Agenda item

Select Committee - Kent's Relationship with the EU - Executive Response

To receive a report of the Cabinet Member for Economic Development seeking approval of actions relating to the Select Committee on Kent’s relationship with the EU.

Minutes:

– reportof the CabinetMember forEconomic Development,Mark Dance and Directorof EconomicDevelopment, BarbaraCooper)

 

(1)     Cabinet receiveda reportcontainingthe ExecutiveAction Plan(Annex1) summarisingthe key actionsproposedto progressthe recommendationsofthe EUSelect Committeeon Kent’sEuropeanRelationship.

 

(2)     Mr Dance,Cabinet MemberforEconomicDevelopmentintroducedthe report and inparticular referredto the following:

 

i.        Thatit waswelcomed that recommendationsofthe Committeewere coterminouswith workcurrently beingundertakenin theDirectorate.

ii.       Thatwork continuedwithpartnersin Nord-Pasde Calaisand a MemorandumofUnderstandinghadnow been signedbetweenKCC and WestFlanders,both reflected thefact that similarissues were beingaddressedon the Continentand inKent.

iii.               In relation to the HarledotCentre,mentionedwithin the Select Committee’srecommendations;an optionspaperwas beingproduced and wouldbe readyin thenext month.

iv.      TheCouncilwas at theearly stagesofa sixyearEU fundingbidding processand followingdefinedguidanceto beissued wouldbe well placetomake bidsthat wouldhopefullysecurerelevant moniesthat wouldbenefitthe residentsofKent.

 

(3)  Ron Moys,Head ofInternational Affairsat KCC,spoke to the item.He added to the comments receivedfromMr Dancein relationto thebiddingprocessof whichHardelotwas part.  He confirmed that formost of the programmesfor whichKCC would be eligibleto bid, approvalby the EUCommissionwas not expecteduntil theend 2014 atthe earliestand that acall forprojectswas thereforeexpectedat the beginning of2015.At thatpoint moredetailed specifications of what KCCmight bidforwould beissued.  In the meantime workwould continuetodevelop projectsin orderthat the Councilwas well placedto bidwhen anysuch requestwas made.  Currentlythere were approximately40 projectsin variousstages ofdevelopment.

 

(4)  Following a question fromthe Leader,Mr Moysdescribed the twoprocesses bywhich bidswould be made.  One wouldproceedvia theSELEP route and thiswould beadministeredby the Governmentheavilyinfluencedbythe prioritisation ofprojectsby the LEP andKMEP.Thesecondprocessfor projectsthat sat within the EUprogramme,such as INTEREG,would be decidedby a Steering Committee made up ofMemberStates,Localand Regional Authoritiesand others. KCCwas represented on the decision makingbodies.In responsethe Leaderasked MrMoys to ensurethat the FederatedModelwas correctlyapplied to theLEP prioritisationprocessand remainedthe filterfor the projectsofKentand Medwayup to theLEP.

 

(5)       It was RESOLVED:

 

Cabinet

Select Committee – Kent’s Relationship with the EU – Executive Response

2 June 2014

1.

That the actions as set out in the implementation plan be agreed

REASON

 

1.

In order that the recommendations of the Select Committee are acknowledged and progressed where appropriate.

ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS CONSIDERED

None

CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

None

DISPENSATIONS GRANTED

None

 

Supporting documents: