FOR THE WHOLE PROGRAMME PERIOD , WOULD APPEAR ON AN IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE FROM YEAR TO YEAR , IF IT WAS POSSIBLE TO DO SO , AND IF THIS WOULD ADD TO THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE PROGRAMME .

3 . MEASURES FOR DEVELOPMENT

IN THIS CHAPTER THE PROGRAMMES SHOULD GIVE DETAILS - IN REAL TERMS , THE FINANCIAL COUNTERPART BEING DEALT WITH IN THE NEXT CHAPTER - OF THE DEVELOPMENT MEASURES ENVISAGED IN ORDER TO ATTAIN THE OBJECTIVES INDICATED .

OF ESSENTIAL CONCERN ARE :

( A ) DIRECT REGIONAL POLICY MEASURES IN THE STRICT SENSE SUCH AS AIDS , DISINCENTIVES , DECENTRALIZING PUBLIC SERVICES , FINANCIAL EQUALIZATION SYSTEMS BETWEEN REGIONS , ETC . ;

( B ) INVESTMENT IN INFRASTRUCTURE ( ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL ) FOR REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT PURPOSES .

IN SO FAR AS THEY HAVE AN EFFECT ON REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT , AND BEARING IN MIND DIFFERENCES IN THE ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURES OF MEMBER STATES , PROGRAMMES COULD ALSO GIVE DETAILS OF OTHER MEASURES , SUCH AS THOSE RELATED TO :

( A ) INDUSTRIAL AND AGRICULTURAL POLICY ;

( B ) SOCIAL POLICY ;

( C ) VOCATIONAL TRAINING ;

( D ) PHYSICAL PLANNING AND SOCIAL CULTURAL AMENITIES .

4 . FINANCIAL RESOURCES

THIS CHAPTER SHOULD DEAL WITH THE FINANCIAL MEANS WHICH IT IS PROPOSED TO ALLOCATE TO PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION BEARING IN MIND THAT :

- EXPENDITURE ON REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT MEASURES FALLS WITHIN A WIDER BUDGETARY FRAMEWORK AT COMMUNITY , NATIONAL AND REGIONAL LEVELS WHICH CAN LIMIT THE EXTENT TO WHICH IT IS POSSIBLE TO FORECAST THIS EXPENDITURE ,

- IT IS DIFFICULT TO ESTIMATE IN ADVANCE THE COST OF CERTAIN REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT MEASURES AND INFLATION ADDS TO THE DIFFICULTY .

DISAGGREGATION SHOULD BE BY WAY OF :

- SOURCES

A CLEAR DISTINCTION SHOULD BE DRAWN BETWEEN COMMUNITY , NATIONAL AND OTHER SOURCES ( REGIONAL , LOCAL GOVERNMENT , ETC . ) . THE SOURCES IN THE LAST CATEGORY SHOULD BE INDICATED IF THEY HAVE REAL IMPORTANCE FOR REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT , AND IF IT IS ADMINISTRATIVELY FEASIBLE TO GIVE SEPARATE FIGURES . THERE MUST OF COURSE BE NO DOUBLE COUNTING ;

- TYPE OF EXPENDITURE

( A ) OUTLAYS TO FINANCE INFRASTRUCTURE , DRAWING A DISTINCTION , WHERE POSSIBLE BETWEEN NORMAL AND EXTRAORDINARY EXPENDITURE ON THE ONE HAND , AND BETWEEN TOTAL OUTLAYS FOR THIS ITEM AND THOSE THEREOF QUALIFYING FOR AN ERDF CONTRIBUTION ON THE OTHER HAND ;

( B ) DIRECT AIDS TO PRIVATE INVESTMENT QUALIFYING FOR AN ERDF CONTRIBUTION ( CAPITAL GRANTS , INTEREST REBATES OR THEIR EQUIVALENT WHERE LOANS AT REDUCED RATE OF INTEREST ARE CONCERNED AND , WHERE APPLICABLE , AID GRANTED IN THE TERM OF RENT REBATES OR EXEMPTION FROM PAYMENTS OF RENTS OF FACTORIES ) ;

( C ) WHEN AVAILABLE AND WHERE RELEVANT FOR REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT , OTHER FORMS OF AID TO UNDERTAKINGS ( EMPLOYMENT PREMIUMS , CUTS IN SOCIAL SECURITY CONTRIBUTIONS , TAX ABATEMENTS AND EXEMPTIONS , PREFERENTIAL PRICES AND TARIFFS ETC . ) , AS WELL AS SECTORAL AIDS ;

( D ) WHEN AVAILABLE AND WHERE RELEVANT FOR REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT , PUBLIC WELFARE ( SOCIAL BUDGET , UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFIT , EXEMPTION FROM DIRECT TAXATION , ETC . ) ;

- REGION

- PROGRAMMING OR BUDGET YEAR

IN SO FAR AS ALREADY EXISTING DATA OR INFORMATION THAT CAN BE MADE AVAILABLE WILL PERMIT ; EVENTUALLY THIS INFORMATION CAN BE EXTENDED DURING THE REALIZATION OF THE PROGRAMME .

REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT MEASURES ADOPTED BY THE MEMBER STATES SHOULD BE ASSESSED WITHIN THE WIDER FRAMEWORK OF PUBLIC INVESTMENT ( AND WHERE APPLICABLE CONSUMPTION ) PROGRAMMES ENVISAGED FOR THE COUNTRY AS A WHOLE .

IN INDICATING THE AMOUNT OF REGIONAL EXPENDITURE THE MEMBER STATES SHOULD POINT OUT ON EACH OCCASION ITS PRECISE NATURE AND THE TIME SCHEDULE ; BUDGETARY ESTIMATES , DRAFT BUDGET , BUDGET ADOPTED , PLURIANNUAL OR ANNUAL FORECASTS .

THE PROGRAMMES SHOULD ALSO INDICATE - WHERE THIS INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE - THE VOLUME OF INVESTMENT BY STATE COMPANIES OR MAJOR PRIVATE UNDERTAKINGS ( WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF POSSIBLE PROGRAMME PROCEDURE BY WAY OF CONTRACT ) BY SECTORS AND BRANCHES WHERE THEIR IMPACT ON REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT IS IMPORTANT .

5 . IMPLEMENTING THE PROGRAMME

THIS CHAPTER SHOULD INDICATE WHERE AND FOR WHAT THE RESPONSIBILITY RESTS FOR IMPLEMENTING THE WHOLE OR PART OF THE PROGRAMMES . THE TASK ALLOTTED TO EACH AGENCY OR INSTITUTION SHOULD BE CLEARLY STATED AND DETAILS SHOULD BE GIVEN OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE METHODS EMPLOYED TO ENSURE CONSISTENCY BETWEEN THE DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE PROGRAMME .

UNDER THIS HEADING MEMBER STATES WOULD ALSO GIVE INFORMATION , IN BROAD OUTLINE , ON THE IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE FOR THE VARIOUS MEASURES CONTEMPLATED , WHERE THESE ARE OF IMPORTANCE TO REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT AT COMMUNITY LEVEL . THIS SCHEDULE MIGHT REFER TO MEASURES FOR WHICH THE FINANCIAL RESOURCES WERE NOT YET CLEARLY EARMARKED NOR ADOPTED .

( 1 ) OJ NO L 73 , 21 . 3 . 1975 , P . 47 .

( 2 ) OJ NO L 73 , 21 . 3 . 1975 , P . 1 .

ANNEX

TIMETABLE AND TIME SCALES OF REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES

PURSUANT TO ARTICLE 6 OF COUNCIL REGULATION ( EEC ) NO 724/75 ESTABLISHING A EUROPEAN REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT FUND ( OJ NO L 73 OF 21 MARCH 1975 ) , A TIMETABLE HAS BEEN SET FOR THE PREPARATION OF THE PROGRAMMES SUCH THAT THESE WILL BE AVAILABLE BY THE END OF 1977 .

THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS HAVE SEVERALLY STATED SUCH INDICATIONS AS THEY CAN AS TO WHAT PERIODS THE REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES MAY BE EXPECTED TO COVER AND ROUGHLY WHEN , ASSUMING THEY DO SO , THEY WOULD BE NOTIFIED TO THE COMMISSION .

- THE GERMAN PROGRAMMES ARE EXPECTED TO COVER THE PERIOD 1976 TO 1979 , AND TO BE NOTIFIED TO THE COMMISSION IN JANUARY 1976 .

- THE BELGIAN PROGRAMMES ARE EXPECTED TO COVER THE PERIOD 1976 TO 1980 , AND TO BE NOTIFIED DURING 1976 .

- THE DANISH PROGRAMMES ARE EXPECTED TO COVER THE PERIOD 1977 TO 1979 , THE PORTION CONCERNING GREENLAND TO BE NOTIFIED AT THE END OF 1976 AND THE REMAINDER AT THE END OF 1977 .

- THE FRENCH PROGRAMMES ARE EXPECTED TO COVER THE PERIOD 1976 TO 1980 , AND TO BE NOTIFIED DURING 1976 .

- THE IRISH PROGRAMMES ARE EXPECTED TO COVER THE PERIOD 1976 TO 1980 OR 1977 TO 1980 , AND TO BE NOTIFIED DURING 1976 .

- THE ITALIAN PROGRAMMES ARE EXPECTED TO COVER THE PERIOD 1976 TO 1980 , AND TO BE NOTIFIED DURING 1977 .

- THE LUXEMBOURG PROGRAMMES ARE EXPECTED TO COVER THE PERIOD 1978 TO 1981 OR 1978 TO 1982 , AND TO BE NOTIFIED AT THE END OF 1977 .

- IN THE CASE OF THE NETHERLANDS , A CONSPECTUS OF REGIONAL POLICY COVERING THE PERIOD 1977 TO 1980 IS EXPECTED TO BE PREPARED AT THE END OF 1976 , AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES FOR THE NORTH OF THE COUNTRY AND FOR SOUTH LIMBURG , LIKEWISE IN PRINCIPLE COVERING THE PERIOD 1977 TO 1980 , TO BE NOTIFIED AT THE BEGINNING OF 1977 .

- THE BRITISH PROGRAMMES ARE EXPECTED TO COVER AS A TRIAL RUN THE PERIOD 1977 TO 1979 AND IN THE FINAL VERSION THE PERIOD 1978 TO 1980 , THE FORMER SET TO BE NOTIFIED DURING 1976 AND THE LATTER AT THE END OF 1977 . HOWEVER THE TRIAL VERSION IS NOT INTENDED FOR PUBLICATION AT A LATER DATE .