Cohesion policy 2007–13 Commentaries and official texts
Legislation
Date: 01 jan 2007
Period: 2007-2013
Theme: Business support, Energy, Environment, Transport, Research and innnovation, Research & Development, Social inclusion, Jobs, Education and Training
Languages: bg | cs | da | de | el | en | es | et | fi | fr | hu | it | lt | lv | mt | nl | pl | pt | ro | sk | sl | sv
The European Union’s cohesion policy, built into the Treaties since 1986, has been given the objective of reducing the gap in the different regions’ levels of development, in order to strengthen economic and social cohesion. With the integration of 10 new countries in 2004, then of Bulgaria and Romania in 2007, this attempt at harmonisation had to be reinforced. The main beneficiaries of the funds have been asked to contribute to the economic development of their new partners.At the same time, the whole of the Union is facing up to the challenges resulting from the acceleration of economic restructuring following globalisation, the opening up of trade, the effects of the technological revolution, the development of a knowledge-based economy, of an ageing population and the growth of immigration.