Happy St. David’s Day: What has the EU done for Wales?

To celebrate St David’s Day, Best for Britain has compiled a list of 10 things the EU has done for Wales. Dydd Gŵyl Dewi hapus!

1. A home for under-20s rugby

   The EU provided £1.5 million of funds to help develop Parc Eirias in Colwyn Bay as the home of Wales’ under-20s rugby side.

   CYMRU AM BYTH!

2. Welsh language promotion 

   £2.8m of EU money was provided to help renovate Nant Gwrtheyrn, the Llŷn peninsula’s Welsh language and heritage centre

3. Rebuilding communities

Since 2007 the EU has provided funding for several regeneration projects across Wales:

• £79 million for the Heads of the Valleys dualling road.
• £80 million towards town centre improvements and regeneration schemes across Wales, including Merthyr Tydfil, Pontypridd, Aberystwyth, Llanelli and Newport.
• £3 million for the redevelopment of Ponty Lido
• £54 million for Harbour Way – completing a link route between junction 38 of the M4 to Port Talbot and the docks, opening up the area for further tourism and development.
• £21m for the upgrading of train stations across Wales, including Aberystwyth, Carmarthen, Llandudno, Pontypridd and Port Talbot
• The Wales Coast Path project received nearly £4 million over four years from the European Regional Development Fund.

4. Job creation 

   According to the Welsh Government, since 2007 EU projects have achieved the following:

• Supported 229,110 people to gain qualifications
• Helped 72,700 people in work
• Created 36,970 (gross) jobs
• Created 11,925 enterprises
• Provided £33 million for the Job Growth Wales programme, which has created jobs for over 15,000 16-24 year olds across Wales
• £85 million for 33,000 apprenticeships and 12,000 traineeships across Wales at employers including Airbus, Admiral and GE Aviation
• Funding of £1.4 million was approved for 40 graduates to take part in a two-year development programme in East Wales involving technical work experience and study, leading to a Masters in Financial Services Management qualification

5. University Funding

• £40 million for Swansea University’s Bay Campus (2007-2013)
• £31.1 million for a high-end research centre at Swansea University (2014-2020)
• £16.2 million for Cardiff University Brain Research and Imaging Centre (2014-2020)

6. Unfettered access to the Single Market

   67% of Welsh goods exports went to EU member countries outside the UK in 2015, according to figures released by HM Revenue and Customs.

7. Welsh-Irish Partnership

   The EU has invested up to £60 million in supporting cooperation between Ireland and Wales. It is hoped jobs will be created by “linking Welsh and Irish research organisation with business”. The programme is also intended to boost tourism and help coastal communities cope with climate change.

8. Agricultural Funding

   The Common Agricultural Policy provides £200 million a year to more than 16,000 farms in Wales to protect the countryside. One pillar of this funding is the Welsh Government Rural Communities rural development programme, a £957 million programme running from 2014-2020 that supports businesses and farms in rural parts of Wales.

9. Marine Energy

   £12 million of EU funds have been invested in technologies across West and North Wales to harness the energy potential of the sea. Some £6.4 million has been spent in Pembrokeshire where Wales’ first tidal energy generator has been installed in Ramsey Sound.

10. Protected bottlenose dolphins in Cardigan Bay

    The EU’s LIFE programme provided the UK £1,994,854 to help protect marine Special Areas of Conservation, including protecting the bottlenose dolphins that inhabit Cardigan Bay.

Commenting, Best for Britain supporter Jo Stevens MP said:

“Wales is proud of its European heritage”

“Being a member of the European Union has enabled the regeneration of communities in Wales, created jobs, funded education projects, and promoted the Welsh language. We are better as part of Europe, not isolated from it.

“Wales is today waking up to change, with more than half of Welsh voters now thinking that Brexit will have a negative impact on the economy. The people of Wales deserve to be given their voice back on Brexit. That’s why we need a final say with the option to stay and lead in Europe”