Cut in European funds seen as “humiliating”

THE Balearic Minister for Economy, Taxation and Innovation, Lluis Ramis de Ayreflor, yesterday described as “humiliating” the reduction in the funding the Balearics will receive during the next six years. He complained about the the “disgraceful” apportionment of European Funds for the period 2007-13 received by the Spanish Government. The way the Government has divided the money will mean a “cut” of 50 percent in the resources received by the region in the last six years. In reply to a Parliamentary question, Ramis de Ayreflor said he thought the distribution of the European funds for the next six years was disgraceful and the effect on the Balearics will be a big reduction in techological projects for the islands. On this theme, the Minister went on to criticise the amount of funding the Balearics will receive from the European Union's Technological Fund, from which the Spanish Government will receive 2'000 million euros, of which only 2 million euros will come to the island, 0.1 percent of the total, which he considered “humiliating” for the islands' citizens.