§ 30. Mrs. HealTo ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will make a statement on the European Commission's proposals for the reform of EU structural funds. [45081]
§ Mrs. RocheThe draft regulations for the Structural and Cohesion funds covering the operation of the Funds from the years 2000 to 2006 were published on 18 March as part of a wider Agenda 2000 package.
319WIt is important that the Structural and Cohesion Funds be reformed to make them more effective and to provide better value for money. The Funds' procedures are in need of substantial simplification and the prospect of enlargement of the EU to include central and Eastern European countries makes this reform vital in any event.
During the long negotiations ahead, we will be striving to achieve three main aims for the UK and its regions—these are fairness, affordability and durability.
Publication of the Regulations marks the start of a long negotiation initially under the UK Presidency and continuing possibly into 1999. The regulations will have to be agreed in the council of Ministers and approved where appropriate by the European Parliament.