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What is ERDF?

The European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) was set up in 1975 to stimulate economic development in less prosperous regions of the European Union (EU).

As EU membership has grown, ERDF has developed into a major instrument for helping to redress regional imbalances.

South East ERDF Competitiveness Programme 2007 -13

The RDAs have taken over administration of the 2007-13 programmes from the regional Government Offices (GOs). This gives SEEDA responsibility within the region for setting priorities with local partners and ensuring programmes and their objectives are implemented effectively.

Under the new EU Structural Funds Regulations, all UK regions developed ERDF Operational Programmes, setting out their detailed plans for spending for the period 2007-2013.

Each programme had to align with the EU’s Community Strategic Guidelines, which incorporate the provisions of the revised Lisbon Strategy for Competitiveness and Jobs, the priorities of the National Strategic Reference Framework (see below), and regional economic priorities as articulated (primarily) through the Regional Economic Strategy (RES).

The ERDF policy priorities set out by the Government in its National Strategic Reference Framework include innovation and knowledge transfer, enterprise, sustainable development, production and consumption, and building sustainable communities.

SEEDA and the Government Office for the South East (GOSE), along with regional partners, were engaged in developing the South East of England Competitiveness Operational Programme.

The programme consultation period ended on 30 May 2007, the draft was submitted to the European Commission and deemed admissible. The South East Operational Programme (OP) was the first of the English region’s to be approved on 6th December 2007.

The programme has the key aim to:

‘Promote competitiveness in South East England whilst contributing to reducing the region’s ecological footprint’

In order to achieve this aim, the programme has three objectives:

• To raise levels of knowledge and innovation across all business sectors in order to support more resource efficient business practices, boosting profitability and long term competitiveness
• To stimulate innovation and job creation in new and emerging ecologically-driven market sectors
• To reduce the rate of growth of the region’s ecological footprint whilst stimulating economic growth

The programme consists of two priority axes:

• Promoting sustainable production and consumption
• Technical assistance
  

The programme has an ERDF allocation of approximately £15.2 million and once matched will have a total programme value of over £30 million.

• Final approved Operational Programme
• Summary of the Operational Programme
  

Useful links:

• Strategic Environmental Assessment
• National Strategic Reference Framework
• Structural Fund Regulations Published by the European Commission
• The Community Strategic Guidelines on Cohesion 2007-2013
• Lisbon Agenda
• European Regional Development Fund National website
  

Please contact ERDFenquiries@seeda.co.uk for any further information, alternatively you can call Nimalini Perera, European Programmes Team, SEEDA on 00 44 (0)1483 501 310.