EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 88/526

(2004/C 88 E/0539)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0742/04

by José García-Margallo y Marfil (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(11 March 2004)

Subject: Regional impact of the Growth Initiative

The purpose of the European Growth Initiative adopted by the European Council in December 2003 is to align the EU economy with the objectives laid down in the Lisbon Strategy, i.e. to turn it by 2010 into the world's most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy.

How can regional governments contribute to the structural reforms designed to bring about greater competitiveness, promote full employment and enable environmental challenges to be met? Has this regional dimension been taken into account in the planning of the Growth Initiative?

Has the Commission carried out a region-by-region assessment of the impact which the Growth Initiative is likely to have? If it has, what is the situation regarding the Valencia region in Spain?

Answer given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission

(23 April 2004)

The aim of the European Initiative for Growth is to contribute to the achievement of the objectives laid down in the Lisbon Strategy, namely by stimulating investment both in Trans-European transport and energy networks and in a knowledge-based society. To this end, the projects, programmes and technologies listed in the Communication from the Commission ‘A European initiative for growth — Investing in Networks and Knowledge for Growth and Jobs’ (1) have been identified.

The Commission has not carried out a region-by-region assessment of the impact which the Growth Initiative is likely to have. With respect to the projects and programmes in the context of the Trans-European transport and energy networks, the aim is to improve trans-border connections and capacities as well as to cope with actual or potential bottlenecks and connecting all regions in Europe to these networks.

The Broad Economic Policy Guidelines, Internal Market Strategy and the Employment Guidelines and Recommendations point to several areas where further structural reforms would deliver more and better jobs, increased productivity and thus higher growth. Regional governments can, in particular, contribute by redirecting their public expenditures and investments towards growth and employment enhancing projects, by ensuring efficient implementation of their investment programmes and by seeking a higher leverage of public support on private investment.

For a large number of regional governments, investment programmes are in part co-financed by the EU Structural Funds. Their current mid-term evaluation provides an opportunity for reorientation and quality improvement. Better targeting would be further ensured by the future reform of the structural funds, including the European Social Fund, aimed at reinforcing the Lisbon and Gothenburg agendas by focusing on competitiveness, sustainable development and employment, as proposed by the Commission in its Communication ‘Building our common future: policy challenges and budgetary means of an enlarged Union 2007-2013’ (2) and in the third Cohesion report.

(1) COM(2003) 690 final.

(2) COM(2004) 101 final.