EUROPEAN COMMISSION Directorate-General XXIII —Tourism Unit Tourism and the European Union A practical guide EU funding Other support EU policy and tourism EUROPEAN COMMISSION Directorate-General XXIII — Tourism Unit Tourism and the European Union A practical guide EU funding Other support EU policy and tourism Edited by Bates and Wacker SC Brussels Published by the EUROPEAN COMMISSION Directorate-General XXIII Tourism Unit B-1049 Brussels This document does not necessarily represent the Commission's official position The text contained herein was valid at time of going to press in the autumn of 1995. Although the text has been carefully compiled, the European Commission cannot be held responsible for any incorrect information, as funds and programmes over time are apt to change Cataloguing data can be found at the end of this publication A great deal of additional information on the European Union is available on the Internet. It can be accessed through the Europa server (http://europa.eu.int) Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, 1996 ISBN 92-827-5734-X © ECSC-EC-EAEC, Brussels · Luxembourg, 1996 Printed in Belgium Contents Foreword How to use the guide 1 Why this guide? 3 Financiai support from the European Union 3 important background information on funding 4 Using the guide effectively 7 Sourcing the specific support available for tourism by category of action 10 Aid to investment 10 Human resources 13 Marketing 15 Support services 15 Cooperation between firms 16 Cooperation between regions 18 Inter-university cooperation 18 Cultural events promoting tourism 19 Environment 19 Qualitative improvements for tourism 20 Research, development and technology 20 Projects in third countries 21 Quality improvements in European tourism 23 Policy specifically for tourism 25 The importance of tourism 25 From the 'European Year of Tourism'to an action plan 26 Initial actions 27 The Community action plan to assist tourism 28 Action plan for 1995 29 Mainstream funding: the Structural Funds 33 Introduction to the Structural Funds 36 Importance for the tourism sector 36 Scope of the financing 36 The objectives of the Structural Funds 37 Community support frameworks — single programming documents 37 Aid for tourism 38 Community initiatives 39 Innovatory actions and technical assistance 39 New Member States 39 Mainstream funding: EU Member States 41 Belgium 43 Germany 47 Spain 59 France 69 Greece 85 Ireland 89 Italy 101 Netherlands 109 Portugal 115 United Kingdom 123 3. Support from other sources: Fact sheets 137 (for alphabetical listing see next page, see also pages 1-22) 4. EU policy which impacts tourism 243 Introduction 243 Community policies that impact the tourism sector 243 Completion of the single market in Europe 244 Economic and monetary union: a single currency 245 Transport policy 245 Liberalization of transport services 246 Company law 248 Direct taxation 248 External relations and development policy 248 Regional and social development 249 Employment and social policy 249 Research and development 251 Free movement: making life easier for tourists 251 Free movement: the operational impact for tourism 252 Competition policy 253 Value-added tax (VAT) 254 VAT on passenger transport 254 VAT, travel agents and tour operators 255 Rights of tourists and consumer protection 255 Excise duty and 'duty free' 258 Environmental protection and tourism 259 Architectural and cultural heritage 260 Agricultural policy 260 Require more information? 260 Annexes Commission offices 263 Euro-Info Centres 265 Intra-Community allowances (tax and duty paid, dutyfree) 285 High-priority transport projects in the EU 286 VAT rates for principal tourism services 287 VAT rates in the Horeca sector 288 VAT rates for passenger transport 289 Alphabetical list of schemes offering support to tourism Action plan for cooperatives, associations, foundations, mutual societies 139 ACTS 140 ADAPT 141 ALFA 143 Altener 144 Architectural heritage 146 Asia, Latin America and Mediterranean countries 147 BC-Net 149 BRE 151 EBN/BIC Network 153 ECIP 154 Employment — Horizon 156 Employment — NOW 158 Employment Youthstart 160 ERGO 2 162 EURES 164 Euro-Info Centres 167 Euroleaders 169 Europartenariat 171 European City of Culture 173 European Cultural Month : 174 European Development Fund 175 European Investment Bank 176 European Investment Bank (Mediterranean) 177 Euromarketing guide 179 Executive training programme in Japan 180 Interprise 181 Interreg 183 JOPP 188 Kaleidoscope 190 Konver 191 Leader 193 LEDA 195 Leonardo da Vinci 197 LIFE 198 MED-Campus 203 MEDIA 204 MED-Interprise 206 MED-Invest pilot projects 208 MEDpartenariat 210 MED-URBS 212 Overture/ECOS 214 FACTE 220 PESCA 221 PHARE 223 Rechar 224 Recite 226 REGIS 227 Resider 229 RETEX 231 SMEs 232 Socrates 234 TACIS 235 Telematics applications programme 236 Tempus 238 Thermie 240 Youth for Europe 241 MAPS Map of the EU indicating the regions of the Structural Funds 34-35 Belgium — Objective 1 regions 42 Germany — Objective 1 regions 46 Spain — Objective 1 regions 58 France — Objective 1 regions 68 Greece — Objective 1 regions 88 Ireland — Objective 1 regions 92 Italy — Objective 1 regions 104 Netherlands — Objective 1 regions 110 Portugal — Objective 1 regions 116 United Kingdom — Objective 1 regions 124 Interreg regions 190-191 Key to symbols used EU aid to investment in tourism \ß EU vocational training and employment­creation schemes \J Sources of support for marketing activities ^j EU­sponsored business support schemes \ß EU actions promoting cooperation between firms ^jj Support for cooperation between regions ^¿J Inter­university cooperation ^ß Cultural events promoting tourism ÇJ Environmental protection programmes ^J Qualitative improvements for tourism ||¡| EU­sponsored R&D programmes applicable to tourism R&D EU support programmes for third countries Available for private sector • Available for public sector X Transnational cooperation encouraged or required Τ Programmes especially for women 5 Source of funding ©CU Foreword Tourism is becoming one of the most important industries worldwide. One of the significant factors in the future suc• cess of the tourism industry will be the establishment of closer public-private sector partnerships, at national and European level. The Union, therefore, could play a role in identifying the potential for such partnerships, and initiat• ing them. A full public-private sector cooperation and consultation must constitute the basis of any European tourism initiative. Furthermore, according to and following the subsidiarity principle, the European Union should act in the areas of tourism where the targets can be better achieved at Community level. DG XXIII has been assigned within the European Commission to build up actions to strengthen and implement the tourism policy. Consequently, it is work• ing together with other Directorates-General in order to emphasize and stress the tourism aspect in different fields of Community activity. The practical guide shows that the Community contribution to this subject is already significant. European tourism faces medium and long-term challenges. In order to take them up and to succeed, it has to improve the quality and the competitiveness of its services, to coordinate its activities and to implement mutual exchanges of information. This guide is intended to inform and update people involved in the sector about support available and the Community policies in this field. I do sincerely hope that it will meet the needs of its readers and that the information given will highlight the European Union's role and its initiatives in supporting tourism. Christos Papoutsis Member of the European Commission • How to use X the guide How to use the guide • How to use l the guide Why this guide? there are activities in all sorts of other areas of the EU which concern the sector either directly or indirectly. This publication also aims to guide the user around The aim of the guide is to provide the user with the es­ these — providing answers to questions such as how sential information to judge whether a particular fund­ to find out if Community funding may be available for ing source or other form of support from the EU is a planned project, where to get grants for training, likely to be worth pursuing for projects in the tourism what are the potential future policy developments that sector. It also indicates how to go about getting more will impact tourism activities, what services exist to help detailed information where the reader feels that this is find an international partner and many others. appropriate and useful. More information may be re­ quired regarding the specifics of different projects. In many cases, the management of grant schemes sup­ ■ Financial support from the European ported by EU funds is carried out within Member States Union with considerable variation in the authorities involved and the methods used. This guide provides a valuable service in identifying precise contact points where the Many users of this guide will be mainly interested in reader can get information. whether there are funds available through the European Union's various activities to support a One of the responsibilities of Directorate­General project, programme, initiative or investment which XXIII of the European Commission in Brussels is to they are planning or which is already under way. The add a European dimension to tourism. One of the tourism sector can, indeed, benefit to a considerable objectives of this guide