Objectives
For the programming period 2000-2006, the European Commission set out three objectives, which were supported by the EU funds.
Objective 1 - Support for the development of lagging regions
Regions with a GDP below 75% of EU average use to promote the sustainable development especially through investment in production. The objective was achieved with the support of financing from all four Structural Funds.
Objective 2 - Support for areas facing structural difficulties
It was focused on areas that do not fall under Objective 1 and have long exhibited a high level of unemployment, crime, poor level of education or the environment. Objective 2 was fulfilled by the ERDF, ESF and FIFG.
Objective 3 - Support for education and employment policy
Its intention was to reduce unemployment through retraining, education and training. The only fund,the financing of which was used to achieve Objective 3, was ESF.
These objectives were implemented in the Czech Republic through operational programmes.
OPERATIONAL PROGRAMMES 2004-2006
The Czech Republic drew in the period 2004-2006 from four sectoral operational programs and one regional - Common Regional Operational Programme (CROP).
Common Regional Operational Programme is complemented with the operational programs of individual sectors and the Cohesion Fund to expand their impact on the local level and focused on the joint development needs of the regions. SROP final report including annexes is available for download here (only in Czech).
Operational Programme Infrastructure supported the modernization and development of transport infrastructure of national importance and reducing negative impacts of transport on the environment. It was also aimed at environmental protection and its components (water, air and climate, waste management), nature and landscape protection and the removal of old environmental burdens. The final report of the OP Infrastructure including annexes is available for download here (only in Czech).
Operational Programme Rural Development and Multifunctional Agriculture supported the development of rural parts of regions, the adaptation of Czech agriculture to the European model, the development of multifunctional agriculture, the streamlining of the multifunctional role of forests and the development of water management. Final report of the OP Rural Development and Multifunctional Agriculture including annexes is available for download here (only in Czech).
Operational Programme Human Resources Development supported the high level and quality of employment based on qualified and flexible labour force, including the integration of groups at risk of social exclusion, equal opportunities for men and women, the development of lifelong learning and adaptability of employees and employers to changes in economic and technological conditions. Final Report on Human Resources Development OP, including annexes, is available for download here (only in Czech).
Operational Programme Industry and Enterprise supported the development of business environment, entrepreneurship in industry and industrial services, increase in the competitiveness of Czech industrial production, research and development in industry and development, and increasing the efficiency of energy. The overall evaluation of results and impacts of the Operational Programme Industry and Enterprise is available for download here (only in Czech).
Summary of operational programmes and their links to relevant structural funds
Data are in %; in parentheses there are ministries, in the competence of which were the Managing Authorities of individual OPs.
| OP name | OP | ERDF | ESF | EAGGF | FIFG |
|---|
| OP Industry and Enterprise (MIT) | 17.94 | 17.94 | | | |
| OP Infrastructure (MoE) | 16.94 | 16.94 | | | |
| OP Human Resources Development (MLSA) | 21.92 | | 21.92 | | |
| OP Rural Development and Multifunctional Agriculture (MoA) | 11.96 | | | 11.46 | 0.5 |
| SROP (MRD) | 31.24 | 27.99 | 3.25 | | |
| OP Total | 100 | 62.87 | 25.17 | 11.46 | 0.5 |
Community Initiatives
Community initiatives are special programmes established by the European Commission to address the specific problems affecting the whole EU territory. Thus they complemented other Community programmes or facilitated their implementation.
For the programming period 2000-2006 the number of initiatives was reduced to just four initiatives. It was allocated a total of EUR 10.44 billion. (i.e. 5.35% of the budget of the Structural Funds).
The Interreg III programme is an instrument to overcome the disadvantages of the border location of the area. It is divided into three parts - Part A concerns Cross-border Cooperation, Part B focuses on Transnational Cooperation and part C supports Inter-regional Cooperation.
The main aim of the EQUAL initiative was to promote innovative instruments solving the existing problem areas related to the discrimination and inequality in the labour market.
LEADER + Initiative was aimed at promoting rural development. In the period 2004-2006 it has not been opened as an independent financial source, but its activities have been integrated into the OP Rural Development and Multifunctional Agriculture.
Urban Programme funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) was not in the period 2004-2006 implemented in the Czech Republic, but it was replaced by sub-objectives of the programmes included in the Community Support Framework.
The Structural Funds and the possibility of financial support by the Objectives and Initiatives
| Objective 1 | Support outside Objective 1 regions | Objective 2 | Objective 3 | Interreg III | Urban II | Leader + | Equal |
|---|
| ERDF | x | | x | | x | x | | |
| ESF | x | | x | x | | | | x |
| EAGGF | x | x | | | | | x | |
| FIFG | x | x | | | | | | |