Kanner told MPs that work on the venues in Bordeaux, Lens, Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Nice, Paris, Saint-Denis (home of the Stade de France), Saint-Etienne and Toulouse represented an investment of €2 billion (£1.5 billion/$2.5 billion).

He said the competition - the first time that the European football Championship is to be contested by 24 teams - was expected to be watched by 2.5 million spectators and a cumulative television audience of more than two billion.

The French economy is currently struggling, with almost non-existent growth and unemployment of over 10 per cent.

UEFA recently agreed to contribute an extra €20 million (£15.7 million/$25.2 million) for the 10 host-cities.

Former French Prime Minister Alain Juppé has estimated that, along with other measures, help provided by UEFA for the cities would probably amount to €50 million (£39.5 million/$63 million).

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