Dr.Sabine STADLER Postgasse 2-2-33 1010 VIENNA [email protected] University Teacher

Consultation of the DG Regpol:

Commentary on the 5 th cohesion policy report

Introduction: The 5 th cohesion report of the EU is a compendium for the structural fund policy under the conditions of financial crisis.The financial crisis and the distribution of structural funds money is the part of the EU to stabilize the real economy, in comparison to the banking system and the needs of financial markets. The main topics for the year 2010 are summarized for Central Europe as far as they are covered with the policy of the structural funds,but the main aim was to calm and stabilize and ist economy embedded in Central Europe. The neighbours economic politics were severly observed in the field of budget management,devaluation of the currency or any kind of large loans of the world bank.Hungary was the main weak case for the world bank and IMF to pay into the public budget,but the non-involvment of the neighbourhood is predominant for Central European economic politics. How the Central European states manage the financial crisis also with the means of the structural funds and what effect they achieve is the content of the commentary.All Central European states remained nation-states concerning their budget, except the cross-border programmes launched with Czech republic, Slovakia,Hungary and Slovenia,no surprise they are from their content a continuity of the former programmes. That means that the cross-border programmes are well equipped for culture,tourism and agriculture in order to support the border-regions in IT affairs,in training centers etc.

There exists a journal Central European which focuses on the EC projects and programmes reality in Central Europe.“Central Europe covers eighth EU –memberstates and more than 60 regions,about 148million citizens or 28 percent of the population live in this area.It is an area with high economic disparities and great opportunities .It is also an area that is growing closer, where increasing cross-border and transnational cooperation helps....“(Central Euorpe,2010,S.24 ) The states included are East ,Poland,Czech republic,Slowakia,Austria,Hungary ,West-Ukraine and North Italy.The budget and the programmes were given to the nation – states.In financial crisis the aim was that the real economy is not devastated and that investments can continue. In the Journal „Central EUROPE“(Vienna,2010) the secretariat for promoting EU structural fund policy supports all kind of investments in infrastructure and railways (TEN-T executive agency ) as well as Shipping.Leichtfried(2010) MEP from Austria argues for 10 million jobs in the transport sector,as well as the growing market in infrastructure“for environmentally friendly modes of transportation.“( Leichtfried,2010,S.8) The second emphasis is given to the speeding up of rural communities in the ALPS, and there is a need to connect the ALPS with digital technology and INTERNET in order to prepare the aims for the strategy 2020. Austria maintains a strict policy for employment within the framework of the ESF as well as an active policy for the regions, all this is documentated yearly in the official means of the republic of Austria.But under the conditions of the financial crisis, the question is what can be done to the states which develop slowly or not at all and how are then the comparison positioned. The decision made in Central Europe was besides the large transnational-programmes to be a nation-state and to include the programmes of the EU on regional –level .The reporting about the projects participation is done state by state.

In the INTERREG IV C programme , the second collection gives an overview on Austrians envolvment of regional projects, and the list is as follows: -DART: declining, aging and regional transformation.:Lower Austria health and social fund (NÖGUS) -CREA.RE: creative regions.Cultural department-regional government authority Upper Austria (OÖ) -OSAIS: observatory on state aid impact.Lower Austrian government,dep.economic affairs,tourism and technology.(NÖ.LRG) -SCINNOPOLI:scanning innovation policy impact.Lower Austria government, department for economic affairs. -SURF NATURE:sustainable use of regional funds for nature.: Environment agency Austria ,Austrian Federal forests ,Donau- Auen National Park (NÖ) -BTEAM:brownfield policy improvement task force:Agricultural and education center Raumberg-Gumpenstein (St.) -VITOUR landscape:innovative sustainable development policies and strategies for the effective safeguarding and innovative enhancement of European „UNESCO world heritage“wine growing landscapes.Association world-heritage, Neusiedlersee and working group WACHAU-regional development.(NÖ). -CATCH MR:cooperative approaches to transport challenges in metropolitan regions.Vienna City administration, MA 18 and government of Lower AUSTRIA,spatial planning and regional policy. -C2CN:cradle to cradle network.(waste management).Department of economic and tourism development of the city of GRAZ, Styria. -SHARP:sustainable hydro assessment and groundwater recharge projects.Competence network water ressources, and city of GRAZ.Water supply.

SOURCE: Brochure: INTERREG IV 2007-2013 joint technical secretariat.Lille,France.

Austria has an emphasis of participation to the East,Lower Austria,Styria and Vienna, and is a partner in waste,water,UNESCO,tourism and aging. Lower AUSTRIA has an programme for volunteers,where the care and the work for old people is predominant and holds a long tradtion through out the country for covering the problems of poor and old people in Lower AUSTRIA.

2. The EU programmes of Lower AUSTRIA and :

Austria has ist regional programmes for the development of the federal state, during the year 2010 the federal-state of LOWER Austria stressed the tourism and the culture in order to be a warmly welcoming area of stay and tourism. Higher numbers of tourists as well as the 2 national-parks are the main attraction. The UNESCO world-heritage lists brings the visitors to the WACHAU and to the Semmeringbahn,Lower Austria, a masterpiece of construction at the end of the 19 th century.

„The Semmering was since the 19 th century a summer-ressort . To the most famous guests belonged Oskar Kokokschka,Karl Kraus, Arthur Schnitzler,and Alma Mahler, who constructed an elegant villa.“(Weltkulturerbe Semmeringbahn,2010 )In promoting tourism Austria chose a old mode of economy,which has the aim to attrack the neighbouring countries for a short stay and attrackting the neighbourhood for consumption and work.Als Kulturland präsentiert sich Niederösterreich lebendig und facettenreich,wie LH Dr.Erwin Pröll unterstreicht.“Lower Austria understands well to combine ist rich and cultural heritage with modern assets.“(Pröll,2010,S.3)

Burgenland is a phasing-out region after the aim 1 structural fund policy and now receiving between 2007-2013 about 2,3 Milliarden EUROS in order to competitive in European economy. The four programmes for the BURGENLAND are as follows: Förderprogramm „Phasing-out“(EFRE and ESF) 444 Mio EURO Förderprogramm „ländliche Entwicklung(ELER) 467 Mio EURO Förderprogramm „Europ.Territoriale Zusammena.(ETZ) 1,4 Mil.EURO Förderpgrogramm „Europ.Fischereifonds“(EFF) 250.000 EURO

The money is spent to projects and the federal-state of BURGENLAND publishes a project-list,which is an impression of the economic force. Phasing-out: 1.607 projects paid by 81 Mio EURO Rural development(ELER):29.000 projects paid by 195 Mio EURO Europ.territor.cooperation(ETZ):123 projects paid by 146,6 Mio EURO. Europ.fishing-fund(EFF):2 projects for 73.000 EURO

Source: RMB Die Zukunft von morgen,Eisenstadt,2010

Further the federal-state of Burgenland made a public relations policy for their projects in explaining the most successful and representative for the public. The brochures of WIRTSCHAFTLICH-SINNLICH-KÜNSTLICH are explaining the projects of SMES,sanity and beauty and culture.

Culture:Haydn-Zentrum Eisenstadt Zentrum für Kreativwirtschaft, Eisenstadt Schloss-Spiele Kobersdorf Estiva 7 Joseph Haydn Burgenland Gmbh Burgenländische VolkshochschulenGmbh Verein Koryphäen Kinderuni on tour RMB Burgenland, the management

Source: RMB künstlich,2010 EISENSTADT

Health and sanity:Vila Vita Pamhagen Medizinische Massage Jormannsdorf Weg der Sinne,Markt Neuhodis Friseursalon Bleich,Pamhagen Restaurant Reisinger,Neufeld/Leitha Wissen was ich kann, Neusiedl/See Sommertheater,Burg Güssing Herz Energietechnik,Pinkafeld RMB Balancesheet of the projects

Source: RMB: sinnlich,health and sanity, 2010:Eisenstadt

Economy and SMES: Zoekler Gears,machine construction,Jois Pannonia Tower Hotel,Parndorf Euroforming servicing,machine-construction, Heiligenkreuz Cafe Crustulum,Eberau Parador Parkettwerke,Güssing Carla,2nd hand shop,Eisenstadt Kolarz,lights,Müllendorf Lehrwerkstätte Mitte/Nord, RMB Balance-sheets of the projects

SOURCE: RMB Wirtschaftlich,economy,2010:Eisenstadt.

The projects-description are examples for the reader in order to learn the ideas and to start a similar project in the Burgenland, as the offices of the RMB promote the idea, the demand and the payment for concrete work. The Esf is not funded by the structural phasing-out programme as it is part of the programme of the employment –office. Concerning the financial crisis Austria shows a large concern on Greece,Eire and other countries ,which needed the helping and assistance mechanism of the EURO.The main interest is not to be involved internally with the economic crisis,but to participate and contribute to the European mechanisms and emergency-consortia in order to stabilize the European economy as a whole.

3. The employment policy and the programme of the ESF:

The city of Vienna launched at the beginning of 2010 the job- creation programme under the umbrella of WAFF,the support for jobs in health and sanity professions,mostly for women.300 jobs were created and the women got them quickly, the results are that women remain in jobs for 3 years either in training or initial work. Further the Austrian agriculture has a positive development in the area of „environmental technology,biomass production and residental water management.“(Berlakovich,2010,S.1) But the income for the worker in the agriculture was cut down, the statistics for 2010 see a decline from: 2005: 100.0 % 2009: 95.9 %

Source :facts and figures,2010,S.39 though in the meantime the income has increased.The reasons are not mentioned, Austria is autonomous in the field organic farming and the live-stock.The greenhouse gas emissions(CO2) for 2007 are 10 % per 1.000 kg. Further the well-being of the Austrian population was published in datas in 2010,the wide range of answers are impressing. „Education has a positive influence on the general quality of life,,the estimated health,the feeling of content with work and the feeling of security.“(Berlakovich,2010,S.3) In the working-world the part-time work for women is the most innovative fact in Austria,due to the gendered labour- market.(Source:Wohlbefinden,2010,S.23)

Austria published ist STRAT.AT Report on the Eu-cohesionpolicy 2007-2013. It is the representative survey of the economic policy against economic and financial crisis.This focuses „on the central question:adaption to support and the necessary conditions to create.“(STRATA,AT,2009,S.9)The aims of the ESF are : - „increase of the adaption of the workers - fight against un-employment - professional integration - life-long learning - territorial employment-packages - technical aid/ phasing-out period in Burgenland - gender-mainstreaming - innovation - transnationality.“(STRATA.AT,2009,S.14) These are teh strategic areas,supported by guidelines. This is necessary as „the financial and economic crisis leads to the production and employment decline to a slash-back of the innovation capacities of the enterprises.“(STRATE,2010,S.35/36) Austria supports the „European economic recovery plan“due to the financial crisis as follows: - increase of household-income - investitions for private and enterprises - infrastructure-investments - enforcement of the labour-market interventions.“(STRATA,AT.2010,S.36) Altogether a nation- wide covering of the EU-programmes in whole Austria,plus the European territorial cooperation as_ - AWS/ environment/protectin of risks/employment- service/FFG/tourism/programme for the federal- states/national-donation and KLIEN. Austria suffers a decline of innovation, research and development and weak investements in 2009.This circle has to be broken via the importance of new enterprises near urban areas and highly appreciated research- institutions...“(STRATA.AT,2010,S.39) The central focus remains „the adaption and the necessary conditions to create“ of the ESF-programmes. The ESF in Austria is run by the ministry for work and social affairs,Vienna,the ministry of education/culture and the research and science.The scenery is foreseen in the field of qualification ,a journal INSIGHT highlights the news during the programme ( news,meetings,congresses etc.) The ESF report 2009,explains the priorities - adaption - un-employment - labour-market enforcement - life-long learning - territorial employment pact - technical aid The sum of 234.647.734,26 Euro was spent for all participants in this programme,“but refunded were 86.670.665,65 EURO,altogether til 31.12,2009 already 122.091.107,65 EURO were sent from the European Commission to Austria.“(ESF,2009,S.4) Austria organised trainings in the field of: -employees -independent -un-employed -long-term un-employed -non-working -non-working in training -participants without any indication

Source: ESF,2009,S.8 and according to the age and the gender as well as for persons with handicaps,minorities and migrants,other disadvanted persons. Further Austria created a network called „Cop on partnerhips in the ESF“( financed by plus-money of the ESF:learning for change-setting up learning networks under ESF ).The network is the coordination of the ESF-coordination offices and their stakeholders.There are 12 members of the network. The conclusion is that Austria maintains to fight all kind of unemployment with the means of the public budget and the use of all kind of social-policy,this also as the fight against poverty was the main political topic in 2010.This was done with the accomplishment of the basic-income and the implementation for better payment for children and children rights into the Austrian constitution.

-

Literature: BKA (2010): STRATA.AT 1.strategischer Bericht Österreichs zur Umsetzung der EU-Kohäsionspolitik 2007-2013.VIENNA. BMLF(2010):Facts and figures-2010.Vienna. BMLF(2010): Wohlbefinden der österreichischen Bevölkerung.Vienna. Central Europe (2010).The Central European .No.3,September 2010,Vienna Leichtfried Jörg (2010): The transport sector provided more than 10 million jobs.S.8-9.In Central European, Nr 3,September 2010. Speeding up rural communities. S.26-29.in: The Central European.Nr.3,September 2010. EC(2010): Strategic reporting –promoting an EU debate on cohesion.31 st march,2010 Brussels. EC(2010): The economic adjustment.programme for Greece.DG ecofin.Brussels,2010. ESF(2010):ESF OP Beschäftigung Österreich 2007- 2013.Durchführungsbericht 2009.Wien. ESF (2010)INSIGHT.Das Magazin des ESF,Wien.No 04. EU(2010): Interregional cooperation projects. 2 nd collection. INTERREG IV C,June 2010.Lille,France. Niederösterreich(2010): Genuss und Kultur in Niederösterreich.St.Pölten. Niederösterreich (2010):Weltkulturerbe Semmeringbahn.St.Pölten. RMB(2010): Die Zukunft von morgen,schon heute fördern.Eisenstadt,2010. RMB(2010): künstlich.Eisenstadt,2010 RMB(2010):Sinnlich.Eisenstadt,2010. RMB(2010):wirtschaftlich.Eisenstadt,2010. WAFF(2010):Pressekonferenz Häupl-Brauner,die Stadt Wien schafft Arbeitsplätze,Wien,2010.