Up to 4bn from EU for UKs poorest regions

23 October 1998

Up to £4bn from EU for UK’s poorest regions

FIGURES submitted by the Government to Brussels are likely to result in four regions together winning between £2 billion and £4bn in European regional aid to regenerate their communities.

West Wales and the valleys, South Yorkshire, Merseyside and Cornwall are hoping to qualify for Objective 1 funding, the highest category of aid. The Office for National Statistics has released data showing their gross domestic product per head for 1994, 1995 and 1995 was below 75% of the European Union average.

All four regions are working on ideas to include in a programme of projects which can include help for agriculture.

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  Financial Times 23/10/98 page 12