Abstract:
The preamble to the Treaty of Rome, signed in 1957, EU Member States noted the need to strengthen the unity of their economies in order to ensure harmonious development by reducing the gap between different regions and the backwardness of the least favored regions.
In order to overcome structural weaknesses facing at present and to improve competitiveness in order to compete successfully both domestically and foreign, European Union countries and regions need assistance. Such assistance is especially important now, given the widening disparities between regions entailed expansion.
EU Cohesion Policy provides a framework for financing a wide range of projects and investments in order to encourage economic growth in EU Member States and their regions. Policy is reviewed by the EU institutions every seven years.
With the integration of ten new countries in 2004, Bulgaria and Romania in 2007, this had strengthened harmonization effort. The main beneficiaries of the Fund were invited to contribute to the economic development of their new partners. Meanwhile, across the face of challenges resulting from an acceleration of economic restructuring due to globalization, trade opening, the effects of technological revolution, the development of knowledge economy, an aging population and by an increase in immigration.
EU enlargement to 27 Member States increased, but geographical disparities within the Union, a growing number of Europeans living in disadvantaged regions. Reducing these disparities will inevitably be a long process, so that the least developed regions is the first priority of cohesion policy.
EU Cohesion policy is financed by structural instruments that are managed by the European Commission and are intended to help finance structural measures at Community level to promote regions with delays in development, conversion of areas affected by industrial decline, combating unemployment long-term employability of youth and promoting rural development.
Structural and Cohesion Funds are financial instruments designed to stimulate economic growth and EU Member States leading to reduction of regional disparities, but because their objectives are achieved, should ensure a contribution from the Member States concerned. Although, primarily, they are co-financed from public resources of the Member State is required in many areas and a private financial contribution, in most cases it is encouraged.
The most important aspect to be aware about these post-accession aid granted by the European Union new Member States is the importance of streamlining the way they are attracted, absorbed and used them, the importance of the growth in an emerging crucial role this phenomenon has for the "catching up" to eliminate all economic inequalities between states. This is basically the ultimate objective of economic and social community and the European Union, swift recovery regions economically disadvantaged as a vital element of the Economic and Social Cohesion EU promoted.
For 2007-2013 there are three financial instruments known as structural funds that:
- European Regional Development Fund (ERDF): support for SMEs, transport, environment, energy, education, health, tourism, research and development, territorial cooperation;
- European Social Fund (ESF): education and training, adaptability of workers and enterprises, social inclusion, increase administrative efficiency;
- Fund (CF) over environmental and transport infrastructure
To not be reached by the EC automatic disengagement of the amounts allocated to the recipient accessing the Structural Funds is a contractual arrangement with provisions and strict deadlines, after the "n +2". For example, amounts that are allocated by the EU for a project in 2009, will be spent by December 31, 2011.[5]
