Presentation on the process and principles underlying the use of structural funds and related opportunities for local authorities. The presentation aims to highlight the coherence and complementarity between the objectives of the Europe 2020 strategy and the implementation of European policies through the Structural Funds. The presentation has been shared and publicly discussed during the third event of Euromine project funded by European Commission under the Europe for Citizens program and which was held in Almadén (Spain).

1. Structural Funds 2014-2020 and
Europe 2020 Strategy
Mirko Podda Almadén – April 2013
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2.  Europe 2020 strategy
 The key targets
 The horizontal regulation
 Principles of use of the funds
 The Common Strategic Framework
 Thematic Objectives
 The ERDF
 The ESF
 The EAFRD
 The Cohesion Fund
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3. Europe 2020 is the European Union’s ten-
year growth strategy which aim is to
address the shortcomings of our
development model and to create the
conditions for a different type of growth that
is:
 smarter
 more sustainable
 more inclusive
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4. Five key targets to achieve by the end of the
decade:
1. Employment
 75% of the 20-64 year-olds to be employed
2. Education
 Reducing the rates of early school leaving
below 10%
 At least 40% of 30-34–year-olds completing
third level education
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5. 3. Research and Development – Innovation
 3% of the EU's GDP to be invested in R&D
4. Climate change and energy sustainability
 Greenhouse gas emissions 20% lower than
1990
 20% of energy from renewables
 20% increase in energy efficiency
5. Fighting poverty and social exclusion
 At least 20 million fewer people in or at risk
of poverty and social exclusion
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6. In 2011 the European Commission has
presented with regard to the Cohesion
Policy a general regulation (called the
horizontal regulation) for the Funds
2014-2020 which sets out some general
programming criteria.
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8. The principles underlying the proposal are:
 Strengthening of the partnership and
multi-level governance;
 Coordination of cohesion policy with
those of rural development and with other
EU policies;
 Definition of a limited number of
priorities and key policies, with respect
to which concentrate investments;
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9.  A particular focus on sustainable
development which is a horizontal
principle that covers all funds;
 Focus on results, which must be clearly
linked to the achievement of the targets
set in Europe 2020 strategy.
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10. The Common Strategic Framework has
been proposed by the European Commission
in March 2012. The CSF is intended by the
EU as a tool that ensures:
 A coherent strategic planning for all the
funds;
 The achievement of the targets of
Europe 2020.
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11. Essential in the Horizontal Regulation is the
enunciation of 11 thematic objectives that
derive from the three general priorities of
Europe 2020 (smart, sustainable and
inclusive growth).
These objectives are taken from the Common
Strategic Framework and represent the
cornerstones of the EU Strategy for the
Structural Funds 2014-2020.
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12. Europe 2020 priority: a smart growth
1. Enhance research, technological
development and innovation;
2. Improve access, use and quality of
information and communication
technologies;
3. Improve the competitiveness of SMEs and
the agricultural sector;
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13. Europe 2020 priority: a sustainable growth
4. Support the transition towards a low-carbon
economy in all sectors
5. Promote adaptation to climate change,
prevention and risk management
6. Protect the environment and promote the
efficient use of resources
7. Promote sustainable transport and removing
bottlenecks in network infrastructure
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14. Europe 2020 priority: an inclusive growth
8. Promote employment and supporting labor
mobility
9. Promote social inclusion and combating
poverty
10. Invest in education, skills and lifelong
learning
11. Improving institutional capacity and an
efficient public administration
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15. The European Rural Development Fund will
contribute to all thematic objectives and will
focus on:
 The areas of investment linked to the context in
which businesses operate (infrastructure,
business services, business support, innovation,
ICT and research);
 The provision of services to citizens in some
sectors (energy, online services, education,
infrastructure, health and social research,
accessibility, quality of the environment).
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16. The European Social Fund will go through four
thematic objectives:
 employment and labor mobility;
 education, skills and lifelong learning;
 social inclusion and the fight against poverty;
 the strengthening of administrative capacity (with
limited possibilities for the more developed
regions);
 Other thematic objectives, aiming to build the
skills necessary for implementation of its actions.
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17. The European Agricultural Fund for Rural
Development will be based on six specific
priorities and will operate as a complement to
the ERDF and ESF in terms of:
 Sector (agriculture and forestry) and
 Territorial (the EAFRD will be responsible for
certain actions in the marginal and rural areas).
To the EAFRD, the Commission also assigns an
important role in achieving the Europe 2020
environmental objectives.
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18. The Cohesion Fund is aimed at reducing
discrepancies of economic, social and territorial
nature.
Investment priorities:
 Major environmental and transport infrastructures.
In conjunction with the ESF and the ERDF, the
Cohesion Fund contributes to accelerate growth and
employment, encouraging investment in people and
physical resources within the Convergence Objective
regions.
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19.  http://ec.europa.eu/
 http://www.focuseurope.org/sito/
Thank you for your attention
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