The Structural Funds

At present, four Structural Funds allow the European Union to grant financial assistance to resolve structural economic and social problems :

• the European Regional Development Funds (ERDF), whose principal objective is to promote economic and social cohesion within the European Union through the reduction of imbalances between regions or social groups;
  
  
• the European Social Fund (ESF), the main financial instrument allowing the Union to realise the strategic objectives of its employment policy;
  
  
• the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF - Guidance Section), which contributes to the structural reform of the agriculture sector and to the development of rural areas;
  
  
• the Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance (FIFG), the specific Fund for the structural reform of the fisheries sector.