ERDF (European Regional Development Fund)

Will particularly contribute to support:

• productive investments;
• the creation or the modernisation of infrastructures that contribute to the development or the re-conversion of the corresponding regions;
• actions that aim to develop the endogenous potential of the cor-responding regions;
• investments in the spheres of education and health in the objec-tive 1 regions.

ESF (European Social Fund)

The ESF, in order to combat unemployment and promote employ-ment, will contribute particularly to:

• facilitate access to the labour market;
• foment equal opportunities in the labour market;
• develop competencies, aptitudes and professional qualifications;
• favour the creation of employment.

In this context, the ESF will grant aid to studies or pilot plans, especially if they refer to aspects that are common to several member States.

FEOGA-Guidance (European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund, guidance section)

The functions of the FEOGA-Guidance section-, are the following:

• reinforce and reorganise agrarian structures and, also in this context, forestry structures, including those of commercialisation and transformation of agricultural and forestry products and contribute to compensating the effects of natural obstacles in agriculture;
• guarantee the re-conversion of agricultural productions and pro-mote the development of complementary activities for farmers;
• contribute to guaranteeing an equitable level of living for farmers;
• contribute to the development of the social grid in rural zones, to the protection of the environment and to the conservation of the rural space (including the conservation of the natural resources of agriculture).

The FEOGA, Guidance section, will also contribute to aid actions of technical assistance and information, of carrying out studies and pilot plans having to do with adapting agrarian structures and fo-menting rural development at the community scale.

FIFG (Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance)

Has the following functions:

• contribute to achieving a sustainable balance between the resources and their exploitation.
• increase the competitiveness of the exploitation structures and the development of economically viable companies in the sector;
• increase the value of fishing and agricultural products and improve their supply..

The FIFG will, moreover, contribute to actions of technical assis-tance and information and to carrying out studies and pilot experi-ences having to do with adapting the structures of the sector.

COHESION FUND

The Cohesion Fund constitutes a new instrument of aid and solidar-ity destined to contribute to strengthening the economic and social cohesion of the European Union and to facilitate the participation of the less prosperous member States in the Economic and Monetary Union (Spain, Greece, Ireland and Portugal) that contribute to im-prove the environment or to develop the transportation networks and infrastructures.

Definitions to review with the approval of the norms for structural funds under agenda 2000.