EUROPEAN FUNDS

The Regional or Cohesion Policy of the European Union is aimed at promoting the economic growth as well as the urban and regional development of Member States.

In budgetary terms, it means most of the EU budget. Specifically, for the 2014-2020 period, 351,800 million Euros of the total EU budget of 1,082 billion Euros.

Regional and Cohesion Policy is executed through European Structural Funds and Investment Funds (ESIF). For the 2014-2020 period the following Funds are involved: European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the Cohesion Fund, European Social Fund (ESF), European Agriculture Rural Development Fund (EARDF) and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF).

The regional and cohesion policy is decentralised and therefore managed through the national and regional authorities of the Member States (Management Authorities).

Fund management is handled through programme documents and Operational programmes (OP) and, in the case of the EAFRD, programmes for Rural Development (PRD).

These documents fall within the Common Strategic Framework (CSF) and the Association Agreement that each Member State signs with the European Commission. This is formalised with the Member State’s commitment to meet European goals pertaining to economic growth and employment for 2020.

Spain

The Spanish Government signed the Association Agreement with the European Commission on 30 October 2014.

Spain benefits in the current period from the following funds: ERDF, ESF, EARDF, EMFF. Spain has not been included in the Cohesion Funds. This is only for Member States with a gross national income per capita lower than the 90% average income in the EU.

Region of Murcia

Several actions of a different nature include financing by the European Structural Funds and Investment Funds (ESIF) in the Murcia Region, such as education, health, environment, transport and cultural infrastructures, as well as employment and social inclusion, etc.

The Murcia Region GDP per capita is within >= 75 % and < 90 % of the EU average and therefore, for the currently programmed 2014-2020 period, it has been classified as a region “in transition”. Nevertheless, it will be financing with 22% more of the European funds than the previous year.

EThe Murcia Region will benefit this period 2014/2020 from the following funds: ERDF, ESF, EARDF, EMFF.