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May 09EU funds will reach local Municipalities
Despite initial confusion within the administrative bodies of local municipalities, the EU has cleared the air as far as how the funds destined in the URB-AL program are to be spent. This particular plan has as main goal the direct financial assistance to infrastructure development projects from different towns and cities in Latin America.
The interesting and “controversial” factor to the whole idea is the very precise and careful study undertaken by the EU´s regulating authority whenever analyzing the viability of each individual request. Central America had thought the URB-AL plan would simply determine a budget that would apply to each country and region and would thereafter passively monitor the development of the projects funded.
The vision and objective of the EU in this particular is entirely different, they firstly wish to have all the different town organizations and municipalities bring in their plans for infrastructure development before the delegates of the Latin America – EU Aid Commission, and thence, compete with other regional plans for the desired funding.
Mauren Clarke as San Jose´s current Mayor will oversee the direction of the program for our local interests. The URB-AL plan will thus take effect between the present year up to 2012.