How the East of England benefits from the EU... Regional funding

The text below has been reproduced from the Liberal Democrats' national website at http://www.libdems.org.uk/europe-eengland

The East of England is one of the biggest beneficiaries of EU regional funding. This leads to vital investment in infrastructure projects, support for rural communities and creating opportunities for young unemployed people

From 2007-2013 the region received:

• £152m of European Social funds to provide training and apprenticeships for unemployed people. Across England this funding has helped 521,000 people back into work (European Social Fund)
  
• £87.8m from the European Regional Development Fund, creating 2205 jobs across the region.

From 2014-2020 the East of England will receive another £210m of EU structural funds including:

• £97m to support small businesses and create jobs (European Regional Development Fund)
• £92m to get unemployed people back into work (European Social Fund)
• £22m to support farmers and rural communities (European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development)