Introductory text

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,

Having regard to the Council Regulation (EC) No 1083/2006 of 11 July 2006 laying down general provisions for the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund and the Cohesion Fund and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999^f1, and in particular Article 5(3) and 8(4) thereof,

Whereas:

Pursuant to Article 3(2)(a) of Regulation (EC) No 1083/2006 the Convergence objective aims at speeding up the Convergence of the least developed Member States and regions.

Pursuant to Article 5(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1083/2006 the regions eligible for funding from the Structural Funds under the Convergence objective shall be regions corresponding to level 2 of the Nomenclature of Territorial Statistical Units (hereinafter NUTS level 2) within the meaning of Regulation (EC) No 1059/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council^f2 whose per capita gross domestic product (GDP), measured in purchasing power parities and calculated on the basis of Community figures for the period 2000-2002, is less than 75 % of the average GDP of the EU-25 for the same reference period.

Pursuant to Article 8(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1083/2006 specifies that the NUTS level 2 regions which would have been eligible for Convergence objective status under Article 5(1) of that Regulation had the eligibility threshold remained at 75 % of average GDP of the EU-15, but which lose eligibility because their nominal per capita GDP level will exceed 75 % of the average GDP of the EU-25, measured and calculated according to the same Article 5(1), are also eligible, on a transitional and specific basis, for financing by the Structural Funds under the Convergence objective.

It is necessary to establish the lists of eligible regions accordingly,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: