ERDF
It is primarily possible to support operations listed below in the case of the Convergence Objective (this scope of activities is not exclusive; therefore, there is a means for supporting activities beyond the scope of these, which promote local and regional development and employment):
▫ R+D, innovation and company operations, including the strengthening of research and technological development capacities by supporting infrastructure, R+D operations of SMEs, technological transfer, contacts between universities and enterprises, research and technological centres, enterprise networks and „clusters”, etc.;
▫ Information society, including local content services, services and use, broadband networks, safe access to on-line public services, support and services offered for SMEs and the effective use of info-communication technologies;
▫ Environmental protection, including waste and water management, local wastewater treatment and improving air quality, integrated pollution prevention and control, rehabilitation of polluted areas and brown fields, promoting biodiversity and nature protection, including investment in NATURA 2000 areas, supporting SMEs in the introduction and use of cost-efficient environmental protection management systems and pollution prevention technologies;
▫ Risk prevention, including the elaboration and implementation of plans helping to prevent and deal with environmental risks;
▫ Tourism, including support for natural treasures as the potential base for the development of sustainable tourism, protection of natural heritage and highlighting its relevance in economic and social development, funding targeting the development of the range of tourism-related services;
▫ Culture, including the protection and conservation of cultural heritage, cultural infrastructure development within the scope of economic and social development, making the region more appealing, development of the provision of cultural services;
▫ Transport investments, including trans-European networks and integrated clean transport strategies, with special regard to urban transport, including equal access to transport for disadvantaged persons;
▫ Energy, including trans-European networks, which contribute to improving the safety of services, integrating environmental factors, increasing energy efficiency, as well as the development of renewable energy resources;
▫ Investment in education and healthcare, as well as the social infrastructure in justified cases.
It is necessary to concentrate ERDF funding on sustainable regional development strategies – also taking account of employment considerations – in the case of the Regional Competitiveness and Employment Objective. The following three priorities will be prioritised within this area (it is necessary to note here that whether the itemised list of priorities, or only a list of examples should be compiled is still currently under debate):
▫ Supporting innovation and knowledge-based society through the establishment of regional innovation systems, and within this:
- Developing regional R+D capacities connecting to the regional economic development objective;
- Promoting innovation, primarily in SMEs, in all sectors of the regional and local economy;
- Supporting entrepreneurship;
- Establishing financial instruments and incubation potentials promoting the expansion of knowledge intense enterprises.
▫ Environmental protection and risk prevention, with special regard to the following within this area:
- Stimulating investments targeting the rehabilitation of polluted areas, brown field development, cultural and natural heritage, as well as biodiversity related infrastructure development and investments in NATURA 2000 areas;
- Promoting energy efficiency and the production of renewable energies;
- Promoting clean urban transport;
- Developing plans and means for preventing and dealing with environmental risks.
▫ Access to transport and telecommunication services of general economic interest (with the exception of major urban centres), with special regard to the following within this area:
- Strengthening secondary networks by developing or improving connections to the TEN-transport network, regional railway junctions, airports and ports or multi-modal platforms, as well as by developing regional and local water transport routes;
- Promoting SME access to info-communication technologies and the efficient use of these, improving access to networks, setting up Internet access points by developing equipment, services and applications.
Member states and the Commission are competent for making decisions relating to extending the scope of rules of eligibility of the Convergence Objective to include phasing-in regions. (This point is currently still under debate.)
Funding granted in connection with the European Territorial Cooperation Objective must concentrate on the following priorities:
▫ Development of cross-border economic, social and environmental protection operations by introducing Joint Sustainable Territorial Development Strategies, with special regard to the following:
- By strengthening entrepreneurship;
- By promoting and developing joint environmental management and protection;
- By supporting urban and rural development and connections;
- Reducing lack of access to transport, information and communication networks and services by ensuring better access to cross-boarder water, waste and energy systems;
- Developing cooperation in, as well as the capacities and joint use of infrastructure, particularly in the area of healthcare, culture and education.
In addition, ERDF also contributes to administrative cooperation, cross-border labour market integration, local employment initiatives, gender equal opportunity and equal opportunity, sharing human resources and R+D potentials.
▫ Establishing and developing trans-national cooperation, including bilateral cooperation along sea borders, primarily by financing networks and operations promoting integrated territorial development in the following priority areas:
- Water management;
- Improving access, including promoting investments in the cross-border stretches of trans-European networks, improving local and regional access to national and cross-border networks, facilitating the interoperability of regional and national systems;
- Risk prevention, including development of sea security and the prevention of environmental risks;
- Setting up scientific and technological networks for dealing with matters relating to the balanced development of the trans-national area.
▫ Increasing the efficiency of regional policy through inter-regional cooperation:
- Programmes in connection with innovation and knowledge-based society, as well as environmental protection and risk prevention;
- Experience exchange relating to the identification, sharing and transfer of best practices.