RTW will provide funding to working groups			The Regional Triangle of Weimar Düsseldorf, Germany, 9 November 2004 – Regional Triangle of Weimar (RTW) is a regional framework operation set up by the regions of Nord-Pas de Calais in France, Śląsk in Poland and Nordrhein-Westfalen in Germany. Historically, the three partner regions have depended on their steel and coal industries for economic stability and prosperity. Today, the gradual restructuring of those industries continues to have an impact on the regions’ economies and inhabitants. RTW will provide funding to working groups made up of public, public equivalent and private organisations from the three regions. Through an exchange of experience of managing industrial restructuring and implementing both social policy and modern government practices, the working groups will look to identify new ways of promoting economic and social development to ensure the regions thrive despite the changing economic climate. Mr Weßler, Project Co-ordinator for the operation, said: “Since the date of RTW’s launch early in 2004, we have set up the operation’s management structure, held several conferences in the three partner regions to inform the public about the operation’s goals, and launched the first call for projects. On the 27th August 2004, we approved nine projects that will receive funding directly from RTW.” “One will explore ways of boosting the competitiveness of SMEs, one will document how the development of Brownfield sites can contribute to Brownfield urban development, and another will look at ways of creating employment for young adults,” said Mr Weßler. “Over the life of the operation we hope to fund at least 15 trilateral projects of this kind,” he said. RTW will receive EUR 1 270 000 from the European Regional Development Fund. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- INTERREG IIIC is a Structural Funds programme scheduled to run from 2002 to 2008. The overall aim of the programme is to strengthen economic and social cohesion throughout the EU by increasing the effectiveness of existing policies and instruments for regional development. INTERREG IIIC makes some EUR 300 million ERDF available to public bodies at local and regional levels across Europe and the accession countries to form partnerships and learn from each others’ experiences in regional development. For further information on WEIMAR, please contact Klaus WEßLER at klaus.wessler@stk.nrw.de or call him on +49 2118371283 or visit http://www.trireg.net/ For further information on INTERREG IIIC, please write to the Communication Officer, INTERREG IIIC West at west@interreg3c.net, or call +33 (0)3 28 38 11 16.