By David Scott
Public bodies in Scotland are having difficulty finding finance to match European Union funds, a parliamentary committee has warned.
The Scottish Parliament’s European and external relations committee reviewed the impact of the current financial crisis on EU support for economic development. The programmes require public bodies to match the funding to receive it.
MSPs called on the Scottish and UK governments and the EU to introduce a series of measures to safeguard EU financial packages for regional economic development during the recession.
Their report, published on June 10, pointed out the importance of the EU structural funding programmes to Scotland and the major role they play in helping the country to overcome the current economic difficulties.
But committee convener Irene Oldfather said the inquiry had ‘picked up worrying signs that public – and private – bodies are starting to struggle to find finance to match EU funds’.
She praised recent EU initiatives, but added that ‘further measures are necessary to ensure the continued success of the programmes’.
The committee recommended that projects receiving EU funding assistance should be given three years to complete instead of the current two years.
It also proposed that the maximum level of EU grant aid available should be increased and that EU-funded schemes should focus more on infrastructure projects to stimulate Scotland’s ailing construction sector.
Public bodies in Scotland are having difficulty finding finance to match European Union funds, a parliamentary committee has warned.
The Scottish Parliament’s European and external relations committee reviewed the impact of the current financial crisis on EU support for economic development. The programmes require public bodies to match the funding to receive it.
MSPs called on the Scottish and UK governments and the EU to introduce a series of measures to safeguard EU financial packages for regional economic development during the recession.
Their report, published on June 10, pointed out the importance of the EU structural funding programmes to Scotland and the major role they play in helping the country to overcome the current economic difficulties.
But committee convener Irene Oldfather said the inquiry had ‘picked up worrying signs that public – and private – bodies are starting to struggle to find finance to match EU funds’.
She praised recent EU initiatives, but added that ‘further measures are necessary to ensure the continued success of the programmes’.
The committee recommended that projects receiving EU funding assistance should be given three years to complete instead of the current two years.
It also proposed that the maximum level of EU grant aid available should be increased and that EU-funded schemes should focus more on infrastructure projects to stimulate Scotland’s ailing construction sector.
