Consultation process

In April 2006, an Operational Task Group of approximately 20 regional partners and stakeholders was formed to produce the draft Operational Programme. Members of the Task Group included Government Office, Yorkshire Forward, Yorkshire and Humber Assembly, Local Government Yorkshire and Humber, the Regional Forum, Yorkshire and Humber Chambers of Commerce, the Environment Agency and the four Sub-regional Economic Partnerships. The group was chaired by Jane Hustwit, Director of Yorkshireurope (the European office for the Yorkshire and Humber region). The Government Office for Yorkshire and the Humber provided the secretariat for the group.

The formal consultation period for the ERDF programme began on 18 December 2006. The draft Operational Programme was published on a weblog, and copies of the programme were widely circulated across the region for comment. The weblog provided individuals with the opportunity to submit their own views whilst also being able to view the comments that others had made. The consultation period ended on 9 March 2007, and the Task Group reviewed all of the comments received and amended the draft Operational Programme appropriately.

How was the ERDF Programme approved?

Following the presentation of the final draft of the Operational Programme to the Assembly’s Regional Executive Board on 12 April, and the Yorkshire Forward Board on 19 April for approval, the Operational Programme was submitted to Government for clearance.

The Operational Programme was submitted to the European Commission on 30 April 2007. Yorkshire and Humber was the first English region to submit their plan, and was the first to enter negotiations with the European Commission.