STRUCTURAL FUNDS SURVEY
The Future Funds team invites you to participate in a survey being carried out by Scottish Government on the 2014 -2020 European Structural Funds programmes.
You will no doubt be aware that the European Commission is keen on promoting alignment and integration between the four funds covered by the Common Strategic Framework. This includes Structural Funds as well as the European Agriculture Fund for Rural Development and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund. We are working with colleagues across Government and stakeholders to develop the UK Partnership Agreement which will outline how the funds collectively will contribute to the thematic objectives. Some of you are already involved in this work. Through the Partnership Agreement we can assess what each of the funds is doing and where possible complement activity across the funds.
As well as the work on the Partnership Agreement, there is also work underway on each of the individual funds – Structural Funds, European Agriculture Fund for Rural Development and the European Maritime and Fisheries Funds, and many of you will be involved in these ongoing discussions.
This survey concentrates solely on Structural Funds but given the work on alignment and integration we are keen to get the views from stakeholders in all sectors – including rural and fisheries and we would encourage you to share this survey with others that you think may have an interest in Structural Funds and how they could contribute towards growth and employment in their sector.
For all of the funds the European Commission has proposed greater concentration around fewer priorities. With less funding expected, the challenge is to identify the priorities that will make the biggest difference towards delivering economic growth.
This survey seeks your views on what the priorities should be in the new programme for Structural Funds and we would strongly encourage you to take this opportunity to express your views as information from this survey will form the basis of programme development.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Respond to the Survey HERE
Deadline to Respond : Friday 7 September 2012
August 17, 2012 at 10:18 am
As the European Commission strongly encouraged, in its 2011 communication, the use of the structural funds to support the development of high quality Early Childhood Education and Care for all children, inclusion of this as one of the thematic objectives would be welcome. As well as being a key instrument in moving towards a preventative approach in public spending, it also contributes to achieving many of the other objectives of the structural funds in terms of creating employment, improving education and skills, and reducing poverty and social exclusion.