15. Highlights the role of State aid in economies which have been particularly hard hit by the crisis and for which public funding under Cohesion Policy might be the only source of investment; proposes, in this connection, that consideration be given to specific regional derogations outside the regional aid maps, to allow Member States to tackle the backlash effects of the crisis; points out that, as regards economic development, the period 2008-2010 and, as regards unemployment, the period 2009 - 2011 are to be used by the Commission as a basis for State aid eligibility, despite the fact that those years cannot yet constitute a measur ...[+++]e for the territorial impact of the disruption caused by the crisis and by natural disasters; asks the Commission to act on the basis of more recent and specific data; proposes that, in order to avoid a gap, the Commission should extend the validity of the current RAG and regional maps by at least 6 months, since the new maps will not have been approved in time; welcomes the Commission’s intention to carry out a mid-term review of the regional maps of the ‘c’ regions in 2017;

19. Believes that no specific blueprint for regional strategies for industrial areas for the EU as a whole exists, and that a local and regional approach is most suitable for developing regional strategies; calls on the Commission to support regional economic research in the context of the initiative Horizon 2020, which enables the development of regionally adjusted strategies for additional old industrialised regions;

Financial assistance under IPA for regional cooperation aims to ensure regional stability, increase intra-regional trade flows, and support regional cooperation initiatives and structures in the Western Balkans, including the Regional Cooperation Council and the Regional School for Public Administration.

For the purposes of Article 43 (1)(b), the competent authorities may include within the concept of regional governments and local authorities non-commercial administrative bodies responsible to regional governments or local authorities or authorities which, in the view of the competent authorities, exercise the same responsibilities as regional and local authorities.

In the past, the relevant Commission services have been active in the general area of regional statistics and a lot has been achieved but there's still work ahead in regional Science and Technology statistics: better methodologies, better concepts and a systematic incorporation of the regional dimension in the current surveys and data collections.

On regional integration and cooperation, priority will be given to technical assistance, the promotion of sub-regional, regional and international trade, regional environmental cooperation, the regional institution building and support for the implementation of joint policies and regional communication.