1. Regional Policy as a Tool of Regional Development Support Chapter IV. Pavol Schwarcz Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra

2. CONTENT OF CHAPTER History of EU regional policy Aims of EU regional policy Principles of EU regional policy Financial instruments of EU regional policy - Structural funds, Cohesion fund Objectives, eligibility, resources of EU regional policy

3. RESPONSIBLE PARTNERS Regional Policy as a Tool of Regional Development Support Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra

4. HISTORY OF REGIONAL POLICY 1957Treaty of Rome 1958 European Social Fund (ESF) and the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF) 1975 European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) 1989–93Funds of Solidarity (now referred to as the Structural Funds) - allocation ECU 68 billion 1992 The Treaty of the European Union designates cohesion as one of the main objectives of the Union, alongside economic and monetary union and the single market.

5. HISTORY OF EU REGIONAL POLICY 1994–99 almost 200 billion ECU, one third of the Community budget, to cohesion policy. A new Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance (FIFG) is created 2000–01 Lisbon strategy 2002 an agreement on the conditions for the accesion of 10 new MS to the Union 2004proposals for the reform of cohesion policy for the period 2007–13. On 1 May, accession to the European Union of 10 new member states

6. AIMS OF REGIONAL POLICY European Union (EU) cohesion policy aims to increase economic and social cohesion between the Member States and reduce regional disparities in development. With enlargement, social and economic disparities between the regions of the EU have widened and these present new challenges for cohesion policy. At the same time, programmes supported under the Structural Funds should do more to strengthen the Union’s competitiveness

7. PRINCIPLES OF REGIONAL POLICY Principle of concentration Principle of partnership Principle of additionality Principle of subsidiarity Principle of programming Principle of monitoring and evaluation Principle of solidarity

8. FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS OF EU REGIONAL POLICY Structural funds European Regional Development Funds (ERDF) European Social Fund (ESF) Cohesion fund Environment projects Transport infrastructure

9. STRUCTURAL FUNDS vs COHESION FUND STRUCTURAL FUNDSCOHESION FUND AimsDecreasing of regional disparities in frame of state Decreasing of economical disparities between EU member states ParticipantsRegional bodies and other partners plays important role in program management Projects are agreed between Comission and relevant member states Geographical coverage RegionsEU Member states Criteria for supportAll sectorsOnly transport and environment ProceduresBased on several years programming individual

10. FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS OF EU REGIONAL POLICY The three priority objectives of the Structural Funds for programming period 2007-2013: Objective 1: Convergence Objective 2: Regional competitiveness and employment Objective 3: European territorial cooperation OBJECTIVES ELIGIBILITY RESOURCES

11. EUROPEAN TERRITORIAL COOPERATION The purpose is to strengthen cooperation at three levels: cross-border cooperation through joint programmes; cooperation between transnational zones; networks for cooperation and the exchange of experiences throughout the Union. Resources The total allocation for territorial cooperation is EUR 13.2 billion

13. FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTION FOR EU STRUCTURAL POLICY 2007-2013

14. IMPLEMENTATION OF EU REGIONAL POLICY IN V4 COUNTRIES Chapter IX SLOVAKIA

15. IMPLEMENTATION OF EU REGIONAL POLICY IN V4 COUNTRIES Country specification from regional development point of view (regional disparities) Strategic documents of regional policy implementation (aims, priorities, operational programmes) Financial frame of regional policy in period of 2007-2013

22. IMPLEMENTATION OF EU REGIONAL POLICY IN V4 COUNTRIES System of coordination and monitoring of structural funds (legislation, institutions, documents, competencies)

23. RESPONSIBLE PARTNERS Implementation of EU Regional Policy in V4 countries Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra Warsaw Agricultural University Pannonia University South Bohemian University in České Budějovice

24. COUNTRY SPECIFICATION FROM REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT POINT OF VIEW Valid territorial systemisation of the SR

25. COUNTRY SPECIFICATION FROM REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT POINT OF VIEW Territory of the Slovak Republic broken down into NUTS 2 and NUTS 3 regions

26. COUNTRY SPECIFICATION FROM REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT POINT OF VIEW Basic data about the Slovak regions (as at 31. 12. 2004)

27. COUNTRY SPECIFICATION FROM REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT POINT OF VIEW

28. Macroeconomic analysis of the Slovak Republic Socio-economic analysis Human Resources Demographic development Education and vocational training Employment and development of human resources, labour market Social exclusion Health of population and healthcare system Infrastructure and regional accessibility Transport infrastructure Environmental infrastructure and protection of the environment Regional infrastructure

29. COUNTRY SPECIFICATION FROM REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT POINT OF VIEW Knowledge-based economy Competitiveness of businesses and services Informatisation of society Research, development and innovation

30. STRATEGIC DOCUMENTS OF REGIONAL POLICY IMPLEMENTATION NATIONAL STRATEGIC REFERENCE FRAMEWORK Community Strategic Guidelines EU Strategy for Sustainable Development National Strategy of Sustainable Development of the Slovak Republic/Action Plan of Sustainable Development for 2005 - 2010, Spatial Development Perspective od Slovakia 2001 (SDPS 2001) Programmes of economic and social development of the self-governing regions

31. STRATEGIC DOCUMENTS OF REGIONAL POLICY IMPLEMENTATION Key disparities and development factors in the programming period 2007 - 2013 were identified: Disparities 1.low competitiveness of production and services 2.insufficient quality of human resources 3.insufficient quality and accessibility of public infrastructure Development factor technologies and processes contributing to better exploitation of production potential and its development and increase of innovative capacities of regions development of human potential and efficient use of workforce infrastructure improving accessibility of regions and quality of environment and public services

32. STRATEGIC DOCUMENTS OF REGIONAL POLICY IMPLEMENTATION The strategic objective of the National Strategic Reference Framework of the Slovak Republic for years 2007 - 2013 is to: Increase significantly the competitiveness and performance of the regions and of the Slovak economy and employment by 2013, while respecting the principles of sustainable development.

33. STRATEGIC DOCUMENTS OF REGIONAL POLICY IMPLEMENTATION Strategic priorities are 1. Infrastructure and regional accessibility 2. Knowledge-based economy 3. Human resources Strategic objective of above mentioned strategic priorities are : 1.Increasing the availability of infrastructure in the regions and improving the efficiency of the related public services 2. Development of resources of sustainable economic growth and increasing the competitiveness of industry and services 3.Growth of employment, improvement of the quality of the workforce for the needs of knowledge-based economy and increase of social inclusion of risk groups.

34. STRATEGIC DOCUMENTS OF REGIONAL POLICY IMPLEMENTATION NSRF priorities for the Convergence objective

35. STRATEGIC DOCUMENTS OF REGIONAL POLICY IMPLEMENTATION NSRF priorities for the Regional competitiveness and employment objective

36. STRATEGIC DOCUMENTS OF REGIONAL POLICY IMPLEMENTATION The strategy, priorities and objectives of the NSRF will be implemented through 11 operational programmes

37. FINANCIAL FRAME OF REGIONAL POLICY IN PERIOD OF 2007-2013

38. CONVERGENCE OBJECTIVE

39. REGIONAL COMPETITIVENESS AND EMPLOYMENT OBJECTIVE

40. SYSTEM OF COORDINATION AND MONITORING OF STRUCTURAL FUNDS Strategic level of the system of management of the operational programmes in the NSRF is ensured by the: Central Coordinating Authority as regards management, Certification Authority as regards financial management Audit Authority as regards control and audit while fully respecting the competences of the Managing Authorities of the operational programmes.

41. CONTACT: Pavol Schwarcz Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra Faculty of European Studies and Regional Development, dpt. of European Studies Tr. A. Hlinku 2, Nitra Slovakia E-mail: pavol.schwarcz@uniag.skpavol.schwarcz@uniag.sk