Themes

EU cohesion funding supports projects in a wide range of areas.

Cohesion policy funding for 2014-2020 is concentrated on eleven thematic objectives. Four of these are key priorities for the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). In addition, the EU funds projects in a range of other areas, and it supports the most vulnerable regions.

Thematic objectives for the ERDF

Read more about the key priorities for regional policy funding support:

• Research and innovation
• Information and communication technologies
• SME competitiveness
• Low carbon economy

Member States and regions must allocate a certain share of ERDF funding to at least two of these key priorities:

• At least 80 % of ERDF funding for more developed regions
• At least 60 % of ERDF funding for transition regions
• At least 50 % of ERDF funding for less developed regions.

Other thematic objectives

Find out more about funding for the seven remaining thematic objectives:

• Climate change and risk prevention
• Environment and resource efficiency
• Transport and energy networks
• Employment and labour market
• Social inclusion
• Education and training
• Efficient public administration

Further fields of activity

In addition, EU cohesion funding supports projects in the following fields, thereby helping to achieve the objectives of the Europe 2020 strategy to promote smart, sustainable and inclusive growth:

• Competition policy
• Health
• Culture
• Tourism

Addressing the specific needs of certain regions and communities

The EU is making specific efforts to support certain categories of regions and communities:

• Europe's outermost regions
• Urban development
• Rural development
• Northern Ireland: the peace programme
• Regions in candidate and potential candidate countries (Enlargement of the EU)
• Mountains, Islands and Sparsely Populated Areas
• Regions most affected by the transition towards climate neutrality