Financing Solutions From EU Structural Funds for S.M.E.

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Financing Solutions From EU Structural Funds for
S.M.E.s and Local Authorities

• Conference, Bucharest 30th January 2008
• Workshop 2 Solutions for Supporting Sustainable
  Development of Cities
• Stephen Blair
• Director

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Historical Background

• ? Close relationship between EU Cohesion policy
  and Irish regional structures/policy
• ? 1989-1993 Round First NDP/CSF no specific
  regional aspects (review cottees)
• ? 1994-99 Round Regional Authorities (NUTS III)
  to monitor CSF spending (with EU Operational
  Committees inc. lead Departments) and promote
  coordination of public services

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INTRODUCTION TO REGIONAL ASSEMBLIES

• The Regionalisation arrangements negotiated by
  Ireland in the context of the Agenda 2000
  Agreement resulted in the designation of two
  regions in Ireland for Structural Funds Purposes
• ? The Southern and Eastern Region (SE Region)
  which qualifies for a six year phasing out regime
  for Objective 1 Structural Funds up to the end of
  2005, and
• ? The Border, Midland and Western Region (BMW)
  Region which has retained Objective 1 status for
  Structural Funds for the full period to 2006.

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REGIONAL ASSEMBLIES - ESTABLISHMENT

• ? To administer these two new super regions and
  to fulfill the E.U. Commissions requirements for
  some level of devolved administration, the
  Government created Regional Assemblies
• ? The two new Regional Assemblies were
  established and came into effect on the 21st July
  1999 under the local Government Act, 1991
  (Regional Authorities) (Establishment) Order,
  1999.
• ? Assemblies comprise of nominated elected
  representatives of the Regional/ Local
  Authorities within their regions
• ? Assemblies first met in Oct. 1999

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Regional Assembly - Principal Functions

• ? Promote co-ordination of public services in
  region
• ? Manage Regional Operational Programmes
• ? Monitor and make proposals in relation to
  general impact in region of all E.U. Programmes
  of Assistance
• ? Promote consideration by Public Authorities of
  the implication for, or the effects of their
  decisions, and activities on the region

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NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2000-2006The Regional
Dimension

• ? Fostering balanced regional development was one
  of four core National objectives.
• ? This was operationalised in strategy by a
  commitment to a better regional distribution of
  public and private investment.
• ? The objectives of balanced regional
  development is interpreted as reducing
  disparities between and within the two regions.
• ? One of the ways this is to be achieved is by
  development of existing major gateways and
  focused development as regional gateways of
  limited number of other larger towns.
• ? The identification of such further gateways
  was provided for in the National Spatial Strategy
  published in November 2002.

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NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2000-2006OPERATIONAL
STRUCTURE

• ? Expenditure under the Plan was made under-
• 3 National or Inter-Regional Operational
  Programmes
• 2 Regional Operational Programmes
• Peace Programme
• ? This was the first time that a National Plan
  contained Regional Programmes

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NDP Implementation
.
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REGIONAL OPERATIONAL PROGRAMMES

• ? Complexity Scale of Programmes
• ? Two O.P.s with combined investment of 9.4
  billion accounted for approx 18 of total
  investment under N.D.P.
• ? 5.33 billion for SE Regional O.P.
• ? 4.06 billion for BMW Regional O.P.
• ? Ten lead Government Departments and host of
  implementing Agencies
• ? Four sources of European Funding (ESF, ERDF,
  EAGGF FIFG)
• ? Regional Assemblies were managing authorities
  for Regional O.P.s and thus O.P. was approved
  by the Assemblies.

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S E Regional O.P. - Four Main Priorities

• Million
• 1. Local Infrastructure 3,045
• 2. Local Enterprise Development
  625
• 3. Agriculture and Rural Development 543
• 4. Social Inclusion and Childcare 1,164
• TOTAL 5,377

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Local Infrastructure

• million
• Non-National Roads
  1,354
• Rural Water
  190
• Waste Management
  621
• Urban Village Renewal
  111
• E-Commerce Communications Infrastructure
  302
• Seaports 125
• Regional Airports
  4
• Culture, Recreation Sport
  333
• Tech. Assistance
  4
• TOTAL
  3,044
• EU Funds ERDF 273.77m
• Measures delivered by Local Authorities

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Social Inclusion Childcare

• million
• Childcare Facilities
  107
• Equality 24
• Community Development
  112
• Crime Prevention
  72
• Youth Services 271
• Local Development 374
• Staffing Quality Improvement (Childcare)
  203
• TOTAL
  1,164
• EU Funds ERDF 38m
• ESF 70.74m

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Framing the 2007-2013 Southern Eastern Regional
Operational Programme

• Factors which have influenced the prioritisation
• in the draft Programme
• ? EU Priorities (Lisbon, Gothenburg, ERDF
  Regulations)
• ? National Policies and Strategies
• ? Development needs of the Region
• ? Submissions from regional and local bodies
• ? Level of funding available
• ? Other Programmes (NDP 2007-2013, Rural
  Development Programme)
• ? Need for a geographical and thematic balance
• ? Ex-ante Evaluation and Strategic Environmental
  Assessment

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Outline Development Strategy

• ? Having regard to all of the above factors it is
  proposed that the development strategy should be
  to concentrate resources on three broad
  priorities
• Innovation / Knowledge Economy. (332m)
• Priority is explicably linked to the Lisbon
  Agenda.
• Priorities will focus on three themes as follows
• ? Increasing the regional research capacity
  across the Region and ensuring greater transfer
  and commercialisation of the research
• ? Improving the entrepreneurial base of the
  Regions small indigenous enterprises
• ? Enhancing the research capacity of the regional
  higher educational institutions

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• ? 2 Environment and Accessibility (215m)
• Priority largely focused on the Gothenburg Agenda
• Seeks to protect and enhance the environmental
  conditions in the Region to assist both
  competitiveness and the long term sustainability
  of economic development in the region.
• Priority focused on three key areas
• ? Protecting ground water conditions and raw
  water sources
• ? Initiatives to promote alternative energy
  production and energy efficiency
• ? Promoting increasing regional accessibility to
  broadband for SMEs

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• 3 Sustainable Urban Development Priority
  177m)
• Building on the work of the NSS, and recognising
  that the Urban centres are drivers of the
  regional economy, this priority is targeted at
  the major urban centres in the region in support
  of both the Lisbon competitiveness objectives and
  the need to promote greater intra-regional
  balance in the interest of greater internal
  cohesion
• Priority is the focus of two themes
• City Regeneration
• Town Renewal

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Urban Priority Background

• ? Critical role of cities and towns in driving
  economic and social development
• ? Development of regional cities and towns
  critical to ensuring greater intra-regional
  balance
• ? NSS identification of limited number of
  Gateways and Hubs to promote sustainable economic
  development

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Priority Objectives

• ? Seek to enhance the attractiveness of Gateways
  and Hubs as places to live, work and invest in
• ? Complement Priorities 1 and 2 and other
  investment strategies supporting the
  implementation of the NSS
• ? Assist Gateways / Hubs to maximise their growth
  potential to gain critical mass

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Thematic Focus

• ? Sustainable development involves more than just
  investment in physical infrastructure
• ? Requires co-ordinated planning of physical
  environment, economic base, knowledge and
  research capacity and cultural and leisure
  infrastructure
• ? Requires co-operation across local authority
  areas and across key stakeholders in public and
  private sector
• ? Intervention to be based on integrated
  sustainable development strategies for the
  designated Gateways Hubs
• ? Priority to be focused on three themes
• Gateway Challenge Fund
• Hubs Challenge Fund
• Inter Gateway Co-Operation Fund

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Theme 1, Gateway Challenge Fund

• ? Assistance available for the 9 designated NSS
  Gateways to improve economically,
  environmentally, socially culturally
• ? Requirement for integrated development strategy
  and to show how proposed contribute to enhancing
  growth potential of Gateways actions
• ? Prepared on a partnership basis co-ordinated
  by LAs in Gateway and should incorporate the
  inputs of local/regional development agencies,
  3rd Level institutions, economic actors
  community/voluntary groups

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Theme 2, Hub Challenge Fund

• ? Under this theme assistance will be give to the
  designated NSS Hubs in the two Regions to improve
  economically, environmentally, socially and
  culturally
• ? Each of the Hubs will be required to prepare an
  integrated development strategy to demonstrate
  proposed actions to enhancing the attractiveness
  of urban centres physical economic and social
  fabric of the centre

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Theme 3, Inter-Gateway Co-Operation Fund

• ? Aims to establish greater levels of
  connectivity and synergies between gateways and
  to promote a more balanced polycentric
  development basic premise by co-operation in
  relevant areas, the development potential of the
  Regional Gateways can be enhanced
• ? Proposals for joint actions should be developed
  on a partnership basis (to be co-ordinated
  jointly by the Gateways) and should incorporate
  inputs from public, private and social actors in
  the gateways and in the connecting corridors

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Indicative Operations

• ? The indicative operations to be supported under
  this priority will be the creation of a challenge
  fund in order for the relevant local authorities
  to bring forward innovative, participative
  integrated proposals. These could include
• ? Urban infrastructure
• ? Public amenities, parks and playgrounds
• ? Physical regeneration and renewal
• ? Social Infrastructure

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Indicative Operations (contd)

• ?Public iconic sculptures/artwork
• ?Sustainable transport
• ?Arts and Culture Facilities
• ?Development of natural, cultural and built
  heritage
• ?Promotions/branding of the urban centre
• ?Address social exclusion
• ?Capacity building and leadership

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Gateway Innovation Fund

• In addition to the Regional O.P a Gateway
  Innovation Fund (GIF) is being provided for in
  the NDP 2007-2013 with the aims of enhancing and
  accelerating the growth of the 9 gateway cities
  and towns identified under the NSS. An initial
  exchequer allocation of 300m is being provided
  through the Fund which will operate initially on
  a pilot basis for the period 2008-2010. Under
  the management of the Department of Environment,
  Heritage and Local Government, a detailed scheme
  for the new Fund, has been finalised, and can be
  viewed on the Departments website www.environ.ie

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Contact Details

• Southern Eastern Regional Assembly
• Assembly House
• OConnell Street
• Waterford
• Ireland
• Tel [phone]
• Fax [phone]
• Email info_at_seregassembly.ie
• Web www.seregassembly.ie