The European Commission published a background paper on the role of the cohesion policy and its positive results for growth and employment.

Regrouping the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the European Social Fund (ESF) and the Cohesion Fund, the cohesion policy benefits from a budget of 346 billion euro, which represents 35% of the EU budget? 

As part of the essential economic policy package of macro-economic and fiscal stability, structural reforms and growth enhancing measures, EU cohesion policy is making a significant contribution to investments in employment and growth in Europe.

The policy is now delivering significant results. SMEs, business support and innovation for growth are in particular key investment areas in all Member States supported by the Structural Funds, and notably the ERDF. SME and other enterprises benefit from both direct investments into business and from other contracts and services funded through EU cohesion policy.

The future programming period of 2014-2020 will strengthen the coherence of investment priorities with the priorities for structural reforms and the need to promote growth and jobs to make progress towards the Europe 2020 goals.