EU Co-Financing for Regional Development Projects:
Following the extremely successful implementation during the recently expired EU regional support program period 2000-2006, ecoplus has once again achieved the integration of the Lower Austria Regional Support Program into the EU program planning period 2007-2013.
The Objective 2 follow-up program Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Program 2007 – 2013 (CIP), co-financed by EU means, will be allocated approximately € 145 million, making funding possible for projects across the entire federal state. The so-called target areas are now a thing of the past. However, the spectrum of projects eligible for funding has been narrowed, as the new guidelines stipulate a topical focus on R&D, technology and innovation-related measures.
The program will be administered by the state of Lower Austria, Department RU2. ecoplus will continue to play the role of "source of support responsible for measures" and will cover the following areas:
• Business-related and technology infrastructure
incl. information and communications technology
pilot projects
• Networks & Clusters
• Technopols
• Tourism initiatives
The previous joint initiative Leader+ will be continued within the framework of the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and will be significantly enhanced in terms of funding. The development objectives remain for the most part unchanged: the implementation of innovative strategies for rural areas with the broadest possible regional backing. The program will be coordinated at the federal level by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management and at the state level by Department LF3. ecoplus will continue to oversee the handling of tourism-related measures.
The joint initiative INTERREG will also be raised in program status. The development objectives of the European Territorial Cooperation Objective shall remain more or less the same – balanced development in the border regions, preservation of the attractive business region and habitat, and increased cross-border cooperation. In principle it is about making borders less of a barrier and encouraging the intensified cultivation of transnational networks.
The support priorities are most significantly:
• cross-border business development including
know-how transfer;
• accessibility (transportation infrastructure); and
• sustainable development (and in particular,
environmental).
With its support tools, ecoplus will focus on the funding of cross-border business development. The administration of the program has been transferred to the federal states by the Federal Chancellor's Office. Lower Austria is responsible for the program Austria/Czech Republic; Vienna for Austria/Slovakia; and Burgenland for Austria/Hungary.
Another new aspect is the introduction of the Lead Partner principle, which stipulates that one of the partners must assume a leading role within a project, particularly in regard to the organizational and financial implementation of the project.
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