What does the EU mean for Medway, Kent and the SE
Prosperity
Trade
Britain's place in Europe is central to the prosperity of the South East, boosting trade and attracting foreign investors. Staying #INtogether is the best way to protect local jobs and investment.
- 450,000 jobs in the South East, or one in ten, are linked to trade with the EU
- £19bn of goods were sold to the EU last year, accounting for half of all exports
- 4 in 5 of the South East's top trading partners are in the EU (Germany, France, Netherlands, Ireland)
- Over 24,000 jobs have been secured by investment from EU companies since 2003
EU regional funding
The South East benefits hugely from EU funding for vital infrastructure projects, support for rural communities and creating opportunities for young unemployed people.
From 2007-2013 the region received:
- £2bn of loans for infrastructure projects and small businesses (European Investment Bank)
- £206m to provide training and apprenticeships for unemployed people. Across England this funding has helped 521,000 people back into work (European Social Fund)
- £18m for small businesses, creating 431 jobs (European Regional Development Fund)
From 2014-2020 the South East will receive £324m including:
- £165m to support small businesses and create jobs (European Regional Development Fund)
- £150m to get unemployed people back into work (European Social Fund)
- £29m to support farmers and rural communities (European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development)
EU funding for Kent
Kent receives its EU funding through the South East Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), which includes Essex and East Sussex. Between 2014 and 2020 the county will receive a share of:
- £75.5 million in European Regional Development funds
- £71.5 million in European Social funds
- £14.4 million in European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development
- £5 million for local businesses, communities, farmers, foresters and land managers in rural Kent (LEADER funding)
Kent County Council estimates that Kent will receive around £70m of the first three funds.
Case studies
In January 2015, Kent received £10million to improve capacity at the Port of Dover, boosting trade and reducing local traffic congestion.
The EU contributed £9.2m (€11.8m) to 88 projects within Dartford and Gravesham between period 2002 - 2007 as part of the Thames Gateway Urban II programme. Projects funded focused on promoting social inclusion, business infrastructure and community access to learning. They include:
- An £860K project for improvements to Folkestone's main shopping area in the town centre
- A £470K project to refurbish "The Old Rectory Business Centre" and bring it into use as state of the art office space in Northfleet
- A £388K project to promote tourism in Kent, including promoing the Tour de France in Kent in 2007, the first 'Big Day Out' in Kent and a training programme aimed at Kent tourism businesses and residents.
Visit Kent has received EU funding for two major schemes to boost the tourism industry.
- Seaconomics (total EU funding: £2.9m) is a partnership with Belgium and Netherlands aimed at regenerating derelict post-industrial coastal areas. This includes schemes to enhance and improve waterfront areas for the benefit of visitors and local communities such as signage, lighting, boardwalks and jetties. There are also training schemes to help people start up small businesses and a tourism marketing campaign aimed at partner regions.
- Cool Tourism (total EU funding: £2.9 million) has provided a range of training and advice for rural tourism businesses and marketing campaigns to promote tourism in the Kent region.
The RECREATE project is a European funded aimed at supporting regeneration of town centres, encouraging activity in areas that have seen recent decline and the closure of many high street banks and shops. Medway Council is a partner.
- In 2012 Chatham received £145,000 of EU funding for improvements to the town centre as part of Project DNA (Disadvantaged Neighbourhood Action). Residents have been able to decide how some of the money could be spent to improve the appearance of their area, including public spaces and street improvements (see local press here).
SUCCES (total EU funding: £2.1m) is a cross-border programme to get unemployed people back into work. It has provided training sessions to over 13,500 unemployed people. In Medway a partnership was formed with a local construction company working on a social housing/care home project. This led to a dozen new apprenticeships on-site and the creation of several other construction jobs for local unemployed people.
Low Carbon Futures project: between 2007 and 2013, green businesses in Kent received £785,000 to help expand their businesses, create jobs and develop low-carbon technology
EU University funding for Kent
Being #INtogether gives Universities and commercial partners in the UK access to EU Horizon 2020 funds, some of the biggest of their kind in the world.
Since 2007, Universities in Kent have received over £21.7 million in EU funds
In 2014, The University of Kent received a £75 million loan from the EIB to improve research and teaching facilities and build a new library, business school and pro-bono community law clinic for local residents.
Between 2007 and 2014, 1700 UK students from Kent have benefitted from the EU's ERASMUS programme to work and study in the EU. Grants for UK students are the highest in the EU and can be as much as €400 per month
Kent case studies
- A 2015 £1,180,000 grant for University of Kent to research how the cognitive basis of social communication evolves with old age.
- A 2013 EU grant of £210,000 for research into device-to-device wireless communication led by The University of Kent
- £80,000 grant to develop the next generation ultrafast imaging systems used in medicine led by the University of Kent.
- A 2013 £193,000 grant for University of Kent for research into the social exclusion of youth in Europe.
- A 2013 £356,000 for research into the development of technology to meet the demands of 5G networks in Europe led by the University of Kent
- A 2015 £651,000 grant to the University of Kent for stem cell research.
- A 2014 £464,000 grant to University of Kent to improve established integrated care initiatives for older people living at home with multiple health and social care needs.
Security
#INtogether we are stronger in the fight against terrorism and organised crime. Our police have access to vital tools like the European Arrest Warrant (EAW) which allows criminals to be caught easily across Europe and brought to justice.
In the South East the EAW has been used to remove 701 criminals and bring 71 criminals to face justice in the UK since 2010. In addition, data and information sharing between EU police forces helps identify criminals more efficiently before they can commit any further crimes.
Since 2009, Kent Police have arrested and extradited 307 criminals through the EAW making the county's streets safer.
Environment
Protected natural habitats and species: Thousands of endangered species and dozens of vulnerable natural habitats are protected from overdevelopment by the EU's nature laws.
Vast areas of UK countryside are also protected under EU law. Example sites in Kent include:
- Dungeness
- Medway Estuary and Marshes
- Stodmarsh
- Thanet Coast and Sandwich Bay
- Thames Estuary and Marshes
- Scotney Castle
EU bathing water legislation has also led to the dramatic improvement of beaches and seawater. Without these rules, there would be nothing to protect the quality of water we now enjoy, and today, every single one of Kent's 29 beaches meets the EU's strict mandatory guidelines for water quality. 24 of these also surpass the higher standard. In 1990, only 12 met the mandatory guidelines and none met the highest standard.