And today, Ministers have published indicative allocations of the £500m Growing Places Fund to each of the 38 local enterprise partnerships, including:

With regard to Mediterranean non-Community countries, an indicative allocation of EUR 55 million was established for research and development activities such as integrated coastal management in the Mediterranean, including environmental aspects, water management, natural resource management, conservation and restoration of the cultural heritage, socio-economic modernisation and so on.

With regard to developing countries, an indicative allocation of EUR 210 million was made available for specific activities such as those involving the adoption of innovations, the promotion of a sustainable relationship between population pressure, food safety and the use and management of ecosystems, the improvement of productivity and the prevention of damage to natural resources.