PURPOSE: to permit financial support for the European Regional Development Fund as regards the eligibility of housing interventions in favour of marginalised communities.
LEGISLATIVE ACT: Regulation (EU) No 437/2010 of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EC) No 1080/2006 on the European Regional Development Fund as regards the eligibility of housing interventions in favour of marginalised communities.
CONTENT: the Council adopted a regulation allowing the extension of financial support from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) for housing interventions for very poor and marginalised communities, including many Roma communities.
The German delegation voted against adoption of the regulation, and the Hungarian delegation abstained.
The Regulation provides that expenditure on housing, except for energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy, shall be eligible in the following cases:
§ for those Member States that acceded to the European Union on or after 1 May 2004, in the framework of an integrated urban development approach for areas experiencing or threatened by physical deterioration and social exclusion;
§ for all Member States, in the framework of an integrated approach for the marginalised Community. In this case, intervention may include the renovation or replacement of existing housing.
The allocation to housing expenditure shall be either a maximum of 3% of the ERDF allocation to the operational programmes concerned or 2% of the total ERDF allocation.
Expenditure shall be limited to the following interventions:
· renovation of the common parts in existing multi-family housing;
· renovation and change of use of existing buildings owned by public authorities or non-profit operators for use as housing designated for low-income households or people with special needs.
The Commission shall adopt the list of criteria needed for determining the areas referred to under point (a) of paragraph 2 and the list of eligible interventions in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 103(3) of Regulation (EC) No 1083/2006.
ENTRY INTO FORCE: 18/06/2010.