Press Release: “Strong regions – building bridges for Europe”: Danuta Hübner and Michael Glos launch in Hof the new Cohesion Policy programmes

European Commissioner for Regional Policy, Danuta Hübner, and German Minister for Economy and Technology, Michael Glos, on 8 May 2007 addressed in Hof, Germany, a conference organised by the German Presidency, marking the adoption of a certain number of Cohesion Policy programmes for the 2007-2013 period. Under the title "Strong Regions - Building Bridges for Europe", the event marks a turning point in the new Cohesion policy as there is now agreement between the European Commission and 10 Member States on their National Strategic Reference Framework Programmes representing around €160 billion of investment in European regions and cities over the next seven years. The adopted programmes correspond to approximately 46% of the total amount allocated for all 27 EU Member States (€347 billion). Commissioner Hübner signed the plans and priorities agreed between the Commission and Germany, Hungary, Poland, Spain, and Cyprus. The Commission has already agreed on the plans and priorities of Malta, Greece, Austria, Lithuania and Denmark while the procedure regarding the remaining 17 countries will be completed soon.