European Structural
and Investment Funds
2014-2020: Support to
higher education
Adam Tyson, European Commission
DG HE, Dublin, 22 April 2013
Overview
1. The new Structural and Investment Funds: key
elements of the new package
2. Support for innovation: European Regional
Development Fund
3. Support for education: European Social Fund
4. Timeline going forward
2
"Structural and Investment Funds"
2014-2020 - a package of funds
A single package comprising:
1. European Social Fund (ESF)
2. European Regional Development Fund
(ERDF)
3. European Agricultural and Development Fund
(EARDF)
4. European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF)
5. Cohesion Fund (CF)
3
"Structural and Investment Funds" 20142020 – shared management
EU level
EU LEGISLATIVE PACKAGE (Regulations)
ERDF, ESF, CF, EAFRD, EMFF
National level
PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT
ERDF, ESF, CF, EAFRD, EMFF
Operational Programmes
for ERDF
Rural development
programmes (EAFRD)
Operational Programmes
for (EMFF)
Operational Programmes
for ESF
National or
regional level
Operational Programmes
for CF
Multifund Operational
Programmes for ERDF,
ESF, CF
4
"Structural and Investment Funds"
2014-2020 – key principles
Principles guiding design of new funds:
• Align EU cohesion policy more closely to the
Europe 2020 strategy
• Geographical concentration in less developed
regions (as now)
• Increased thematic concentration in individual
programmes on limited number of priorities
• Investments part of broader, well-founded
strategies (ex-ante conditionality)
• Simplify implementation and improve links with
other EU programmes
5
"Structural and
Investment
Funds" 20142020 – where?
• Less developed regions
(GDP per capita < 75% of
EU average)
• Transition regions (GDP
per capita between 75%
and 90%)
• More developed regions
(GDP per capita > 90%)
6
Budget
Initial
Commission
Proposal (billion
EUR)
Revised
Commission
breakdown (billion
EUR) – April 2013
Less developed regions
162.6
164.3
Transition regions
39.0
31.7
More developed regions
53.1
49.5
Territorial Cooperation
11.7
8.95
Cohesion Fund
68.7
66.4
Extra allocation for outermost and
northern regions
0.9
1.39
-
3
336.0
325.2
Youth Employment Initiative (Top-up)
TOTAL
7
11 Thematic Objectives
R&D target
 1. Research & innovation
2.
3.
Climate
change/energy
target
Employment
target
(with links to Europe 2020)
4.
5.
6.
7.
Information and communication technologies (ICT)
Competitiveness of Small and Medium-sized
Enterprises (SMEs)
Shift towards a low-carbon economy
Climate change adaptation & risk prevention and
management
Environmental protection & resource efficiency
Sustainable transport & removing bottlenecks in key
network infrastructures
 8. Employment & supporting labour mobility
Poverty target
 9. Social inclusion & combating poverty
Education
target
 10. Education, skills & lifelong learning
11. Institutional capacity building & efficient public8
administrations
Thematic Objective on innovation (1)
• Enhancing research and innovation infrastructure and
capacities to develop R&I excellence and promoting
centres of competence, in particular those of European
interest.
• Promoting business R&I investment, product and service
development, technology transfer, social innovation and
public service application, demand simulation, networking,
clusters and open innovation through "smart
specialisation".
• Supporting technological and applied research, pilot lines,
early product validation actions, advanced manufacturing
capabilities and first production in Key Enabling
Technologies and diffusion of general purpose technologies.
9
Thematic Objective on innovation (2)
Example activities with HEI involvement:
• Building / upgrading infrastructures & equipment
• R&I projects for turning knowledge into new products,
processes and services (e.g. incubators)
• Participation to networks and clusters
• Services provided to HEIs: advice IPR (patenting)
• Services provided by HEIs: training, consultancy,
• Incoming & outgoing mobility fellowship schemes, inside /
outside the region
• Placement of HE graduates in businesses
10
Thematic Objective Education, skills
and lifelong learning (1)
Specific Investment priority on HE:
• "Improving the quality, efficiency and openness
of tertiary and equivalent education with a view
to increasing participation and attainment levels"
(ESF)
• Investment in education infrastructure (ERDF)
11
Thematic Objective Education, skills
and lifelong learning (2)
Example activities with HEI involvement:
• Measures to increase participation from underrepresented groups
• Measures aimed at improving the quality and relevance
of higher education provision and graduates' transition
to the labour market
• Infrastructure necessary for the above…
• Possibility for actions to complement Erasmus for All: in
particular roll-out of Key Action 2 projects
12
Youth Employment Initiative
• Supports measures set out in the Youth Employment
Package: in particular the Youth Guarantee
• Builds on Youth Opportunities Initiative
• EUR 6 billion for 2014-2020 - open to NUTS2 regions with
levels of youth unemployment above 25% in 2012
• Can be used to support graduate employment schemes
13
Timeline going forward
What?
When?
Informal discussions on priorities (draft Partnership
Agreements)
On-going now
Final adoption of EU-level legislative package
(Common Provisions Regulation + fund Regulations)
September
2013
Member States submit Partnership Agreements
October 2013
Member States submit Operational Programmes
November
2013
Final adoption of Partnership Agreements
(Commission Decision on relevant parts)
End 2013
Final adoption of Operational Programmes
(Commission Decision on relevant parts)
First half 2014
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