Formentera brokers 2.5 million in aide through EU financing programmes

Esteban Mas, the Palma regional government's special envoy in Brussels, met this morning with Jaume Ferrer, president of the Formentera Island Council, and Bartomeu Escandell, councillor of the Presidential Cabinet, Tax Office and Territory.

In addition to paying a visit to the Govern Balear's Brussels delegation, President Ferrer visited the offices of Centre Balears Europa (CBE) in order to observe firsthand the Balearic government's work in the European capital.

Ferrer and councillor Escandell met with the underdirector of the CBE in Brussels, Xavier Aguiló, and the centre's team of consultants, who were currently undergoing training. It was the opportunity to learn about some of the more important European programmes in effect as of the 2014-2020 period, among them Research and Innovation, Energy, LIFE, Structural Funds and FEDER-Pymes investment programmes.

European financing has been behind a number of different Formentera programmes, starting with the multipurpose Antoni Tur “Gabrielet” Centre, which received 550,000€ in EU assistance. Another was the burying of the island's streetside rubbish containers, an endeavour that was sustained thanks to 2 million in investments from the EU. Rigorous petitioning for such funding has always been a centrepoint of the Formentera Council's efforts to ensure the success of projects at the local level.

The scope of the CBE's work in Brussels is broad: evaluating, documenting and informing on changes in EU legislation, directives and programme eligibility and on the ways these changes stand to effect the residents, businesses, public organisations and private entities of the Balearic Islands.