Structural Funds. 13th annual report 2001

The European Parliament adopted a resolution based on its own-initiative report drafted by Helmuth MARKOV (GUE/NGL, Germany) on the Commission's report on the Structural Funds. (Please refer to the document dated 21/05/03.) Parliament pointed out that the report for 2001 once again presents and evaluates the quantitative aspects (number of projects approved, level of commitment and payment appropriations) in differentiated form but does not produce any specific data about the qualitative improvements achieved in regional development. Such improvement of regional development constitutes a priority for the EU economic and social development, particularly in the run-up to enlargement. Parliament stated that it valued evidence that structural policies help reduce economic disparities between Member States (though disparities between regions within Member States have grown and the Commission should amend existing allocation criteria so as to reduce these disparities). It asked for more such "impact" analysis. This will be of key importance from 2004 when the area/population of the EU will have increased by one third but its GDP by only 5%. �