Structural Funds

The Structural Funds are the instrument used to finance European regional policy and consist of around one-third of the EU budget. For the current 2007-2013 funding period, three objectives have been defined: convergence, regional competitiveness and employment, and territorial cooperation.

In the current funding period, two Structural Funds are being implemented, the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the European Social Fund (ESF). The ERDF supports less-developed regions and those with structural problems.

The ERDF can be used to finance, for example, infrastructure projects, productive investments to create jobs in small and medium-sized enterprises, in the field of research and technological development, and measures to protect the environment.
The ESF focuses on employment. It supports various initiatives, including the reintegration of the unemployed into the labour market, training to enhance access to employment and promotes the social inclusion of disadvantaged groups.

Sustainable development is a central aspect of the Structural Funds, particularly the promotion of efficient energy use and the use of renewable energy sources. The importance of this aspect was emphasised by the decision of the European Parliament to invest up to a maximum of 4 % of the available resources from the Structural Funds in energy efficiency and renewable energy in housing.

Since it was founded in 1991, B.&S.U. mbH has been managing funding programmes financed by the Structural Funds in the fields of the environment and innovation.