The EU Structural Funds

The EU Structural Funds is a pioneering book that provides the first systematic and critical examination of the role of the EU Structural Funds and other financial instruments in European integration. The examination is important because of the substantial sums of money involved and shows that these sums are not necessarily being used effectively or efficiently. Total Structural Fund spending from 1994 to 1999 is to be almost Euro 170 billion and this sum represents around 33 per cent of the Union budget and around 0.4 per cent of the Union gross domestic product. For the years 2000 to 2006 spending of up to Euro 218.4 billion is proposed. The issues raised by Andrew Evans are highly topical because of the challenges to established practice entailed by the introduction of a single currency, the `Euro', and by plans for the future accession of several countries of Central and Eastern Europe to the Union.

Table of Contents:
1: Introduction 1.1 Structural Funds 1.2 Other Financial Instruments 1.3 Complementarity and Additionality 1.4 Operational Framework 1.5 Establishment of the Common Market 1.6 Development of the Common Market 1.7 Cohesion 1.8 Decision-Making Procedures Part One. Structural Funds 2: European Regional Development Fund 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Establishment of the Common Market 2.3 Development of the Common Market 2.4 Cohesion 2.5 Conclusion 3: EAGGF, Guidance Section 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Establishment of the Common Organizations 3.3 Development of the Common Organizations 3.4 Cohesion 3.5 Conclusion 4: European Social Fund 4.1 Introduction 4.2 Establishment of the Common Market 4.3 Development of the Common Market 4.4 Cohesion 4.5 Conclusion Part Two. Other Financial Instruments 5: Sectoral Instruments 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance 5.3 ECSC Assistance 5.4 Trans-European Networks 5.5 Euratom Loans and Guarantees 5.6 Measures Accompanying Reform of the Common Agricultural Policy 5.7 'Other Budgetary Resources' 5.8 Conclusion 6: Horizontal Instruments 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Loans and Guarantees from the European Investment Bank 6.3 Framework Programmes for Research and Technological Development 6.4 Financial Instrument for the Environment 6.5 Cohesion Fund 6.6 Phare 6.7 Other Budgetary Resources 6.8 EFTA Financial Mechanism 6.9 Conclusion Part Three. Procedures 7: Organic Procedures 7.1 Introduction 7.2 Legislation 7.3 Budgetary Provision 7.4 'Soft Law' 7.5 Administrative Decisions 7.6 Contracts 7.7 Committee Work 7.8 Judicial Decision Making 7.9 Conclusion 8: Intergovernmental Procedures 8.1 Introduction 8.2 EMU Resolutions 8.3 Single European Act 8.4 Treaty on European Union 8.5. Accession Acts 8.6 Europe Agreements 8.7 Conclusion 9: Conclusions Bibliography