91998E2558

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2558/98

by José Apolinário (PSE) to the Commission

(1 September 1998)

Subject: The NUTS and Agenda 2000

Can the Commission confirm the geographical distribution of the areas eligible under NUTS 2 for the UK, following the submission of Agenda 2000?

Answer given by Mr de Silguy on behalf of the Commission

(13 October 1998)

The Commission presented its proposals for Agenda 2000(1) in July 1997. Its proposals for new regulations relating to the structural funds and the Cohesion fund for the period 2000-2006 were published in March 1998.

In mid-1995, the Statistical office of the Community (Eurostat) was informed by the Office for national statistics (ONS) of the United Kingdom that following a comprehensive reform in regional and local administration, significant changes would be proposed to the nomenclature of territorial units for statistics (NUTS) system.

The first draft proposal for reform of the NUTS in the United Kingdom was forwarded to the Commission for comment in mid-1996, followed by a formal proposal in June 1997. After examination of the technical merits of the proposals in the light of the underlying principles of the NUTS system, a new NUTS classification for the United Kingdom was agreed in June 1998. It involved very minor changes at the NUTS 1 level, a significant revision of the NUTS 3 regions with related changes at the NUTS 4 level, as well as more limited changes at the NUTS 2 level.

(1) COM(97) 2000 final.