European Union allocates €9.7 million for Oberhausen
Oberhausen, a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, has seen significant financial support from the European Union (EU) over the past few years. The largest part of the funding for Oberhausen comes from the EU Regional Fund, amounting to 9.7 million euros since 2019.
One of the projects that received funding was the procurement of mobile end devices for both female and male students, aimed at enhancing their educational experience. Funding from the European Social Fund also went towards projects combating homelessness and promoting employment in Oberhausen. Another notable project was the disco project, which aimed to renovate the teaching swimming pools in the city.
However, the journey to securing these funds was not without its challenges. Stefan Zimkeit, a member of the state parliament for Oberhausen-Sterkrade and Dinslaken, noted a bumpy start for EU fund approvals. The delay in the approval of the first EU funds for Oberhausen was a significant point of criticism.
An expert hearing in the state parliament focused on the efficiency and effectiveness of the EU fund application process in Oberhausen. The hearing revealed a delay in the approval of the first EU funds for Oberhausen, which occurred two years after the start of the funding period. The state government could have played a more active role in simplifying the application process and removing state-level obstacles, according to the expert hearing.
Despite these challenges, North Rhine-Westphalia has supported Oberhausen's access to EU funds. The state government has coordinated regional vocational and trade organizations engaged in EU projects and provided structural backing through entities like the Westdeutscher Handwerkskammertag (WHKT), which promotes European project development and collaboration.
The black-green state government could have supported EU fund applications more comprehensively, according to SPD finance expert Stefan Zimkeit. Nevertheless, Oberhausen continues to benefit from EU funding, with the hope that future applications will be processed more efficiently, ensuring a smoother path for the city's ongoing development.
In the context of Oberhausen'sfinancial support from the European Union (EU), the black-green state government's role in facilitating EU fund applications for business and regional development has been subject to scrutiny. For instance, SPD finance expert Stefan Zimkeit suggested that the state government could have been more proactive in streamlining the application process and eliminating state-level barriers.
Moreover, stepping away from the state's politics, it is noteworthy that the EU finances have been instrumental in various significant projects in Oberhausen, such as education, combatting homelessness, promoting employment, and the renovation of teaching swimming pools, all falling under the categories of finance, business, general-news, and politics.
