The European Union’s regional policy covers financial support to countries and regions for their implementation of projects whose objective is to strengthen economic, social, and territorial cohesion, with a special emphasis on: (1) increasing economic and social cohesion by reducing gaps between the EU regions; (2) increasing regional competitiveness with the view to ensuring the Union’s global competitiveness; and (3) European territorial cooperation aimed at promoting cooperation between EU regions.

This Chapter contains framework regulations that define rules for the preparation and granting of operational programmes whose implementation is funded from the European Structural and Investment funds, i.e. the European Regional Development Fund and the European Social Fund and – for some countries – the Cohesion Fund, bearing in mind the territorial organisation of each country.

In 2007-2013, the EU Member States had access to around 338.8 million EUR from these three funds. These funds will become available to Montenegro following accession.