STRATEGY

The regional development policy is one of the most important and complex EU policy. This status is given by its objective to reduce economic and social disparities between different European regions. It applies to significant areas for development, such as economic growth and the SME sector, transport, agriculture, urban development, environment protection, vocational training, education, gender equality. Conceived as a policy of solidarity at European level, the regional policy is based mainly on financial solidarity, such as redistribution of part of the Community budget achieved through the contribution of the Member States to less prosperous regions and social groups. Regional development policy has a pronounced instrumental character, and by using its solidarity funds (Cohesion Fund, Structural Funds, Solidarity Fund), it contributes to the financing of other sectoral policies - agricultural policy, social policy, environment protection policy.