This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
Listen
Plans to improve competitiveness of East of Scotland
12/01/2006
Key representatives from the Structural Funds partnership in the East of Scotland have met to discuss the future of European Structural Funds in the area.
Scottish Enterprise, Local Authorities and a host of other local bodies met with the Scottish Executive and consultants to discuss how future funding could contribute to maximising the competitiveness of the region.
Deputy Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning, Allan Wilson, said:
"With the recent agreement of the EU budget for 2007-2013 we now know that Structural Funds will be available throughout Scotland from 2007, albeit at a reduced level.
"Lowlands and Uplands Scotland will continue to receive funding under the Competiveness Objective and it is important that we now plan to ensure that this reduced funding is used in the best possible way for all Scottish regions, including the East of Scotland.
"We are working in collaboration with the organisations involved to determine what the real priorities of the region are and how best to deliver them with the more limited resources likely to come to Scotland.
"We will continue to engage with all partners throughout this period of restructuring and we are aiming to have a new system and new programmes in place by 1 January 2007."
Successful projects in the East of Scotland such as the Queens Medical Research Instutute at Edinburgh University, Fife Energy Park in Methill and the Business Environment Partnership in Midlothian have received European funding through the current programmes.
Looking to the future, representatives highlighted ways in which local development projects could fit with Scotland-wide strategies including Closing the Opportunity Gap, Lifelong Learning Strategy and Smart, Successful Scotland.
Other issues discussed included: innovation and business development, commercialisation of research, social exclusion, environmental and rural sustainability and supporting progress towards sustained employability to all in East Scotland.