Green growth : integrating the environment into development programmes

Abstract

This audit report examines how the environment has been integrated into development programmes across the Member States. The audit focused on the nine EU countries in the „Greening Regional Development Programmes‟ (GRDP) Project, which is supported by the EU programme INTERREG IIIC. The report looks at good practices and practical solutions, as well as challenges facing the nine countries in integrating the environment. Its information refers almost exclusively to programmes developed for the Structural Funds in the 2000-06 programming period. The audit is the essential first phase of the GRDP project. It collects background information needed to give the project its focus and support its work during its lifetime. In particular, the audit should help in developing guidance for integrating the environment into development programmes in the next round of the Structural Funds (2007-13), as well as in other programmes.