Blair must deliver for Wales at Brussels summit

There may be just forty eight hours left to save up to £3 billion pounds in European funding for some of Wales's neediest areas. That was the stark warning from Plaid Cymru MEP Jill Evans ahead of the Brussels summit of Europe's heads of government this Thursday and Friday.

The meeting should agree whether West Wales and the Valleys will continue to qualify for the equivalent of Objective One funding for a further seven year period. But winning a new round of European funding is facing a number of challenges.

A billboard unveiled by Plaid Cymru as part of its campaign to retain European funding for Wales's neediest areas. In the picture are Jill Evans MEP and Adam Price MP

Europe's heads of government including the UK's Tony Blair will be discussing the future size of the EU budget - this is important since it will decide how much money, if any, will be available for structural funds to help poorer areas. The UK Government - which wants structural funds scrapped anyway - also wants its contribution to the EU budget cut to such a level that it will make it difficult for money to be available for future funds. And as if this wasn't enough, any delay in the decision could see West Wales and the Valleys tip over the wealth level threshold needed to win the funding.

Speaking from Brussels where Europe's leaders will gather for their summit, Jill Evans MEP said:

"We have forty eight hours left to stop the Great Labour Robbery. At stake is up to £3 billion in European aid that could make such a tremendous difference and transform the economy of West Wales and the Valleys.

"When we first won Objective One status seven years ago we hoped that the money would be enough to help develop the economies of our neediest areas so that we wouldn't need it again. Sadly, Labour's mismanagement of the scheme has actually meant that West Wales and the Valleys has got poorer over the last seven years.

"We cannot let them add to insult to injury by denying us the chance to make right their shambolic economic policy.

"There's up to £3 billion for Wales on the table at this European summit - money we need and deserve."

Note: Thursday and Friday's European summit in Brussels is due to decide on the future EU budget for 2007 - 2013 and this will have implications for the future of the successor of Objective One and Two funding for Wales up to 2020. If the UK Government succeeds in capping the budget contributions at 1% of GNI and / or postponing the decision until later West Wales and the Valleys could miss out on up to £3 billion in EU funding.

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