Economic Forum

Post 2006 Programmes for Cornwall and Isles of Scilly
2007-2013

Background

The Objective One Programme is one of three set up to help reduce differences in social and economic conditions within the European Union (These three funding programmes are the biggest area of European spending after the Common Agricultural Policy). Of the three, Objective One is the highest priority designation for European aid and is targeted at areas where prosperity, measured in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per head of population, is 75% or less of the European average.

The Objective One programme made approximately £350 million in European investment available. The European money has had to be matched, across the programme as a whole, with the same amount of UK money.

The Objective One Partnership Office provides regular updates on progress of the current Programme and regarding developments on the Post 2006 Programmes. To access the Objective One website click here.

Post 2006 Programmes

On 16th December 2005, the EU leaders reached an eagerly awaited budget agreement at the EU Summit.

The agreement of the budget also set out the framework for its use, including the confirmation of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly as eligible for support from a Convergence programme – this is the EU economic regeneration programme that replaces Objective One.

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Please click here to access a detailed Post 2006 guide developed by Cornwall County Council.

Post 2006 Programme Development

The Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Economic Forum led the review of “Strategy and Action” which will provide the over-arching economic development strategy for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. The appropriate coverage by the strategy was vital to ensure the successful knitting together of all economic regeneration investment programmes whether UK or EU in origin.
The relevant parts of Strategy and Action have informed the basis of the Convergence Programme as well as those for European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the European Fisheries Fund.

The Economic Forum worked closely with the Post 2006 Co-ordination Group, which has representatives from South West Regional Developement Agency, Government Office for the South West, Cornwall County Council, Objective One Partnership Office, Learning and Skills Council, Job Centre Plus and Cornwall Enterprise. This group supports the Post 2006 Strategic Group, which provides the wider strategic context to the process.

Strategy and Action was launched in May 2007.

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National Strategic Reference Framework (NSRF)
In October 2006 the UK's National Strategic Reference Framework was approved. The National Strategic Reference Framework is a requirement of the new EU Regulations for the Structural and Cohesion Funds for 2007- 2013 and established the broad priorities for future Structural Funds Programmes in the UK.

Local Preparation
Locally preparatory work has been ongoing to put in place the processes to prepare for the Convergence Operational Programme document for the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), latest update is available via Objective One Partnership Office newsletters.

The Objective One website has a page for Frequently Asked Questions for Post 2006.