EU programmes II

Every seven years, the European Union sets out new policies via the European Commission to be followed by EU member states. The 2014-2020 policies are:

• Competitiveness for growth and jobs;
• Economic, social and territorial cohesion;
• Sustainable growth: natural resources;
• Security and citizenship;
• Global Europe.
  
  
  

A transversal strategy will also guide the actions to be taken during this period. For 2014-2020, this strategy will be EUROPE 2020 Strategy and its objectives are:

• A smart growth;
• A sustainable growth;
• An inclusive growth.

In order to implement these objectives, the European Commission will support projects carried out across the EU – and even beyond – through different financial instruments. These instruments are organised as follows:

Sector Programmes

Sector programmes cover a specific topic (i.e. youth, research, consumer protection, etc.).

Find out more about these programmes with this article.

European Structural and Investment Funds

The EAFRD and the EMFF will support the European policy for “Sustainable growth: natural resources”. The ERDF, the ESF and the Cohesion Fund will support the policy for “Economic, social and territorial cohesion”.

For 2014-2020, the “Economic, social and territorial cohesion” policy will have specific objectives:

• Cohesion Fund (regions whose GDP per inhabitant is less than 90 % of the EU average);
• Less developed regions, supported by the ERDF and the ESF (regions with a GDP per capita below 75% of the EU average);
• Transition regions, supported by the ERDF and the ESF (regions with a GDP per capita between 75% and 90% of the EU average);
• More developed regions, supported by the ERDF and the ESF (regions with a GDP per capita above 90% of the EU average);
• Outermost and sparsely populated regions, supported by the ERDF (the Canary Islands (Spain); Guadeloupe, Martinique and French Guiana (France); the Autonomous Region of the Azores and the Autonomous Region of Madeira (Portugal); Itä-Suomi and Pohjois-Suomi (Finland); and Mellersta Norrland and Övre Norrland (Sweden));
• Youth employment initiative, supported by the ESF (regions with a youth unemployment rate in 2012 at above 25 %);
• Territorial cooperation, supported by the ERDF.

The cohesion policy will also support targeting investments on Key Growth Priorities:

• Research and Innovation; 
• Information and Communication Technologies (ICT);
• Enhancing the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs);
• Supporting the shift towards a low-carbon economy.