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		East Midlands EU office meets MEPs Thursday, 31st August 2006 Brussels - The East Midlands Region's European Office in Brussels today met with local MEPs Roger Helmer and Chris Heaton-Harris to review current projects following the summer recess. Director Lisa Maltagliati and Senior Policy Advisor Richard Woods met the MEPs in the European parliament, along with Haydn Rees, the European Officer of Northamptonshire County Council, who was visiting Brussels. Discussions covered a range of activities, with special emphasis on ensuring that the region gets its fair share of available EU funding. The Regional Office is especially concerned to ensure that smaller companies and organisations have the opportunity to access EU funds, since they are often put off by the complexity of applying for, and administering, the funds. Commenting on the meeting, Mr Helmer said: "With the accession of many new member-states to the EU, there will be less funding available for the East Midlands, which is generally better-off than the new entrants. This makes it all the more important that we should work together to maximise the benefits from the remaining funds which we can access".