Home

Library

The European Union Cohesion Policy

European regional policy is a policy promoting solidarity. It allocates more than a third of the budget of the European Union to the reduction of the gaps in Development among the regions and disparities among the citizens in terms of well-being. The Union seeks to use the policy to help lagging regions to catch up, restructure declining industrial regions, diversify the economies of rural areas with declining agriculture and revitalise declining neighbourhoods in the cities. It sets job creation as its primary concern. In a word, it seeks to strengthen the economic, social and territorial 'cohesion' of the Union.

• Key documents
• Reports and Studies
• Future of Cohesion Policy
• Urban I
• Urban II
• Urban Audit

Structural Funds

More than a third of the budget of the Union is devoted to regional development and economic and social cohesion through a series of European funds. There are several Structural Funds with their specific thematic area of which three are relevant to the activities of QeC-ERAn and other organisations working on urban issues:

• The European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) whose principal objective is to promote economic and social cohesion within the European Union through the reduction of imbalances between regions or social groups.
• The European Social Fund (ESF) provides EU funding on a major scale for programmes which develop or regenerate people's "employability". This task focuses on providing citizens with appropriate work skills as well as developing their social interaction skills, thereby improving their self-confidence and adaptability in the job marketplace.
• The Cohesion Fund finances projects designed to improve the environment and develop transport infrastructure in Member States whose per capita GNP is below 90% of the Community average.

Future of Structural Funds

Proposals for the new Structural Funds (2007-2013)
The Commission adopted on 14 July a proposal of five new regulations for renewed Structural Funds and instruments. Over the period 2007-2013, these instruments present about one third of the EU budget or a total of EUR 336.1 billion. The majority of this amount will be spent in less-developed Member States and regions. Structural Funds and instruments aim to promote growth-enhancing conditions for the Union's economy and will focus on three new future objectives: convergence, competitiveness and co-operation.