Information Released in Response to an FOI Request
| Title | Funding and grants awarded by the European Union to the Inverclyde area. |
| Description | Funding and grants awarded by the European Union specifically to Inverclyde Council and other bodies in the towns of Greenock, Gourock, Port Glasgow, Kilmacolm, Wemyss Bay, Inverkip and Quarriers village. |
| Publication Date | November 24, 2005 |
| Charge | Free. |
Note: If you have difficulty accessing the documents on this page and would like copies in a different format, please e-mail foi@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
The main grant paid annually to councils is called Aggregate External Finance (AEF). Almost all AEF is paid by the Scottish Executive and a small portion comes from the Department for Work and Pensions. The total AEF this year for Scotland is over £8 billion. None of this money comes from the European Union (EU). The AEF for Inverclyde Council this year is £141.8m, rising to £146.4m in 2006-07 and £149.4m in 2007-08.
In Scotland, Structural Funds are the main source of EU funding providing over £1.1 billion pounds in Scotland for the period 2000-2006.
The Objective 3 Programme (European Social Fund), which covers everything below the blue area in the structural funds programme areas map, helps improve the prospects of the long-term unemployed, young people and those who are socially excluded. It also helps working people adjust to changes in the workplace.
The amount of European Structural Funds awarded to the local authority and other bodies through the Objective 3 Programme over the last five years to date totals £3,308,891.00. This is broken down as follows ( the years marked * include projects than ran in more than one local authority totalling £95,830,133.00. The actual amount awarded to a single local authority that period is not available ):
*2000-2001 £266,488.00
*2002 £143,164.00
*2003 £63,063.00
2004 £1,501,328.00
2005 £1,334,848.00
The Objective 2 Programme assists regions or areas affected by industrial decline and in the redevelopment of rural areas. Our partners at Strathclyde European Partnership have contacted you under separate cover on the monies paid through the Urban and European Regional Development Funds (ERDF) within the Objective 2 Programme. Further to Objective 2 dealing with Urban and ERDF funds, they also have responsibility for a small number of projects that receive money through the European Social Fund (ESF).
The total ESF money paid via the Objective 2 Programme from 1997 to date totals £6,353,274.00. This is made up of £2,055,506.00 paid in the Western Scotland 1997-1999 Programme, and £4,297,768.00 paid so far in the current Western Scotland Objective 2 Programme 2000-2006.
Further information on European Structural Funds can be found at www.scotland.gov.uk/structuralfunds