By European Commission, 2012

Europe needs to put its economy back on a sustainable growth path. This requires a combination of budgetary consolidation, structural reforms, and environmentally sustainable growth-enhancing investments.

The Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) assigns clear objectives to these instruments. The Commission considers that they can be more effectively pursued if the five Funds are better coordinated to avoid overlaps and maximise synergies, integrated fully into the economic governance of the European Union, and contribute to the delivery of Europe 2020 by engaging national, regional and local stakeholders.

In order to facilitate the development of Partnership Contracts and programmes, the proposal foresees the adoption of a Common Strategic Framework (CSF). The CSF should increase coherence between policy commitments made in the context of Europe 2020 and investment on the ground. It should encourage integration by setting out how the funds can work together. It will provide a source of strategic direction to be translated by Member States and regions into the programming of the CSF Funds in the context of their specific needs, opportunities and challenges.

Attachments:

Common Strategic Framework Part 1	[ ]
Common Strategic Framework Part 2	[ ]