structural funds post 2006 - stakeholders' views
hall aitken report, march 2006
Structural Funds Post 2006 Stakeholders' Report - March 2006 (PDF, 54k)
The current Structural Funds programming period finishes at the end of 2006 and the new one starts on 1 January 2007. Much debate has surrounded the future of Structural Funds in recent years in recognition of the pressures on the budget caused by the enlargement of the EU and the need to focus the bulk of cohesion funding on the 10 new Member States that are relatively less prosperous than the original 15. Central to this debate have been the negotiations on the future EU budget for the 2007-2013 period as well as the EC Regulations which will define how future Structural Funds can be spent.
In December 2005 the UK Presidency successfully negotiated agreement on the EU budget which still needs to be ratified by the European Parliament. The budget deal means that all of Scotland will be eligible for Structural Funds support, although at a reduced level. It is not possible to put a precise figure on what Scotland will receive at this stage. However, if agreed by the Parliament, the Highlands & Islands could expect to receive up to 60% of what it currently receives as a transitional “statistical effect” region under the Convergence Objective, the highest level of funding available. All of the rest of Scotland will be eligible to receive funding under the Competitiveness Objective. The scale of this funding is dependent on agreement within the UK on how to divide Competitiveness funding between the nations, but it is anticipated that it would be no larger than 45 percent of current funding levels.
Preparations for provisional programmes have begun in Scotland, as they have in other parts of the UK. Preparations are at an early stage and no decisions have been taken on final arrangements, as there are several areas requiring further research and wider discussion.
As part of this discussion, a series of four stakeholder events took place throughout Scotland in the existing programme areas:
- 8 December in Inverness;
- 10 January in Dunfermline;
- 18 January in Easterhouse, Glasgow; and
- 24 January in Melrose.
Approximately 220 stakeholders representing close to 100 organisations came together at the day-long events to discuss the priorities for future programmes and the options for delivering future funding. The participants were drawn from the key partners that have been involved in Structural Funds across Scotland, including members of Programme Monitoring and Management/Implementation Committees, Advisory Groups, staff of the Programme Management Executives, the Scottish European Structural Funds Forum, representatives from policy Divisions within the Scottish Executive as well as from the projects themselves.
This report summarises participants’ responses and the key issues that were raised.
