ABSTRACT
Whilst most of the Fund was available for national projects and studies, there was also provision for an increasing proportion (up to 20 per cent) to be used for financing programmes, either Community programmes involving regions in more than one Member State or ‘national programmes of Community interest’ submitted by Member States. The first category comprises a series of multi-annual measures that are intended to help solve serious socioeconomic problems affecting a number of regions and states. They are proposed by the Commission and agreed by the Council through a majority decision. The first two Community programmes were introduced in 1986. STAR was aimed at improving access to advanced telecommunications services in less-favoured regions, whilst VALOREN was concerned with the exploitation of indigenous energy potential in similarly less-favoured areas. In 1988, two other Community programmes were introduced to deal with the restructuring of the steel industry (RESIDER) and the decline in shipbuilding (RENAVAL). The most recent proposal for a Community programme came in August 1989 when the Commission announced its intention to establish a programme to support the conversion of the Community’s coalfields. Like RESIDER and RENAVAL, the new programme-named RECHAR-would complement efforts already made by the Structural Funds to provide alternative employment to compensate for the job losses caused by the decline of a primary industry. Over the last three decades, coal production has fallen by 50 per cent, from 450 million tonnes in 1960 to 210 million tonnes in
1988. Faced with declining demand because of increased use of alternative energy sources, over one million jobs have been lost, and the rate of loss accelerated in recent years. The programme, which is expected to be focused on lessfavoured or declining areas, will help generate alternative employment (especially through aid to SMEs) and give particular attention to improving the environment of decayed mining areas.
