France
Programmes summaries :
Operational programme 2007-2013: Upper Normandy
1. European Regional Development Fund Operational Programme
Region of Upper Normandy - Regional competitiveness and employment objective
2. On 24 July 2007, the European Commission approved the Operational Programme (OP) for Community assistance from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) under the regional competitiveness and employment objective in the region of Upper Normandy in France. The total cost of the programme amounts to 686.94 million euros, the maximum contribution from the ERDF to the operational programme to 219.31 million euros, and the maximum co-financing rate is set at 32%. The national contribution provided for amounts to 467.63 millon euros and may be partly met by Community loans from the European Investment Bank (EIB) and by other lending instruments.
3. Strategic objectives and priorities of the Operational Programme
Regional competitiveness requires a boost in the ability to innovate. The Upper Normandy region has a lot of potential in this area, as demonstrated by the three competitiveness centres certified by the French State, the emergence of 11 regional innovation and technology transfer centres (CRITTs), three technological platforms to foster technology transfer and a regional incubator for creating innovative businesses.
Working from these advantages, the Upper Normandy region has chosen to place innovation and sustainable development at the heart of its regional development strategy.
A detailed description of its strategic priorities makes it possible to estimate the share of the Community Funds allocated to the Lisbon Strategy’s priorities at more than 66% for the ERDF.
4. Estimate of the impact of the EU’ s investment
The involvement of Community financing should permit the creation of 82 144 m2 of infrastructure dedicated to research, together with the creation of 12.5 km of reserved lanes for public transport, and the conversion of 125 hectares of land on the site of Le Havre’s old port. Energy savings are forecast to be equivalent to 5000 tonnes of oil equivalent (TOE), production of renewable energy at 3000 TOE, and the gain in production capacity for renewable energy at 30 000 TOE.
5. Priorities
The Operational Programme has six priorities:
Priority 1. Making the information economy more dynamic to increase the region’s competitiveness
This priority aims to bolster the knowledge and skills that foster creativity and innovation, and to take full advantage of the results of research in business.
Priority 2. Innovation at the heart of the economic and social changes in businesses
This concerns guiding traditional industrial businesses in their economic changes while consolidating the foundations of their competitiveness and encouraging innovation, guiding the creation, development and transmission of businesses in innovative sectors and, lastly, creating a true dynamic of innovation by supporting, in particular, competitiveness centres while ensuring that the region steers effective innovation, and showing strong support for innovative projects.
Priority 3. An environmentally-friendly regional economy
Two main objectives have been identified: guaranteed conditions for a controlled and preserved environment, and control of energy and development of renewable energy.
Priority 4. Improving living conditions and strengthening social and territorial cohesion
Three main objectives have been identified in order to address the regions’s problems: accompanying economic and environmental aspects of urban revitalisation; accompanying innovative cultural projects, innovative personal services, especially for dependent and isolated women in an urban or peri-urban environment, and lastly, accompanying the development of ICT (Information and Communication Technology) services and very high speed infrastructure.
Priority 5. Transport at the service of economic activities and of the public to create a competitive port economy and improve accessibility
This serves two purposes: the promotion, improvement and development of modes of transport other than passenger cars for people and with regard to the port economy in particular, making the competitiveness of ports, railways and inland waterways more dynamic.
Priority 6. Technical assistance
This strand will provide support for the introduction of an effective management, monitoring and control system to evaluate the programme and its projects and handle its communication and publicity.
6 Managing authority
Prefecture of the Upper Normandy Region
7 place de la madeleine
76036 Rouen Cedex
Contact: Mr Vincent Arsigny
Tel.: +33 2 32 76 51 99
Fax: +33 2 32 76 51 36
vincent.arsigny@haute-normandie.pref.gouv.fr
Operational programme 2007-2013: "Limousin region"
1. European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) Operational Programme
Limousin region – "Regional competitiveness and employment" objective
2. On 2 August 2007 the European Commission approved the operational programme for Community assistance from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) under the "Regional competitiveness and employment" objective in the Limousin region for the period 2007-2013. The programme's total budget is EUR 567 million, including a Community contribution of EUR 127 million via the ERDF, which represents a Community cofinancing rate of approximately 22.4%.
3. Strategic objectives and priorities of the operational programme
The Limousin is a very rural region (723 800 inhabitants) of France. The ERDF programme for 2007-2013 was drawn up with a view to helping achieve the Lisbon Strategy's economic competitiveness and employment objectives by creating conditions to promote innovation and providing research bodies with the resources to develop with regional competitiveness in mind, while still small in scale. The overall level of cofinancing for the Lisbon Strategy's competitiveness and employment objectives is 63.65% of the ERDF allocation.
The region can rely on existing poles of competitiveness in the "technical ceramics" sector (there is a European ceramics centre in Limoges) and the "opto-electronics" sector (a merger of the fields of optics and electronics) but also on knowledge transfer tools and technological support tools.
With regard to the competitiveness of Limousin businesses, the SME sector (small and medium-sized enterprises) is characterised by a low awareness of innovation and an ageing population of business owners. On the whole, there are few managerial positions and business support services are still under-represented. Business competitiveness and employment therefore need to be improved, while at the same time promoting business start-ups and business-oriented services.
The population of the Limousin region also declined throughout the 20th century, with the departure of many young people and a significant ageing of its population.
The challenge in terms of attractiveness is to improve rail accessibility (high-speed line Limoges-Poitiers to link up with the TGV Atlantique Paris-Bordeaux) and to enhance conditions with a view to attracting new populations.
The Limousin also has a natural and environmental potential that is attractive to urban dwellers in search of nature. The attractiveness of this environment needs to be developed by preserving it and enhancing it, but also by helping to resolve the major environmental issues.
Given its small size, the Limousin wants to establish and develop partnerships with other French and European regions by joining networks for the exchange of best practice in order to develop new partnerships, especially in the areas of R&D and innovation.
4. Estimated impact of EU investment
Community funding should help in particular to:
- Enhance the potential of training/research/innovation by promoting increased expenditure in this sector from EUR 125 million at present to EUR 190 million by 2015. This should help to increase the number of researchers in the Limousin region from 820 at the beginning of the programming period to 1 080 in 2015, with 113 to 160 patents filed per year.
- Increase the number of business start-ups by 4% during the programming period and increase the percentage of managerial positions from 26% to 31%.
- Improve the quality of the environment and ensure sustainable development for the Limousin region by reducing its contribution to greenhouse gases to 0.63 million tonnes of CO2 per year.
- Make the region more attractive by increasing broadband Internet coverage from 87.8% to 100% in SMEs and from 83.7% to 99% in households by 2015.
5. Priorities
The operational programme is divided into the following priority areas:
1) Enhance the potential of training/research/innovation and of technology transfer
2) Develop the competitiveness of Limousin businesses and employment
3) Enhance the attractiveness of the region
4) Improve the quality of the environment and ensure sustainable development for the Limousin
5) Facilitate interregional and international cooperation partnerships
6) Technical assistance.
6. Managing authority:
Prefect of the Region
Prefecture of the Limousin Region
BP 87031
F-87031 Limoges Cedex
Tel.: + 33 5 55 11 61 00
Fax: + 33 5 55 11 61 35
E-mail: sgar.pref87@limousin.pref.gouv.fr
Operational Programme 2007-2013: "Centre Region"
1. Operational programme of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)
Centre Region – Regional competitiveness and employment objective
[Graphic in PDF & Word format]
[ Figures and graphics available in PDF and WORD PROCESSED ]
2. On 7 August 2007, the European Commission approved the Operational programme for Community assistance from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) under the Regional competitiveness and employment objective in the Centre Region of France for the 2007-2013 period. The programme amounts to a total of around €575 million, including a Community contribution via the ERDF of approximately €196 million, i.e. an average Community cofinancing rate of about 34%.
3. Strategic objectives and priorities of the operational programme
The Centre Region chose to focus on innovation, sustainable development, accessibility and regional competitiveness in its regional development strategy.
To increase its capacity for innovation, the Centre Region will make use of "competitiveness poles" such as "sciences and electrical energy systems", "the science of beauty and well-being" and the European pole of excellence for energy efficiency, which have already been approved, and other emerging poles.
Efforts to increase the accessibility of areas in the Centre Region include the development of alternative forms of transport and the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs). The Centre Region also has a rich natural and cultural heritage, which it intends to preserve to ensure that both urban and rural parts of the region remain attractive and competitive in the long term. The development of the tourist economy is part of the regional strategy.
On the basis of a detailed description of the strategic priorities, the share of Community funds allocated to the priorities of the Lisbon strategy can be estimated at around 65% for the ERDF and almost 82% for the ERDF and the ESF together.
4. Estimate of the impact of EU investment
Community financing should contribute to the creation of between 2 000 and 5 600 jobs, the creation or development of 430 businesses involved in collective action, a 30% increase in the tonnage handled by local railway operators and an increase from 250 to 539 in the number of trains converting from diesel to electric traction on the Nantes-Lyon line, as a transport measure to help reduce greenhouse-gas emissions.
5. Priorities
The operational programme has three main priorities and one technical assistance priority:
Priority 1. Supporting research, innovation and the development of businesses
This priority covers research, technological and non-technological innovation, the development of the regional economy and business support. The aim is to allow businesses to achieve a sufficiently high level of excellence to compete on the world market by:
- supporting research and structures contributing to the development of innovation in businesses
- strengthening public-private partnerships
- improving the economic environment of businesses
- developing measures to promote innovation
- supporting innovative, energy-efficient practices.
Priority 2. Improving regional accessibility
Measures to improve the accessibility and attractiveness of the region include alternatives to road transport for the movement of passengers and goods, with the introduction of high-speed networks to break the isolation of the areas concerned, and experimenting with new uses of Information and Communication Technologies.
Priority 3. Increasing the long-term attractiveness and competitiveness of the region
The Centre Region consists of three large areas: the "franges franciliennes" on the fringes of the Ile-de-France, where there is a high degree of polarisation; the Loire valley, which accounts for most of the region's population and activities, confirming its role as the driving force in the region, but which is vulnerable to natural and technological hazards and, finally, the south of the region, which is experiencing demographic decline and is facing difficult changes in its employment zones and reduced accessibility. The priority is to help increase the long-term attractiveness of these areas and their competitiveness by supporting projects which incorporate social, economic and environmental issues.
Priority 4. Technical assistance
Technical assistance allows the joint-financing of management, monitoring, evaluation, leadership, information and communication activities.
6. Managing authority :
Préfet de Région
Préfecture de Région Centre
181, rue de Bourgogne
F- 45042 Orléans Cedex
Tel. : + 33 2 38 81 46 00
Fax: + 33 238 81 46 02
E-mail: prénom.nom@centre.pref.gouv.fr
Internet site : www.centre.pref.gouv.fr
Operational programme 2007-2013: Languedoc-Roussillon
1. Operational programme for Community assistance from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) under the "Regional competitiveness and employment" objective in the Languedoc-Roussillon region of France
2. On 18 October 2007, the European Commission approved the Operational Programme (OP) for Community assistance from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) under the regional competitiveness and employment objective in the Languedoc-Roussillon region of France for the period 2007-2013. The total cost of the programme amounts to 817 million euros, the maximum contribution from the ERDF to the operational programme is 270 million euros, and the maximum co-financing rate is set at 33.06%. The national contribution provided for amounts to 547.4 million euros and may be partly met by Community loans from the European Investment Bank (EIB) and by other loan instruments.
3. Strategic objectives and priorities of this programme
The regional strategy focuses on five themes which underpin the priorities of the programme:
- Innovation, technology transfer and economic development;
- Environment and risk prevention;
- Alternatives to road transport;
- Information and communication technologies;
- Accessibility and territorial cohesion.
From the detailed description of the strategic objectives, it can be estimated that the share of Community funding earmarked for the Lisbon priorities will represent more than 67% of the ERDF funding.
4. Estimated impact of the EU investment
The Community investment should help to create some 440 jobs and 140 new businesses, to establish 70 business/research cooperation projects and involve 4000 enterprises in research and technical development.
5. Priorities
The operational programme has three main priorities, to which technical assistance must be added:
Priority 1: Develop innovation and the knowledge economy, promoters of growth and competitiveness
Languedoc-Roussillon plans to define a "regional innovation strategy", in the context of which the region will help regional businesses to become more competitive (use of financial engineering tools, creation of new business-friendly structures, etc.). It also wishes to develop regional research by supporting the development of research and development (R&D) infrastructures, promoting access by regional enterprises and laboratories to the European framework research programmes and stepping up the recruitment of R&D managers in enterprises.
Priority 2: Reduce the vulnerability of the region, ensure its attractiveness and the quality of the environment and curb the emission of greenhouse gases
Because of its geography and climate, Languedoc-Roussillon is one of the regions of France most vulnerable to natural hazards. The aim is to anticipate these hazards, e.g. by preparing the region better for risk management. Another important issue is to protect the coastline against erosion and restore certain iconic coastal sites. The region plans to control its energy consumption (by developing R&D in this field), to promote the development of renewable energies and ensure sustainable water management.
Priority 3: Promote accessibility (ICT and the associated infrastructures) and balanced territorial development
In the area of IT, the aim is to make high-speed or very-high-speed infrastructures available to the least well-served areas. Public IT and Internet access points are to be developed and the resources in these centres shared. The programme will better serve the region, in particular by supporting alternatives to road transport in urban areas. Finally, one measure aims to support innovative projects in rural areas and small towns in order to generate greater regional cohesion.
Area 4: Technical assistance
The aim is to support the management, monitoring and evaluation of the operational programme, and the associated communication and publicity activities.
6. Managing authority
Monsieur Cyrille SCHOTT
Prefect of the Languedoc-Roussillon Region
34, Place des Martyrs de la Résistance
F-34062 MONTPELLIER Cedex 23
Tel : + 33 467 61 61 61
Fax: +33 467 02 25 38 and +33 467 61 69 33
e-mail: cyrille.schott@languedoc-roussillon.gouv.fr
Website:
http://www.languedoc-roussillon.pref.gouv.fr/
Operational Programme 2007-2013: Midi-Pyrénées
1. Operational programme for Community assistance from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) under the "Regional competitiveness and employment" objective in the Midi-Pyrénées region
2. On 25 July 2007 the European Commission approved the operational programme (OP) for Community assistance from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) under the "Regional competitiveness and employment" objective in the Midi-Pyrénées region of France. The total cost of the programme is more than one billion euros, the maximum contribution of the ERDF to the operational programme is EUR 430.02 million and the maximum rate of cofinancing is set at 36.58 %. The national contribution provided for is EUR 745.39 million and may be partly met by Community loans from the European Investment Bank (EIB) and by other lending instruments.
3. Strategic objectives and priorities of the operational programme
The key components of the operational programme for competitiveness are the challenge of competitiveness through innovation, the challenge of a more modest and environmentally friendly form of development and the challenge of cohesion within a region of solidarity.
The programme will concentrate funds by assisting fewer projects but choosing projects which will be more effective. It was drawn up with a view to ensuring complementarity with the regional strands of the operational programme on employment, the rural development plan and other area-based policies (such as the State-Region Project Contract) and is a crucial component of the development of the Midi-Pyrénées region.
The three major objectives of the OP's priorities are to:
- boost innovation and the knowledge economy,
- promote sustainable development and the prevention of climate change,
- strengthen territorial cohesion and the accessibility of the region as essential components of solidarity-based development.
A detailed description of its strategic priorities makes it possible to estimate the share of Community funds allocated to the Lisbon Strategy’s priorities at more than 67% for the ERDF and at almost 76% for the ERDF and ESF together.
4. Estimated impact of EU investment
Community financing should help to create 7 000 jobs in high-tech and medium-high-tech sectors and high-tech and knowledge-based services. 600 patents are to be filed and 130 businesses set up thanks to the regional incubator in the area of R&D. Objectives also include a 7% reduction in CO2 emissions, a 10% increase in the number of additional passenger-kilometres, 95% population coverage for public e-content at local level and between municipalities, and a 20% increase in bodies of water with good ecological status.
5. Priorities
The operational programme is divided into seven priority areas:
Priority 1. Enhance the research potential of competitiveness poles and regional networks of excellence and modernise the higher education structures attached to them
By concentrating on enhancing the research potential of competitiveness poles and networks of excellence in the Midi-Pyrénées, on collaborative projects between research bodies and business, and on promoting scientific culture among young people and the general public, this priority is in keeping with the European and national objectives in these areas.
Priority 2. Develop competitiveness among businesses by means of a support policy focusing on aid for projects, innovation and raising the level of professionalism
This priority aims to encourage innovation and entrepreneurship in businesses and to create more and better jobs, taking account of the "sustainable development" dimension. Giving more people incentives to join the workforce or set up a business, improving the adaptability of workers and businesses and increasing investment in human capital are all measures which work towards these objectives.
Priority 3. Preserve and enhance the environmental capital of the Midi-Pyrénées
The region's participation in the global effort to prevent climate change is the programme's priority with regard to the environment. This is particularly important given that there was a 10% increase in CO2 emissions in the region during the period 1990-2003. The quality of natural resources (primarily water) is also one of the crucial environmental issues for the Midi-Pyrénées region. The objective is to achieve, by 2015, the good ecological status provided for in the Water Framework Directive adopted at European level.
Priority 4. Boost the development of the Pyrenees via a balanced and sustainable interregional policy
There will be both interregional measures, which create opportunities for rapid development and for the competitiveness of the Pyrenees, and local projects, which work towards sustainable development for the region. For example, support will be given for measures to raise locals' and tourists' awareness of the natural hazards of the mountains or for interregional projects to help enhance the natural and cultural heritage of the Pyrenees.
Priority 5. Improve accessibility, attractiveness and local transport
Given the condition of the infrastructure, the scale of the area, the scattered urbanisation and strong population growth, there is a heavy reliance on car use in the Midi-Pyrénées region, causing a particularly negative impact on the environment and a rapidly growing demand for all modes of transport. Providing better access to rail networks in several employment zones in the region is therefore an absolute priority in order to ensure balanced development in the region, but also with a view to tackling climate change. The development of information and communication technologies (ICT) is also a response to the challenge of long-term accessibility for the Midi-Pyrénées region and may limit the growth in travel.
Priority 6. Support urban projects on social cohesion and multi-modality
This priority relates more specifically to sustainable urban development measures designed to strengthen urban cohesion in fragile areas. Two objectives will help to increase social cohesion between cities and problem districts: supporting integrated development projects in districts which are particularly problematic, and supporting a more sustainable and effective urban mobility.
Priority 7. Technical assistance
This strand will provide support for the introduction of an effective management, monitoring and control system to evaluate the programme and its projects and for communication and publicity relating to the programme and the operations carried out.
6. Managing authority
Prefecture of the Midi-Pyrénées region
1, Place Saint-Etienne
F - 31038 Toulouse Cedex 9
Tel.: 05.34.45.34.45 - Fax: 05.34.45.33.04
E-mail: jean-paul.faivre@midi-pyrenees.pref.gouv.fr
helene.malavaud@midi-pyrenees.pref.gouv.fr
Internet:
http://www.haute-garonne.pref.gouv.fr/