Structural Funds
The current period of Structural Funds programmes and instruments came to its end in December 2006 and the Commission, the Member States and the regions prepared for the new programming period between 2007 and 2013.
During this period, the EU will invest €308 billion to support regional growth agendas and to stimulate job creation. 82% of the total amount is being concentrated on the ‘Convergence’ objective, under which the poorest Member States and regions are eligible. The funds are targeting resources on the following three priorities:
- improving the attractiveness of Member States, regions and cities by improving accessibility, ensuring adequate quality and level of services, and preserving their environmental potential;
- encouraging innovation, entrepreneurship and the growth of the knowledge economy by research and innovation capacities, including new information and communication technologies;
and - creating more and better jobs by attracting more people into employment entrepreneurial activity, improving adaptability of workers and enterprises and increasing investment in human capital.
The three cohesion instruments, the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the European Social Fund (ESF) and the Cohesion Fund are based on the principle of shared management between the Union and the Member States.
The European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) supports programmes addressing regional development, economic change, enhanced competitiveness and territorial cooperation throughout the EU. Funding priorities include research, innovation, environmental protection and risk prevention, while infrastructure investment retains an important role, especially in the least developed regions.
The European Social Fund (ESF) is implemented in line with the European Employment Strategy and focuses on four key areas: increasing adaptability of workers and enterprises, enhancing access to employment and participation in the labour market, reinforcing social inclusion by combating discrimination and facilitating access to the labour market for disadvantaged people, and promoting partnership for reform in the fields of employment and inclusion.
The Cohesion Fund will contribute to interventions in the field of the environment and trans-European transport networks. It applies to Member States with a Gross National Income (GNI) of less than 90% of the Community average which means it covers the new Member States as well as Greece and Portugal. Spain will be eligible to the Cohesion Fund on a transitional basis.
