Programme under the Regional Competitiveness and Employment Objective, co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)
Programme description
On 7 August 2007, the European Commission approved a Regional Operational Programme for the region of Valle d’Aosta in Italy for the 2007-2013 period. The Operational Programme falls within the Regional Competitiveness and Employment Objective framework and has a total budget of around €48.8 million. Community investment through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) amounts to some €19.5 million, which represents approximately 0.1% of the total EU investment earmarked for Italy under the Cohesion Policy for 2007-13.
1. Aim and purpose of the programme
The Programme aims to improve the general quality of life of the region's inhabitants by boosting regional competitiveness and supporting sustainable development. The Programme focuses on research, innovation, and sustainable development, much of which promotes the region's natural resources and protected mountain areas. The Programme enhances of the region's urban areas (in particular the regeneration of Brownfield sites) located in the main valley floor, while promoting renewable energy and clean transport. Finally, the Programmes will allow the region to extend broadband internet coverage to its sparsely populated valleys and to promote IT services. These efforts will benefit firms, tourists and inhabitants alike.
2. Expected impact of investments
When assessing the impact of the Programme, the size of population of the entire region (roughly 120 000 people) should be taken into account. Accordingly, the scale of the Programme is relatively limited. The region aims to:
- increase expenditure on research and development (R&D) from 0,36% to 1% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
- increase the number of tourists by 200 000 per year (of which 2000 will use clean transport)
- reduce greenhouse gases by 7000 tons per year
- extend broadband coverage to firms, to pubic administration and to inhabitants from 28% to 96%.
3. Priorities
The following priorities represent the structure of the Operational Programme for the Valle d’Aosta:
Priority 1: Research and development, innovation and enterprise [approximately 30.7% of total funding]
The region intends to strengthen its R&D capacity from a relatively low base with support to enterprises involved in industrial development and innovation. The region intends also to support centres of competence, laboratories and industrial poles and to encourage closer cooperation between these economic area and productive enterprises. These efforts will create conditions that favour knowledge creation and technological transfer. Finally, the region will work toward attracting investment and enterprises into the new industrial parks that have emerged from vacant sites.
Priority 2: .Promotion of sustainable development [approximately 51.2% of total funding]
In the context of the overall objective of rendering Europe and its regions more attractive in terms of investment and employment, this priority will support several fields. The investments seek to contribute toward quality of life improvements for the region's inhabitants and for the tourists who frequent the area. This priority covers the following fields:
- promoting renewable energy, energy efficiency and clean transport
- continuing industrial site cleaning efforts
- exploiting the region's natural resources and cultural heritage potential.
Priority 3: Promotion of information and communication technology [approximately 14.1% of total funding]
While the main valley floor supplies broadband internet coverage, previous market failures have prevent broadband coverage to the region's more marginal, mostly mountainous areas. Therefore, Priority axis 3 aims to extend coverage to the lateral valleys. The extended coverage will have major benefits for tourism in these areas, which will become an extremely important aspect of the regional economy. Broadband internet provision will have positive effects for the population in mountainous regions and may curtail depopulation to some measure. The priority will also promote services to complement infrastructure funding.
Priority 4: Technical assistance [approximately 4.0% of total funding]
The Programme will employ technical assistance during implementation. The assistance will include administration, monitoring, evaluation, the cost of studies, information and communication.
4. Managing Authority
Financial information
Breakdown of finances by priority axis
| Priority Axis | EU Investment | National Public Contribution | Total Public Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research and development, innovation and enterprise | 6.000.000,00 | 9.000.000,00 | 15.000.000,00 |
| Promotion of sustainable development | 10.000.000,00 | 15.000.000,00 | 25.000.000,00 |
| Promotion of Information and Communication Technology | 2.743.275,00 | 4.114.913,00 | 6.858.188,00 |
| Technical assistance | 780.970,00 | 1.171.455,00 | 1.952.425,00 |
| Total | 19.524.245,00 | 29.286.368,00 | 48.810.613,00 |