Guide to European Funding 2007-2013

Last updated: 27/05/2010 Add to My Bookmarks

European Funding Guide 2007-2013

Europe Direct Cornwall has produced a full guidance brochure for 2007-13 funding. This funding guide is a tool to help you to identify and apply for European funding and provides an overview of the main European Funding streams, their main objectives, and how and where to apply.

This funding guide has been prepared to provide public, private and voluntary sector organisations and individuals with the opportunity to find out more about the wealth of funding made available by the European Union to assist in developing their projects and initiatives. 

View or download the European Funding Guide 2007-2013 

For more information on any of the funding programmes included within the brochure please contact Europe Direct Cornwall on 0800 0322345, email europedirect@cornwall.gov.uk  or visit the Europe Direct Cornwall website.

Additional European Funding Information

The guide provides further information on European funding for Cornwall. The current European Funding period runs from 2007-2013, however start and end dates for some funding will vary. The guide will be updated as necessary.

Terms written in italics are explained in the glossary which follows the document.

Grants from the EU

'Grants of the European Union' is a new site on Europa with details of funding for projects or activities in relation to EU policies. The site is searchable by subject and includes brief explanations of the funding process.

• What is European Funding?
• What is different between 2007-13 funding and pre-2006 funding?
• What are the details for European funding?
• Which main funding programmes will Cornwall be eligible for?
• What else will Cornwall be eligible for outside the main funding programmes?
• What are the Lisbon and Gothenburg agendas?

What is European Funding?

Cornwall's previous European funding programme, Objective One ran from 2000 - 2006. Objective One was one of three programmes set up to help reduce differences in social and economic conditions within the European Union (These three funding programmes are the biggest area of European spending after the Common Agricultural Policy).

Of the three, Objective One was the highest priority designation for European aid and was targeted at areas where prosperity, measured in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per head of population, was 75% or less of the European average. The Objective One programme made approximately £350 million in European investment available. The European money had to be matched, across the programme as a whole, with the same amount of UK money. However, this Programme ended at the end of 2006.

From 2007-13, Cornwall eligible for a funding programme under the Structural Funds called Convergence. The purpose of the Convergence Programme will be to speed up the economic development of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly particularly through investing in: skills and helping people into work; the development of a more knowledge based economy; business productivity and innovation; and in infrastructure for a more modern economy.

To view a copy of the approved ERDF Operational Programme please select the following link:  Convergence Operational Programme 2007-13

Cornwall is also eligible for mainstream European funding, as before. Some of these funds will be along similar lines to current funding and some will be different, with varying methods of delivery.

What is difference between 2007-13 funding and pre-2006 funding?

What are the details for European funding?

Cornwall is eligible for structural funds from the European Union (EU). The structural funds help to deliver the European Union's Cohesion Policy, which is intended to narrow the gaps in development and economic performance among the regions and EU Member States

For the new programming period the the European Commission has developed the following new objectives for its Cohesion Policy:

• 'Convergence' to replace Objective One (for regions where the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is under 75% of EU average GDP)
• 'Competitiveness' to replace Objectives Two and Three (criteria to be determined by the Member States)
• 'Territorial Co-operation' to replace Interreg.

The new European Cohesion Policy is being focused on delivering the EU's Lisbon (competitiveness) and Gothenburg (sustainability) Agendas. Under this Lisbon Agenda the EU has set itself the goal of becoming the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world. Any regional or sub-regional programme will need to clearly demonstrate how it contributes towards this aim. This will mean a significant increase in emphasis on competitiveness, innovation and the knowledge economy. 

As part of the funding reform, the Member States have agreed to strengthen the strategic focus of future structural funds spending by establishing Community Strategic Guidelines on Cohesion and National Strategic Reference Frameworks, which set out the broad objectives for future programmes.

Which main funding programmes will Cornwall be eligible for?

Structural Funds:

1. Convergence Objective:

Cornwall qualifies under the Convergence Objective, which means access to the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and European Social Fund (ESF). The regulations for these two funds set out the priorities that Member States must focus on in developing their Operational Programmes for these funds. These priorities place strong emphasis on job creation and economic growth, in particular:

R&D, innovation and entrepreneurship, including links between Higher Education and small to medium-sized enterprises,

• Environment, energy agenda, and risk protection
• information society and educational investments
• investing in human capital, tackling unemployment, promoting worker adaptability

The Commission has developed a number of new initiatives (JEREMIE, JASPERS, and JESSICA) that Management Authorities can choose to utilise in implementation of the Convergence programmes

• JEREMIE will enable programmes to set aside monies to create loan-based fund aimed at encouraging and stimulating investments by small to medium sized enterprises.The managing authority of a programme area can decide to set aside a proportion of their allocation for use through this new fund, with further financing available from the European Investment Fund to match commitment from the managing authority
• JESSICA is aimed at supporting sustainable investment for urban development by offering Member States and Managing Authorities the possibility to "transform" grants from Operational Programmes into repayable and recyclable assistance to Public Private Partnerships and other projects for urban renewal and development. Resources would be channelled through either urban development funds or through holding funds.

The Convergence Operational Programme was signed off by Danuta Hübner, European commissioner for Regional Policy in December 2007. To view the document please select the following link: Convergence Operational Programme (new window). 

The relevant parts of Strategy and Action have formed the basis of the Convergence Programme as well as those for European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the European Fisheries Fund.

2. Co-operation Objective:

The European Territorial Co-operation Objective is aimed at strengthening territorial co-operation at the cross-border, trans-national and inter-regional levels and establishing cooperation networks and furthering the exchange of experience at the appropriate geographical level.

• Cross-border co-operation (successor to InterregIIIA): This is a new programme area, and will stretch from Cornwall and Brittany in the West, and potentially as far as Norfolk in the East of England and South Holland in the Netherlands.Cornwall, together with all of the South West local authorities that border the English Channel, is included in the list of eligible areas Manche (cross-channel France/England) programme & the Two Seas France/England/Flanders/ Netherlands Programme area.
• Transnational co-operation(successor to Interreg IIIB): Cornwall, along with the rest of the South West region, is included in two Transnational Co-operation zones, North West Europe and Atlantic Area, which are almost exactly the same areas as under the current Interreg IIIB programme.
• Inter-regional Co-operation (successor to Interreg IIIC): The Inter-regional Co-operation programme will continue to operate without geographical restriction.The Programme aims to enable co-operation between authorities and actors at the regional and local level from different countries in Europe in projects to exchange and transfer their experiences and jointly develop approaches and instruments that improve the effectiveness of regional development policies and contribute to economic modernisation.

Elements that have disappeared from former structural funds Programmes:

• Innovative Actions (ESF and ERDF)
• Community Initiatives
  
• The Leader+ programme (a European Community Initiative for assisting rural communities in improving the quality of life and economic prosperity in their local area) is mainstreamed into rural development (see below)
• The EQUAL Initiative (a community initiative promoting a more inclusive work life through fighting discrimination and exclusion based on sex, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation) is mainstreamed into Convergence/Regional Competitiveness
• Interreg becomes Co-operation Objective (as described above)
• The URBAN Initiative (a Community Initiative for sustainable development in the troubled urban districts of the European Union) disappears, although the Commission is discussing the idea of adding a new sustainable urban development priority to the Convergence/Regional Competitiveness Objectives
• The Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance (FIFG) is replaced by European Fisheries Fund (EFF) (see below)

3. Rural Development:

For 2007-2013 Rural Development falls under European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) but only through the new Rural Development Programme for England. Cornwall has "reserved" funding under this programme to support its rural development activities. The new programmes will be based around four "priority-axes", with Member States able to choose from a menu of around 37 measures:

• Axis 1 - Farming/Forestry Competitiveness
• Axis 2 - Environmental Land Management (agri-environment measures)
• Axis 3 - Quality of life and diversification in rural areas
• Axis 4 - Leaderprogramme assisting rural communities to improve quality of life and economic prosperity (cross-cutting)

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) is planning to run Axis 2 at a national level in England, managed by Natural England. Axis 1, 3 and 4 (Leader) are expected to be managed regionally by the Regional Development Agencies.

4. European Fisheries Fund (EFF):

 The four main priority/axes for the EFF are:

• Adaptation of the Fishing Fleet;
• Investment in Aquaculture;
• Measures of Common Interest; and
• Sustainable Development of Coastal Areas.

Cornwall, as a Convergence area, will receive "reserve funding" for its fisheries activities.

What else will Cornwall be eligible for outside the main funding programmes?

(This list is not definitive)

5. Framework 7 (FP7): 'Framework 7' is the EU's Research and Development funding programme. Four main areas are proposed:

• Co-operation (like the current Integrated Projects),
• People (such as the Marie Curie programme),
• Ideas (basic research and European Research Council), and
• Capacities (infrastructure).

For the first time, the research programme will span a complete financial period of seven years. There will be opportunities for Cornwall, for example in the area of renewable energy and the University. Parts of the programme are likely to be easier to access.

6. Competitiveness and Innovation Programme: This Commission-proposed fund aims to achieve a coherent and integrated response to the objectives of the Lisbon strategy which aims to make the EU the world's most dynamic and competitive economy by the 2010. It includes the development of Business innovation centres and making use of European Investment Bank.

7. Education and Cultural Programmes:

• Lifelong Learning Programme: Integration of existing education programmes (Socrates, Leonardo, Tempus). Potential for initiatives working with schools, Higher Education, offering work placements in Small to Medium-sized Enterprises for European Union nationals from other countries.
• Culture 2007: support for cultural projects, networking and exchanges across wide range of cultural activities. Projects should be led by cultural organisations/practitioners.

8. LIFE+:Successor to current LIFE III Programme, a fund for the environment and nature

What are the Lisbon and Gothenburg agendas?

The Lisbon Agenda: At the European Summit celebrated in Lisbon in March 2000, EU Member States agreed on a strategy to make the EU the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy, capable of sustainable economic growth with more and better jobs and greater social cohesion by 2010". After the mid-term review of the Lisbon Strategy carried out in 2005, Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) continue making a crucial contribution to this goal, which is particularly important for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

The reviewed Strategy sites for the following priorities in the so-called three pillars (economic, social and environmental) of the Lisbon Agenda:

• A "Partnership for Growth and Jobs" (supported by an EU Lisbon Action Programme and National Action Programmes)
• Promoting entrepreneurship and skills
• Improving SMEs access to markets
• Boosting research and technological development
• Ensuring open and competitive markets, thus completing the Single Market
• Cutting red tape
• Removing obstacles to labour mobility
• Modernising social models
• Ensuring a sustainable development (Please see the Gothenburg Agenda)

The Gothenburg Strategy: When talking about the environment, the question of sustainable development cannot be ignored. At EU level, the European Summit celebrated in Gothenburg in June 2001 completed the Lisbon Strategy by adding an environmental dimension. This "third pillar" of the Lisbon Process, the others being economic and social reform, focuses on a new emphasis to protect the environment and achieve a more sustainable pattern of development. The aim is to "decouple environmental degradation and resource consumption from economic and social development by 2010".

Priorities of this Strategy are:

• Combating climate change
• Ensuring sustainable transport
• Addressing threats to public health
• Managing natural resources in a more responsible manner

According to mid-term review of this Strategy carried out in 2005, the EU will pursue a "stronger focus", a "clearer division of responsibilities, wider ownership, broader support, a stronger integration of the international dimension and more effective implementation and monitoring" of the environmental policy in general and the Gothenburg goals in particular.