Developing SF Programmes
In the 2007-2013 Structural Fund period there was an agreement that the European Commission would have less of a role in deciding how Structural Funds would be spent at Member State level than previously was the case. However, it was also determined that the programmes would be based on agreed Guidelines. Therefore, Community Strategic Guidelines were agreed on at EU level and based on this each Member State produced its National Strategic Reference Framework which outlined their priorities for spending the funds.
As is the practice in every round of funding the EU also agreed on the rules for the Funds. These are in the form of Regulations. The regulations are as follows:
- General Regulation
- European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) , which provides support for poorer regions of the EU, mainly but not only for infrastructure and business
- European Social Fund (ESF) , which funds training, supports and anti-poverty initiatives;
- Cohesion Fund a special fund used mainly for road and other infrastructure in peripheral regions. Ireland will not benefit from this Fund from 2007
Community Initiatives like EQUAL, INTERREG, URBAN and LEADER in the 2000-2007, which allowed organisations, including many NGOs to draw down funding directly from the European Commission are not part of the Structural Funds in the 2007-2013 period.
