EU allocates €9.7 million for Oberhausen's investments
In the heart of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), the city of Oberhausen has been benefiting from European Union (EU) funding for various projects, as revealed by Member of the State Parliament (MP) Stefan Zimkeit, a financial expert for the Social Democratic Party (SPD). However, Zimkeit has criticized the state government for a bumpy start in the approval of EU funds, with the first funds only approved in 2023, two years after the start of the funding period of the EU Regional Fund.
The EU Regional Fund and the European Social Fund have been the primary sources of EU funding for Oberhausen. The Regional Fund primarily benefited the disco project for renovating the teaching swimming pools in Oberhausen and the procurement of mobile end devices for students. On the other hand, the Social Fund mainly went towards projects for employment promotion and combating homelessness.
Zimkeit highlighted the benefits of EU funding for Oberhausen, emphasizing the impact of the projects funded by the EU Regional Fund. The city received a total of 9.7 million euros since 2019 for projects applied through EU funding programs organized by the state of NRW.
The state government's role in the application process for EU funds and the removal of state-level obstacles is a subject of criticism. An expert hearing in the state parliament indicated that the state government could contribute much more to simplifying the application for EU funds and removing state-level obstacles. The mid-term balance of the current EU funding period shows that the black-green state government could provide more comprehensive support for the application of EU funds.
However, there is no explicit evidence in the current search results regarding the performance or support measures by the black-green NRW government for EU funding applications in Oberhausen for the ongoing funding period. Any assessment would require direct sources from NRW authorities or Oberhausen municipalities or EU funding bodies.
The Stability Council in Germany has recently emphasized the importance of targeted investments to boost growth and has urged federal and state governments to use funds, including those from special infrastructure and climate funds, in a way that strengthens investment capacity and complies with EU fiscal rules. The federal coalition government has also committed to massive investment programs to boost infrastructure and climate-related projects.
Despite the absence of direct references to NRW’s state government’s actions or results in facilitating application processes for EU funds specifically in Oberhausen, the need for support is evident. The state government is criticized for not doing enough to simplify the application process for EU funds and remove state-level obstacles, as suggested by the expert hearing in the state parliament.
In conclusion, while EU funding has been beneficial for Oberhausen, the state government's role in the application process requires improvement. Further investigation is needed to assess the black-green NRW government's support for EU funding applications in Oberhausen during the current funding period.
- The EU Regional Fund and the European Social Fund have significantly contributed to business development and social welfare in Oberhausen, with funds being utilized for projects such as industrial renovation, employment promotion, and combating homelessness.
- In the realm of politics, Member of the State Parliament Stefan Zimkeit, a financial expert for the Social Democratic Party, has been vocal about the need for the state government to streamline the application process for EU funds, removing state-level obstacles and ultimately enabling the city to access funds more efficiently.
- As the general-news landscape evolves, the performance and support measures by the black-green NRW government for EU funding applications in Oberhausen remain a topic of interest, with calls for further investigation to establish the extent of their involvement in ensuring a smoother application process and increased funding for the city.
