§ Mr. Jim CunninghamTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps she has taken to ensure that the West Midlands continues to benefit from Structural Funds after the introduction of Agenda 2000. [34296]
§ Mrs. Roche[holding answer 16 March 1998]: The Commission expects to publish on 18 March its detailed draft regulations covering the operations of the Funds for the period 2000–2006. These draft regulations will then need to be negotiated in the Council of Ministers and approved by the European Parliament.
601WIn the meantime, Ministers have been in regular contact with the European Commission and other Member States, with an aim of securing a package which is fair to all Member States especially to the United Kingdom and regions and which is affordable and durable, simpler and more efficient. In these discussions, we have suggested that GDP per capita should be a factor taken into account in the allocation of the Funds.