The Structural Funds, the European Investment Bank (EIB) e the
Cohesion Fund are the EU financial instruments to contribute to the social and economic cohesion and development among all the regions of the Member States. Main priority objective of this jointed system actions is the reduction of the gap between the more developed States (or Regions) and the ones lagging behind.
The programming is the pool of organisation, decision and funding processes aimed at implementing a multi-annual jointed action of the European Union and the Member States, as envisaged in the general Regulation on the Structural Funds (EC Regulation No. 1260/99, art. 9).
The new actions provided by the 2000-2006 programming are based on the principles of more geographic and economic concentration, integration and consistency, strengthened controls and improved effectiveness of the European structural assistance.
The principles of the reform on the Structural Funds were stated in three steps:
the European Commission action programme “Agenda
2000” (1997);
EAGGF: the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund
FIFG: the Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance
In line with the concentration principle for improving the effectiveness of the Community’s structural measures the number of priority objectives was reduced from 7 of the previous 1994-1999 programming to 3:
objective 1: promotes the development and structural adjustment of regions whose development is lagging behind
objective
2: contributes to the economic and social conversion of regions in structural difficulties other than those eligible for the new Objective 1
objective 3:serves as a reference framework for all measures to promote human resources in the Member States. It takes account of the Title on employment in the Treaty of Amsterdam and the new European strategy for employment, promotes the development of policy systems for education, training and employment
The three documents ruling the Structural Funds are the following:
2000-2006 programming period
