Urban II projects approved

Citation

(2002), "Urban II projects approved", Journal of European Industrial Training, Vol. 26 No. 5. https://doi.org/10.1108/jeit.2002.00326eab.011

Urban II projects approved

Urban II projects approved

Michel Barnier, European Commissioner responsible for regional policy, has announced European Commission approval for urban-regeneration projects in the UK, Portugal and Belgium, under the Urban II programme (2000-2006).

The goal of the Urban programme is economic and social regeneration of cities and neighbourhoods in order to promote sustainable urban development. Many of the projects include a training element.

Mr Barnier said: "The Urban initiative is a creative and innovative approach to urban regeneration. These programmes have a strong grass-roots emphasis, involving local people at all stages in the decision-making process, and I am confident that these programmes will make a substantial contribution to urbanregeneration."

The UK areas to benefit are: 10.6 million euros – Belfast, for urban renewal, training and employment; 10.6 million euros – Bristol, for employment, improving life in general and projects for the young; 11.4 million euros – Burnley, for improving life in general by "improving the social fabric" through, for example, crime-prevention initiatives; 12.9 million euros – Clyde Urban Waterfront in Scotland, for training and the development of economic activity; 11.1 million euros – Normanton area of Derby, for employment, supporting small firms, improving living conditions and developing associations; 12.6 million euros – Halifax, for jobs and training; 11.4 million euros – east Durham coalfield, to boost the economy and involve more young people in local life; 11.1 million euros – Peterborough, for developing services and backing economic development; 10 million euros – Stockwell, London borough of Lambeth, for training, the development of economic activities, environmental protection and helping the underprivileged; 11.8 million euros – Thames Gateway area in Kent, for training, improving the economic environment and integrating the underprivileged into the world of work.

Measures to help to reintegrate young people into education and training in Portugal are among those to be financed in Urban II projects approved for the country's Porto-Gondomar and Amadora regions. Almost 30 million euros of Urban II money has been approved for Portugal between 2000-2006.

Training, improving the environment and helping disadvantaged people to enter the job market are among the priorities in the Urban II programme for the Belgian city of Antwerp. Between 2001-2006, Antwerp will benefit from 7.1 million euros of EU money, and 15.7 million euros of private-sector investment.

Meanwhile, the European Commission has approved 65.7 million euros of help for Scotland under the Leader + rural-development programme between 2001 and 2006. The EU contribution will be 28.2 million euros, and the rest will come from the public and private sectors.

The money will be spent on training programmes for the long-term unemployed, help for rural firms, product-quality initiatives and promoting electronic commerce. Ten local action groups in Scotland will be supported.

Priority groups for support will include women, young people, the self-employed and the unemployed.