NDP/CSF Information Office
15 lower Hatch Street, Dublin 2, Ireland.
Tel +353 1 639 6280 LoCall 1890230030
Fax +353 1 6396281 Email csinfo@csfunits.irlgov.ie
Website www.ndp.ie
www.eustructuralfunds.ie
Funded by the Irish Government and part-financed by the
European Union under the National Development Plan 2000-2006.
Printed on environmentally friendly paper.
Design
roomthree.com
EU Structural & Cohesion
Funds in Ireland
EU Structural & Cohesion Funds in Ireland
EU STRUCTURAL FUNDS
The Structural Funds were created to help those
regions, within the European Union , whose devel-
opment is lagging behind. The aim is to reduce the
differences between regions and create a better
economic and social balance within and between
Member States.
Structural Funds are allocated to Member States
following the submission of a plan to the European
Commission. The plan outlines the social and
economic situation in the region, and the priorities
and strategy for use of Structural Funds and
details the financial resources of Member States.
Accessible Transport
Research, Technological Development and Innovation
Youghal Bypass
The Three Priority Objectives
Regions are classified for financial support
depending on the economic difficulties that they
encounter. There are three different groups, called
Objectives that receive financial support from the
Structural Funds. The most significant Objective in
terms of resources allocated is Objective 1.
Objective 1
Helping regions to catch up if their development is
lagging behind, i.e. providing them with the basic
infrastructure or encouraging investments in
business economic activity. (These regions GDP
per capita is 75% or less than the EU average).
Objective 2
Supporting economic and social conversion in
industrial, rural, urban or fisheries-dependent
areas facing structural difficulties.
Objective 3
Modernising systems of training and promoting
employment.
Measures financed by Objective 3 cover the whole
Union except for the Objective 1 regions where
measures for training an