Themes

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

Cohesion funding for 2021-2027 targets 5 policy objectives and 33 specific objectives. A specific focus is given to some types of regions and communities.

Addressing the specific needs of certain regions and communities

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

• Urban development
• Europe's outermost regions
• Eastern Border Regions
• Catching-up Regions
• Mountains, Islands and Sparsely Populated Areas
• Regions most affected by the transition towards climate neutrality
• Rural development
• Regions in candidate and potential candidate countries (Enlargement of the EU)

Themes for the ERDF

The ERDF supports primarily the themes below:

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

The 2021–2027 mid-term review package modernises cohesion policy by addressing key strategic challenges:

• competitiveness
• defence and security
• water resilience
• energy transition
• affordable housing

Further fields of support

In addition, EU cohesion funding supports projects in the following fields:

• Competition policy
• Health
• Culture
• Tourism