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About 600 participants were present at the Closing session of the Open Days 2006 at the European Parliament in Brussels held on the 12th of October 2006 when the President of the European Parliament's Regional Development Commission, Gerardo Quecedo Galeote, chaired a debate on the question 'How to make Europe's regions and Cities more attractive?' Moderated by Pierre Benazet, Radio France, the panel included Jacques Attali, economist, writer, President of PlaNet Finance, Vladimir Spidla, European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, John Monks, Secretary-General of the European Trade Union Conferderation (ETUC), Michel Delebarre, President of the Committee of the Regions and Danuta Hübner, European Commissioner for Regional Policy.
The Speech of Commissioner Danuta Hübner contained several new opportunites for regions and cities to participate together with other key actors of regional development in actions aimed at increasing their regions and cities attractivity:
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New cooperation agreements with the international European financial institutions under the headings of JEREMIE for SME development and JESSICA for urban regeneration and
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More networking linked to the promotion of innovation and economic modernisation as enabled by 'The Regions for Economic Change' initiative soon to be adopted by the Commission will create joint networks of regions and cities that would work on a number of themes related to economic modernisation.
The Speech of Commissioner Danuta Hübner: How_to_make_europes_regions_and_cities_more_attractive.pdf
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JEREMIE - In regard to implementation this means that from 1 January 2007, on the basis of the JEREMIE evaluations, the Member States/regions will be able to implement the JEREMIE initiative. Instead of being given as a grant that can be spent once only, ERDF funding will be placed with a Fundholder. EIF, amongst others, will bid to become a Fundholder. The Holding Fund Manager will select and formally accredit financial intermediaries (including venture capital, loan or guarantee funds or micro-credit providers) through a consultation of the market, acting as organiser and arranger on behalf of the Member State/region. In turn, the financial intermediaries would make available equity or loans to SMEs. The focus lies on technology transfer, start-ups, technology and innovation funds as well as microcredit.
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