Communication from the Commission amending the guidelines for a Community initiative concerning trans-European cooperation intended to encourage the harmonious and balanced development of the European territory — Interreg III
Date: 2001-08-23
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU initiative, EU programme, cooperation policy, cross-border cooperation, town and country planning

C 239/4

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

25.8.2001

Communication from the Commission amending the guidelines for a Community initiative
concerning trans-European cooperation intended to encourage the harmonious and balanced
development of the European territory (cid:151) Interreg III

(2001/C 239/03)

1. The Commission of the European Communities decided on
23 August 2001 to amend the guidelines for the Interreg
III Community initiative (1)
(hereafter referred to as (cid:145)the
guidelines(cid:146)) to take account of certain recent developments.

2. These amendments received the positive opinion of the
Committee on the Development and Conversion of
Regions in its meeting on 17 July 2001.

3. The amendments refer to (a) cross-border cooperation
across the Adriatic;
the involvement of Vienna in
external cross-border cooperation programmes; and (c)
minor modifications
for
Interreg IIIB.

in the list of eligible areas

(b)

Cross-border cooperation across the Adriatic

Background

4. A Commission statement, attached to the guidelines, states
that (cid:145)[w]hen the political conditions to encourage coop-
eration under Interreg III between the Italian regions and
those of the third countries of the Adriatic are met, the
Commission will examine the most suitable methods of
encouraging this cooperation with the other cooperation
instruments(cid:146).

5. In addition, point 46 of

the guidelines

and reconstruction in the Balkans,

that
(cid:145)following the creation of any new Community instrument
the
for peace
Commission will, when appropriate, examine the possi-
bilities of promoting coordination of
Interreg III with
such an instrument under arrangements to be defined at
the time, in particular for the Italian Adriatic regions(cid:146).

states

6. With the

adoption of Council Regulation (EC) No
2666/2000 of 5 December 2000 on assistance for
the Federal
Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia,
Republic of Yugoslavia and the former Yugoslav Republic
of Macedonia, a new Community instrument
the
Balkans is in place, and the Commission has therefore
considered the possibilities for promoting coordination
between it and Interreg III.

for

Amendment to the guidelines

8. Annex I of the guidelines is amended to include, under the
(cid:145)Ancona;
heading (cid:145)ITALIA(cid:146), the following NUTS III areas:
Ascoli Piceno; Campobasso; Chieti; Ferrara; Foggia; Forl(cid:236)-
Cesena; Macerata; Pesaro e Urbino; Pescara; Ravenna;
Rimini; Rovigo; Teramo(cid:146).

9. In addition, the word (cid:145)CARDS(cid:146)

is added after the word
in the following points: 7, 25, 36, 43, 45, 46,

(cid:145)MEDA(cid:146)
49 and in the title of section VII.

Involvement of Vienna in external cross-border coop-
eration programmes

Background

10. Annex I of

the guidelines

identifies Vienna, Wiener
Umland/Nordteil and Wiener Umland/S(cid:252)dteil as eligible
areas in the framework of cross-border cooperation, but
specify with whom. Given the economic,
does not
geographical and political
importance of these areas in
the context of cross-border relations with neighbouring
countries, it is important to clarify with which countries
they can cooperate.

As Vienna, Wiener Umland/Nordteil and Wiener Umland/
S(cid:252)dteil will participate in their own right in several cross-
border cooperation programmes, the Commission should
be able to fix the details of that participation.

Amendment to the guidelines

11. Annex I of the guidelines is amended as follows: under
(cid:145)(cid:214)STERREICH(cid:146), the following text: (cid:145)Wien, Wiener Umland/
Nordteil, Wiener Umland/S(cid:252)dteil(cid:146) should be replaced by:
(cid:145)Wien (cooperation with the Czech Republic, Slovakia
and Hungary), Wiener Umland/Nordteil (cooperation with
the Czech Republic and Slovakia), Wiener Umland/S(cid:252)dteil
(cooperation with Slovakia and Hungary)(cid:146).

12.

In point 35 of the guidelines a new paragraph is added
after the first paragraph as follows:

7.

In the light of the creation of this new financial instrument
and the positive political developments in the region, the
Commission considers that Interreg III should be able to
assist cross-border cooperation across the Adriatic.

(1) OJ C 143, 23.5.2000, p. 6.

(cid:145)With regard to a NUTS III zone listed in Annex I partici-
pating in several cross-border cooperation programmes
involving countries benefiting from PHARE-CBC, or the
participation of NUTS III zones covered by point 10,
paragraph 2 in such programmes,
this
participation will be agreed between the Commission
and the designated authorities in the Member States,
in
agreement with the bordering countries concerned.(cid:146).

the details of

25.8.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 239/5

Modifications to the list of eligible areas for Interreg IIIB

Background

13. Paragraph 2 of point 13 of the guidelines permits Member
States to request duly justified modifications to the list of
eligible areas for Interreg IIIB as set out in Annex III of the
guidelines. The Commission has received and accepted a
number of these requests. Consequently, Annex III requires
updating.

Amendment to the guidelines

Under North Sea Area, Sweden: add (cid:145)Kronobergs l(cid:228)n,
Sk(cid:229)ne l(cid:228)n(cid:146);

Under Northern Periphery, Sweden: add (cid:145)G(cid:228)vleborgs l(cid:228)n(cid:146);

Under Northern Periphery, Finland: add (cid:145)Keski-Suomi(cid:146) after
(cid:145)Pohjois-Pohjanmaa(cid:146);

Under Atlantic Area, Spain: add (cid:145)Canarias, Sevilla, CÆdiz(cid:146);

14. Annex III of the guidelines is modified as follows:

Under Western Mediterranean, Portugal: add (cid:145)Alentejo(cid:146).

Prior notification of a concentration

(Case COMP/M.2586 (cid:151) CE/Yorkshire Electric)

(2001/C 239/04)

(Text with EEA relevance)

1.
On 16 August 2001 the Commission received notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to
Article 4 of Council Regulation (EEC) No 4064/89 (1), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1310/97 (2),
by which CE Electric UK plc (CE Electric), belonging to the MidAmerican Holdings Company group
(MEHC), acquires, within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Regulation, control of the whole of
Yorkshire Power Group Limited (Yorkshire Power), by way of purchase of shares.

2.

The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:

(cid:151) MEHC: generating, transmitting, distributing and selling electricity and natural gas in the USA and

construction in the USA and the Philippines,

(cid:151) CE Electric: distribution and supply of electricity in the UK; gas exploration and development in the

North Sea,

(cid:151) Yorkshire Power: distribution of electricity in the United Kingdom.

On preliminary examination, the Commission finds that the notified concentration could fall within

3.
the scope of Regulation (EEC) No 4064/89. However, the final decision on this point is reserved.

The Commission invites interested third parties to submit

4.
proposed operation.

their possible observations on the

Observations must reach the Commission not later than 10 days following the date of this publication.
Observations can be sent by fax (No (32-2) 296 43 01 or 296 72 44) or by post, under reference
COMP/M.2586 (cid:151) CE/Yorkshire Electric, to:

European Commission,
Directorate-General for Competition,
Directorate B (cid:151) Merger Task Force,
Rue Joseph II/Jozef II-straat 70,
B-1000 Brussels.

(1) OJ L 395, 30.12.1989, p. 1; corrigendum: OJ L 257, 21.9.1990, p. 13.
(2) OJ L 180, 9.7.1997, p. 1; corrigendum: OJ L 40, 13.2.1998, p. 17.