Press Release: Regional policy in 2005: remarkable progress, but stark disparities remain in the modern infrastructure needed to generate growth and jobs

Danuta Hübner, Commissioner for Regional Policy, on 12 June 2006 presented the Fourth progress report on cohesion, which provided a snapshot of economic and social disparities in the EU and reviews progress over the past year in tackling them. Among the highlights of the year: the reform of EU regional policy, excellent progress in preparing the new regional programmes due to start in 2007, and a growing recognition that helping less prosperous regions to catch up on a sustainable basis is key to increasing competitiveness. The report also gives an overview of the preparations for the new cohesion policy 2007-2013.