EU Funding Overview

Jump-to menu:

+ European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development

+ European Territorial Cooperation - Interreg IV

+ Cross-border Cooperation - Interreg IVa

+ Transnational Cooperation - Interreg IVb

+ Inter-regional Cooperation - Interreg IVc

+ Interreg III Project Examples

+ LIFE+

European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development   ↑ page top

There are several EU funds available to help site managers to finance their work. The European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) is one of them. This is the financial instrument of the second pillar of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), Rural Development. The legal basis of the fund is the Rural Development Regulation. The fund provides support for sustainable rural development in the EU via national or regional rural development programmes. The last programmes have been adopted in the beginning of 2008 and project applications can be (soon) submitted to the managing authority of the rural development programme in your country.

The EFS factsheet: 'EU Funding: the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development' of December 2008 focuses on the rural development programmes.

Fact sheet download link at base of page.

European Territorial Cooperation - Interreg IV   ↑ page top

There are several funds available to help site managers to finance their projects. One of these funds is the European Fund for Regional Development. This is one of the financial instruments of the cohesion policy of the EU. The goal of the cohesion policy is to reduce the gap between different regions' levels of development, in order to strengthen economic and social cohesion. This fund has three objectives:

1. Convergence;
2. Regional competitiveness and employment;
3. European Territorial Cooperation.

The EFS factsheet 'EU Funding: European Territorial Cooperation - Interreg IV' of May 2008 focuses on the third objective of the cohesion policy: European Territorial Cooperation (ETC), also called Interreg IV.

Fact sheet download link at base of page.

Cross-border Cooperation - Interreg IVa   ↑ page top

Interreg IVa - Cross-border Cooperation aims at “strengthening cross-border cooperation through joint local and regional initiatives”. The European Fund for Regional Development (ERDF) focuses on the development of cross-border economic, social and environmental activities through joint strategies for sustainable territorial development.

Interreg IVa is divided in 52 different Operational Programmes (OPs). Each OP is lead by a Secretariat and covers part of a border area between EU Member States. All Member States can participate in Interreg IVa, but only if an organisation or authority is located in the eligible area of one of the programmes. IVa has a total budget of 6,44 billion1 euro for the programme period 2007-2013.

Fact sheet download link at base of page.

Transnational Cooperation - Interreg IVb   ↑ page top

Interreg IVb - Transnational Cooperation aims at “strengthening transnational cooperation by means of actions
conducive to integrated territorial development linked to the Community priorities” . The ERDF focuses its
assistance for transnational cooperation on the following priority areas:

Innovation:

• Creation and development of scientific and technological networks;
• Enhancement of regional Research and Technological Development if it makes a direct contribution to the balanced economic development of transnational areas.

Environment:

• Water management;
• Energy efficiency
• Risk prevention;
• Environmental protection with a clear transnational dimension;
• Enhancement of the natural heritage and sustainable tourism.

Accessibility:

• Improving access to and quality of transport and telecommunications services where these have a clear transnational dimension.

Sustainable urban development:

• The creation and improvement of urban networks and urban-rural links;
• Strategies to tackle common urban-rural issues;
• Preservation and promotion of the cultural heritage;
• The strategic integration of development zones on a transnational basis.

Fact sheet download link at base of page.

Inter-regional Cooperation - Interreg IVc   ↑ page top

The overall objective of the programme is “to improve the effectiveness of regional development policies in the areas of innovation, the knowledge economy, the environment and risk prevention as well as to contribute to the economic modernisation and increased competitiveness of Europe”.

The programme sees the exchange, sharing and transfer of experience, knowledge and good practice as the means to achieve this objective. The IVc programme is organised around two thematic priorities, which are related to the Lisbon and Gothenburg Strategies:

Priority 1: Innovation and the knowledge economy, focusing on:

• Innovation, research and technological development;
• Entrepreneurship and SME’s;
• The information society;
• Employment, human capital and education.

Priority 2: Environment and risk prevention, focusing on:

• Natural and technological risks (including climate change);
• Water management;
• Waste management;
• Biodiversity and preservation of natural heritage (including air quality);
• Energy and sustainable transport;
• Cultural heritage and landscape.

Fact sheet download link at base of page.

Interreg III Project Examples   ↑ page top

There are several EU funds available to help site managers finance their projects. One of these funds is the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). This fund has three objectives; one of them is European Territorial Cooperation, better known as Interreg. Eurosite's European Facilitation Service has explored the funding possibilities of this objective for site managers and presents several project examples. In each example (available for download below) a member of the Eurosite network illustrates a project, funded by Interreg, in which they were involved.

The case studies are available for download at the base of this page.

LIFE+   ↑ page top

LIFE+ is the financial instrument for the environment of DG Environment of the European Commission. It provides support for implementing, updating and developing EU environmental policy and legislation with particular focus on the 6th Environmental Action Programme priorities. LIFE+ consist of three components:

LIFE+ nature and biodiversity focuses on:

• Implementation of the Birds and Habitats Directives;
• Further development of the Natura 2000 network;
• Demonstration of innovative projects for implementing of objectives of the Commission Communication on halting the loss of biodiversity. 

LIFE+ environment policy and governance focuses on:

• Development and innovation of policy approaches, technologies, methods and instruments, in relation to the objectives of the 6th EAP, including for the priority areas of climate change, environment and health and quality of life, and natural resources and wastes.

LIFE+ information and communication supports:

• Information dissemination and awareness raising on environmental, nature protection or biodiversity conservation issues.

The LIFE+ programme has a budget of 2.1 billion for 7 years, for the period of 2007 to 2013. Of this budget 78% will be used to finance projects - of which 50% will be used for projects under the component LIFE+ nature and biodiversity, and 50% for the 2 other components – and 22% will be used to finance DG environment’s operational cost.

Each year (for the period of 2007-2013) the European Commission will issue a call for proposals. More information is available at the LIFE+ website of DG environment:

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/life/funding/lifeplus.htm

More information about the 6th Environmental Action Programme can be found at:

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/newprg/intro.htm