2.2.1

ERDF

226,05 billion (including about 9 for territorial cooperation)

Reducing gaps, structural adjustment and cooperation among regions of Europe

DG / Responsible Agencies: REGIO

Overview of Regional Programs

Overview of National Programs

Overview of Territorial Cooperation Programs

Structural funds - special features

The European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) is part of the indirect (or more accurately, shared) management funds, which are co-financed by national budgets and are disbursed to local entities, organizations and businesses through specific programs and calls launched by regional (ROP) and national (NOP) managing authorities. The use of the term “Fund” instead of the term “Program” emphasizes precisely this fundamental distinction. ERDF is part of the so-called Structural Funds, along with ESF+, EAFRD, EMFF and the Cohesion Fund

The ERDF shares many aspects (regulations and some aims and operational modalities) with another Fund, the Cohesion Fund . The Cohesion Fund aims to strengthen the EU’s economic, social and territorial cohesion and its sustainable development by providing support to member states with a gross national income per capita of less than 90 percent of the EU average. Italian territories are not eligible to the support provided by the Cohesion Fund, which is intended only for Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Croatia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia and Slovakia. The Cohesion Fund focuses mainly on capital-intensive investments in the environment and transport. Cohesion Fund resources are mainly used to support investment through grants.

Like all Structural Funds, the ERDF has a particular underlying philosophy and management mode. We supply in this section, for completeness and consistency with what has been done for European programs, a discussion of the main features of the ERDF. In addition to this section, our Guide devotes two other separate sections to different elements covered by the ERDF:

a section delves into ROPs and NOPs. , or the Italian (regional and national) Structural Funds programming (including ERDF);
another section delves into the Territorial Cooperation Programs. , which have their own objectives and characteristics but are equally funded by the ERDF.

The Structural Funds, and in particular the ERDF, will work in synergy with new programs, such as InvestEU and the Mechanism for a Just Transition . The operating rules of the Structural Funds will also be applied to other programs, such as the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund .

Potential beneficiaries

Regional public and private entities; EU citizens, public or private organizations and enterprises. Because of its characteristics (see above), ERDF-funded projects are normally more local and “closer to the ground” in nature than community programs. Calls and programs are administered in the language of the Managing Authority and are usually more easily accessible to small organizations.

Description and objectives

The European Regional Development Fund aims to strengthen economic, social and territorial cohesion in the European Union by reducing economic, social and territorial disparities among its regions and supporting the full integration of less developed regions into the EU’s internal market. It thus constitutes, together with the Cohesion Fund, ESF+ and the Just Transition Mechanism, the expression of EU cohesion policy. This main objective is joined in this programming period by the priorities of post-Covid-19 recovery and green and digital transition.

ERDF management has a “local” approach that allows it to follow (while consistent with the EU and national framework) development needs and investment priorities in line with the specific situation of each territory. Because of the amount of funds provided and its specific management arrangements, the ERDF has real macroeconomic significance: its funding can be a major source of public investment in many member states-and a catalyst for further public and private funding. ERDF actions are co-financed by national budgets.

The ERDF pursues all five objectives set for the Structural Funds within this programming period:

A more competitive and smarter Europe (promoting innovative and smart economic transformation and regional connectivity in digital and telecommunications);
A greener and more resilient Europe (transition to a zero-carbon economy, “green” and “blue” investments, circular economy, climate change mitigation and adaptation, risk prevention and management, and sustainable urban mobility);
A more connected Europe (improving infrastructure and mobility);
A more social and inclusive Europe (implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights);
A Europe closer to citizens (promotion of sustainable and integrated development of all types of territories and local initiatives).

Territorial Cooperation programs, also funded by the ERDF, also pursue two additional objectives:

Better governance of cooperation (institutional capacity building, democracy and active citizenship);
A more secure Europe (border crossing, mobility and migration management).

Types of actions and projects

The European Regional Development Fund supports with grants, contracts and financial instruments the investment and implementation of policies, advisory services and studies in a wide range of issues:

Innovation and research, digital transition, small and medium-sized enterprises, environment and zero-carbon economy;
Economic, environmental and social problems in urban areas, with a focus on sustainable urban development;
Cooperation between regions in different member states (under European Territorial Cooperation).

As explained above, the ERDF adopts an indirect (i.e., shared) management mode, in which EU (DG Regio), national (ministries) and regional institutions collaborate in planning and managing the funds. Thus, calls are launched under some 300 specific national, regional and interregional programs.

More information on specific actions funded in our country can therefore be found in the appropriate sections of the Guide: Regional Operational Programs , National Operational Programs e Territorial Cooperation Programs. .

The general criteria for allocation of Structural Funds in Italy are defined in the Partnership Agreement. We reproduce below the allocations of ERDF and ERDF co-financed programs, as provided in the draft Partnership Agreement of December 16, 2021 (you can consult here the draft and subsequent updates).

GENERAL ALLOCATION BY THEMATIC OBJECTIVE

1.	A Smarter Europe	9.197million
1.I.	Research and innovation
1.II.	Digitization
1.III.	Growth and competitiveness of SMEs
1.IV.	Skills for industrial transition
1.V.	Strengthening digital connectivity

2.	A Greener Europe	8.471million
2.I-II-III.	Energy
2.IV.	Climate and risks
2.V-VI.	Water resources, waste management and circular economy
2.VII.	Biodiversity and pollution
2.VIII.	Sustainable urban mobility

3.	A more connected Europe	1.721million
3.I.	TEN-T Networks
3.II.	Wide area mobility

4.	A more social and inclusive Europe	3.316million
4.I.	Employment (in common with ESF+)
4.II.	Education, training and skills (in common with ESF+)
4.III-IV-V.	Social inclusion and social protection (in common with ESF+)
4.VI.	Culture and tourism

5.	A Europe closer to the people	2.211million
5.I-II.	Specific strategies for local spatial development	2.211million

	Additional allocation (Fund for a Just Transition)	1.425million

	Total ERDF	26.341million

POR FESR BY REGION(millions of euros)	Total	ContributionEU	ContributionNational
Abruzzo	681	272	409
Basilicata	775	542	232
Calabria	2.519	1.763	756
Campania	5.535	3.874	1.660
Emilia-Romagna	1.024	410	615
Friuli-Venezia Giulia	366	146	219
Latium	1.817	727	1.090
Liguria	653	261	392
Lombardy	2.000	800	1.200
Brands	732	293	439
Molise	319	224	96
PA Bolzano	247	99	148
PA Trento	181	72	109
Piedmont	1.495	598	897
Apulia	4.427	3.010	1.417
Sardinia	1.581	1.107	474
Sicily	5.859	4.101	1.758
Tuscany	1.229	492	737
Umbria	524	209	314
Aosta Valley	92	37	55
Veneto	1.031	413	619

PON (millions of euros)	TOTAL	ERDF	ESF+	More	Contr. Naz.
School and skills	3.781	551	1.463	–	1.767
Innovation, research, competitiveness for transition and digitalization	5.636	3.573	–	–	2.063
Security and legality	1.208	725	–	–	483
Inclusion and poverty alleviation	4.080	327	1.817	–	1.936
Young women and work	5.089	–	2.683	–	2.406
METRO plus and average cities South	3.003	982	608	–	1.413
Culture	648	389	–	–	259
Capacity for cohesion	1.267	570	47	–	650
Fund for a just transition	1.211	–	–	1.030	182
FEAMPA	987	–	–	518	469

Highlights

The new ERDF (and in general, Structural Funds) programming includes a simplification of the thematic objectives, reduced from the 11 of the previous programming to the 5 mentioned above. Simplification has also affected the procedures and standards . The rule of automatic decommitment of funds three years after the fiscal year (the so-called N+3 rule) was retained. Policy priorities have been updated to include, for example, a greater focus on goals related to the green, climate and digital transition. More flexibility is provided during reprogramming and mid-term review. Co-financing rates have been reduced and adjusted for different types of regions.