Commission proposal on the Cohesion Fund
A Commission proposal for the establishment of a Cohesion Fund was submitted to the Council on 18 January 1994. The aim of the Cohesion Fund shall be to contribute to the strengthening of the economic and social cohesion of the European Union. It is to operate according to the provisions set out in the proposed Council Regulation (COM(93) 699). The Fund shall provide financial contributions to projects in the fields of the environment and trans-European transport infrastructure networks in Member States with a per capita GNP, measured in purchasing power parities, of less than 90% of the EU average where the Member State has a programme leading to the fulfilment of the conditions of economic convergence referred to in the Treaty on European Union (the Maastricht Treaty). Until the end of 1999, only the four Member States which currently meet this criterion shall be eligible for assistance from the Fund. These are Greece, Spain, Ireland and Portugal. As well as assistance for environmental projects and transport infrastructure projects, as defined in the proposal, the Fund may also grant assistance for preliminary studies related to eligible projects and technical support measures. In the case of technical support, assistance may particularly be provided for: Horizontal measures such as comparative studies; measures and studies which contribute to the appraisal or monitoring of projects and to strengthening and ensuring their consistency; and for measures and studies helping to make necessary adjustments to the implementation of the projects. The Regulation is to replace Regulation 792/93/EEC of 30.3.1993 which established a Cohesion Financial Instrument. For the period 1993-1999, the total commitment appropriations available for the Fund under the proposed Regulation and the previous Regulation shall be ECU 15.15 billion at 1992 prices. A further Commission proposal published in the same edition of the Official Journal, lays down detailed rules for the implementation of the Regulation.
Countries
Greece, Spain, Ireland, Portugal