2006/595/EC: Commission Decision of 4 August 2006 drawing up the list of regions eligible for funding from the Structural Funds under the Convergence objective for the period 2007-2013 (notified under document number C(2006) 3475)

6.9.2006 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 243/44
COMMISSION DECISION
of 4 August 2006
drawing up the list of regions eligible for funding from the Structural Funds under the Convergence objective for the period 2007-2013
(notified under document number C(2006) 3475)
(2006/595/EC)
THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,
Having regard to the Council Regulation (EC) No 1083/2006 of 11 July 2006 laying down general provisions for the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund and the Cohesion Fund and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999 (1), and in particular Article 5(3) and 8(4) thereof,
Whereas:
(1) Pursuant to Article 3(2)(a) of Regulation (EC) No 1083/2006 the Convergence objective aims at speeding up the Convergence of the least developed Member States and regions.
(2) Pursuant to Article 5(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1083/2006 the regions eligible for funding from the Structural Funds under the Convergence objective shall be regions corresponding to level 2 of the Nomenclature of Territorial Statistical Units (hereinafter NUTS level 2) within the meaning of Regulation (EC) No 1059/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council (2) whose per capita gross domestic product (GDP), measured in purchasing power parities and calculated on the basis of Community figures for the period 2000-2002, is less than 75 % of the average GDP of the EU-25 for the same reference period.
(3) Pursuant to Article 8(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1083/2006 specifies that the NUTS level 2 regions which would have been eligible for Convergence objective status under Article 5(1) of that Regulation had the eligibility threshold remained at 75 % of average GDP of the EU-15, but which lose eligibility because their nominal per capita GDP level will exceed 75 % of the average GDP of the EU-25, measured and calculated according to the same Article 5(1), are also eligible, on a transitional and specific basis, for financing by the Structural Funds under the Convergence objective.
(4) It is necessary to establish the lists of eligible regions accordingly,