Drawing Funds from the European Union Essay

Drawing currency from the atomic cast 63an Union display European Union specie atomic number 18 an instrument for implementing its scotch and neighborly cohesion policies whose objective is to eliminate the disparities in development levels amongst the EU fragment states and the relative primitiveness of the most dis rewardd states. The EU cash in hand support shoping for a wide range of vomit ups round toping atomic number 18as such as urban and regional development, role and accessible inclusion. The property excessively cover coarse and countryfied development, maritime developments, trigger and research ventures, and homophileitarian aid. It authority that municipalities, channeles, ministries, non-profit organizations, learning institutions, the transport industry, and research institutions ar suit adequate to apply for the neckcloths. prudence of Funds Funding, the sole purpose of the EU coin, is supervised in consonance with a come out strict r ules to ensure that there is total come across over how to spend the follows in a transpargonnt and greenbackable manner. Twenty-Eight EU commissioners perplex the definitive responsibility of ensuring that beneficiaries engage the funds accordingly. no(prenominal)ethe little, performing checks and annual audits is a responsibility that lies with the national governments. It is because the funds atomic number 18 broadly managed within the beneficiary states. Management of seventy-six percent of the integral EU budget happens in collaboration with state and regional government activity via a system of shared management. whollyotment of FundsThe EU provides funds from five categoriesThe European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).European sociable Fund (ESF). coherency Fund (CF).European Agricultural Fund for clownish Development (EAFRD).The European marine and Fisheries Fund (EMFF). These major funds are referred to as Structural Funds. in that location are opposite f unds that the EU manages directly. These other funds are norm totallyy in the form of grants and contracts. There is a common fallacy that capital from Brussels is in stock(predicate) for salve and for any purpose. Reality check proves it otherwise because grants from the EU are usually made available for load-bearing(a) specific objectives. A big chunk of the funds is non given to beneficiaries directly, but by state and regional authorities who are responsible for transparent management of the funds (Council, 2007). The European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) The aim of the ERDF is strengthening economic and social cohesion in the EU by dint of adjusting imbalances amongst its regions. The ERDF usually centers its attention on around key priority areas known as thematic compactnessLow-carbon economic systemResearch and innovationAssisting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) andThe digital agenda The re seeded playerfulness allocation to the priorities usual ly depends on the category of the region in question. more(prenominal) than than(prenominal) developed regions focalize at least eighty percent of these funds on at least two of these priorities. Transition regions focus is for lux percent of the funds and fifty percent for slight developed regions. Additionally, most of the ERDF resources are directed specifically towards low-carbon economy projects twenty percent for more developed regions, fifteen percent for transition regions and twelve percent for less developed regions. The ERDF also gives special attention to specific territorial attributes. discriminate areas from a geographical point of view, for example, mountainous or sparsely live areas, gain from this special treatment. The European Social Fund (ESF) The most authorised focus of the ESF is improving the job market and study opportunities across particle states of the European Union. Improving the social statuses of vulnerable flock is also an substantia l aim for the fund. The earmarking of more than 80 trillion for investment in human capital in EU constituent states for the finale 2014-2020 attests to it. Other objectives of the fund allow in re learning unemployed people, starting special programmes for the disabled and other disadvantaged groups of citizens. In addition supporting self-employed people who are just starting their businesses, developing employment service institutions and improving the part of education in learning institutions. cohesiveness Fund (CF) The CF is mostly aimed at section states whose Gross National Income (GNI) per inhabitant is less than 90% of that of EUs average. Its main aim is to minimize social and economic disparities and promoting sustainable development. The CF is also subject to the same regulations as the ERDF and ESF via the reciprocal Provisions Regulation. For the programme extent, 2014-2020, the CF concerns states such as the Czechoslovakian Re domain, Croatia, Latvia, Mal ta, Hungary, Slovakia and Slovenia. The CF allocates approximately 63.4 billion to various economic and social welfare projects. The Cohesion Fund is used to fund trans-European transport networks especially those identified as priorities by the EU. The funds finish additionally be used to fund environment-friendly projects. These projects let in those that benefit the environment in terms of re pertlyable energy, supporting an inter-modality, and energy efficiency. If audits reveal that a fragment state has excessive public deficit and they are not taking steps to resolve the situation, the Cohesion Fund can be suspended by a Council Decision. The European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) The EAFRD covers bio-energy, organic farming, forest resources, nourishment safety, sentient universe welfare, plant health and rural development programmes (RDPs). The EU requires its member states to build their RDPs upon not less than six set EU priorities. They includeAdv ancing knowledge transfer and innovation in the uncouth sector, forestry and rural areas.Improving the viability of all types of agri coating, and endorsing innovative farming technologies and sustainable forest management. encourage regimen chain organization, management of risk in agriculture and animal welfare.Protecting and developing ecosystems allied to agriculture and forestry.Shifting towards a low-carbon and climate-conscious economy in the food and agriculture sectors. Each RDP identifies focus areas to set quantified targets for funds needed. Measures to achieve these targets and their individual fund allocations are paramount. RDPs also gets bread and butter from undercover sectors that share the same ideologies. The implementation of funds is monitored and evaluated in detail. European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) The EMFF, formerly European Fisheries Fund (EFF), is used to fund the prevalent Fisheries Policy (CFP). The EMFF gives championship for the l eaning industry and communities in the coastal regions. The CFP endeavors to lease sure that angle and aquaculture are sustainable environmentally, economically and socially. Healthy fish and seafood is also paramount. Though important to maximize catches for business purposes, limits must be put in place. The CFP stipulates that limits should be set such that fish stocks are sustainable in the semipermanent. The CFP allows EU member states access to its waters and fishing grounds. To enhance transparency in reenforcement, the European Transparency Initiative was set up. A central web portal was created to collect and show information from all beneficiaries of EU keep funds received and how the funds are be used. There is also an inventory of EU funding that shows the evaluations do and released by the Evaluation Services of all Twenty-Five EU member states.Applying for Funding in Selected Areas Enterprise small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can obtain funding via g rants, loans and guarantees. It is mostly through pecuniary intermediaries in their member states. Grants usually account for fifty percent of project be. Loan guarantees are given to microcredit organizations for loans of up to 25,000. Non-profit organizations they include non-governmental and civil society organizations. These organizations are eligible for funding as long as they are active in EU policy regions and a strictly non-profit basis (Council, 2007). Young people they are eligible for two types of funding education and training, and youth funding. The former includes study opportunities through Erasmus+, scholarships for high school graduates, and occupational training in other countries. The last mentioned includes co-funding youth projects that encourage civic involvement, charity work and a wider multicultural outlook. Researchers individuals and institutions involved in innovation and research projects are qualified to postulation for the funds. The Europe an Union will provide roughly 80 billion in its quest to fund research. The funding typically takes the form of grants to finance partly a wide range of research and innovation projects. floriculture and fisheries acquiring funds for such projects involves giving a general introduction, presenting financial reports, and giving information on the planned use of the funds. Direct funding is the most important and common type of funding in the EU member states. Cultural and audiovisual sector the main programme in this segment is culture it has three main goals. They include promoting cross-border mobility of people workings in the cultural sector, encouraging circulation of cultural, artistic output, and fostering intercultural dialogue (Evans & Foord, 1999). zip funding is available for a number of sectors including solar and wind energies, bioenergy, renewable energy, clean coal projects and energy efficiency. Funds are also available for Trans-European zero Networks (TEN- E), whose aim is to enhance transportation networks for electricity and gas across the European member states. The structural funds and grants from the European Union Funds start impacted the lives of the citizens of its member states immensely. The standards of living of numerous citizens have come up noticeably due to the array of new employment opportunities created by the funds projects. Some of the projects winner stories are noteworthy and have had a great impact to states and individuals. We will take a look at some(a) examples of projects carried out using the funds so as to take note of their effects to their beneficiaries.ESF in the Czech Republic The Czech Republic is among the less wealthy nations in the European Union member states. According to regulations, Czech could have drawn approximately 26.7 billion from the ESF in the programming period 2007-2013 in order to raise the standards of living of its people. However, the amount received from the ESF for that period is 3.8 billion. Together with national funding, the tally adds up to over 4.4 billion. ESF funds suffice in three activities. The first is advancing education at all levels and enhancing its relevance to the job market. Secondly, the funds are used to enable many people to get employment, especially the disadvantaged. Lastly, they have helped build competitiveness of the Prague region. The Czech Republic is using the funds to do away with obstacles that for one occasion or another, prevent people from getting a job. These people include mothers with upstart children, older people, and the disabled and disadvantaged groups, equal those with little or no professional skills. Many ESF projects across the nation are qualification access to training facilities easier and reducing some practical obstacles to work. Consequently, this is bringing a positive impact by lifting its citizens out of poverty (Fagan, 2005). ESF funding is also helping mitigate the quality of edu cation by scrutinizing standards, employing more capable teachers, and teaching job seekers only the needed skills by employers. Events such as science scrollary film festivals and meetings with top Czech scientists are being used as platforms to encourage students to consider careers in science and technology. solely like other member states, the Czech Republic is struggling with the unemployment crisis. The ESF fund, however, has at rest(p) a long way in helping Czech citizens align jobs attributed to the various employment and educational projects initiated by the funds.Saving Lives EU Funded pubic louse Research Project Physicians mostly wait for several months to assess whether crabmeat treatments that they are administering to their forbearings are actually working. By discovering a new proficiency that quickly reveals a tumor by checking consumption of glucose, an EU-funded project has rock-bottom the delay. This discovery enables doctors to get more precious time to switch to more effective forms of treatment if crucial potentially saving many lives. All genus Cancer treatments do not work in every unhurrieds case. A tumor might reduce rapidly afterward a treatment, yet its assessment is complex. Several therapies may eliminate the cancer without reducing the size of the tumor. A delay in confirmation by a doctor may mean that by the next treatment, the patient may be a lot weaker, and the cancer advanced farther (Eckhouse & Sullivan, 2006). Physicians want to assess immediately if the cancer is affected by a treatment, not just by measuring its size but through metabolic indicators. The EU-funded project, Imaging Lymphoma, has developed such an assessment. The innovation will be important in future cancer treatments as it desexualises it easier for doctors to treat their patients. act Food Waste into Animal Feed The European Union is the source of 18% of food exports worldwide and with it comes a huge chunk of agricultural waste. Th is waste costs farmers and taxpayers money (Kraemer, Wilkinson, Klasing & Homeyer, 2002). An EU-funded research project NOSHAN wants to convert food waste into animal work. The objective of the research is to open up new opportunities for farmers and reducing Europes dependence on animal die hard imports. Additionally, new green jobs in agricultural waste collection and feed manufacturing will be created. The NOSHAN project aims particularly at turning fruits, vegetables and dairy wastes into animal feed, and at low energy costs. The project is expected to purpose its research in 2016, and by that time, the research team will be able to have the take up waste extraction and upgrading techniques. The NOSHAN project presents Europes agricultural sector with a prospect of attaining greater agricultural sustainability. The project has been awarded just under 3 million in the programming period 2007-2013. It brings together a University, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), r esearch institutes and other industries. The NOSHAN project could also reduce the ever-increasing competition between food and feed sectors, both of which require water and land (Wolz, Hubbard, Mllers, Gorton & Buchenrieder, 2012).Revolutionizing the Transport Sector EU-funded researchers have come up with groundbreaking proposals to prevent railway suicides and decrease happy chance of services. If adopted, the proposals could save lives, money and time for railway companies and their passengers. Waiting for a train, and of a sudden the service is called off or delayed indefinitely is something that train passengers have become accustomed to in the long run. Perhaps an accident somebody fell onto the track, or they purposefully stepped in front of the track. The EU-funded project, RESTRAIL, collected and analyse the measures put in place by different EU member states to curb suicides and accidental deaths. The outcome of the research was that proposals that can save a lot o f lives. Decision makers such as station managers or railway companies should have a set of the most efficient mitigation measures for every event. The tests they have conducted have created a toolbox for consultation on the best practices on each country. RESTRAIL guidelines could help reduce direct and indirect costs linked to railway suicides and accidents.ESF Fund in Slovakia Slovakia is one of the fastest increment economies in the EU, but it faces several challenges such as high long-term unemployment levels. Nonetheless, Slovakia plans to increase the countrys employment rate to 72% by 2020. Slovakia has received 1.5 billion ESF funding for the period ended 2007-2013. In crew with national co-funding, they have raised a total of 1.76 billion. A renewal of projects is being supported via the funding. Public employment facilities and services are being improved so as to reach as many slovaks as possible. Since 2007-2011, approximately 24,000 employment opportunities have b een created and around 26,000 people have pitch employment via ESF supported measures. Projects are also being implemented in the form of flood-dependence-programmes that offer up to 4,500 new jobs in 200 villages. ESF funding is helping reform the education system in Slovakia by ensuring that education is tailored to align with the evolving needs of the society. An example is a project that investigates the interests of young people and matches them to career guidance. ESF funded projects are facilitating the establishment of life-long-learning culture that natures skills of the Slovak citizens throughout their lives. For instance, a Slovak packaging company has used ESF funding to facilitate professional training of new skills, such as in quality and environmental standards, do them more adaptable and well equipped for their future careers. The capital of Italy people in Slovakia tend to live in segregated settlements and are more exposed to long-term unemployment compared to the average population, and also live in conditions of poverty. give thanks to ESF funding, social workers and assistants have been employed to work closely with them to help improve their circumstances (Guy & Kovats 2006).Setbacks and Doubts on the efficient use of EU Funds single of the problems with EU funds is that in some cases, the money is allocated to projects that are incomplete necessary nor productive (umpkov, Pavel & Klazar, 2004). For instance, if a village wants to repair sidewalks in its region and would like to use EU funding for it, it is imperative that they form a supporting story. Lets say, expansion of regional tourism. It mover that, in addition to repairing the sidewalk, the money will also be fagged to put up some signs with a map of villages streets, which in the first place is not necessary. Some smart villages can even use the funds to renovate an old library and rename it to the Tourist Information Center, and stow some pamphlets there, in case some tourists do show up. Another predicament is deformation of industrial and consumer environment. When a firm receives funding to build, say, a grocery store, its neighbors who have the similar business plans receive nothing. A further problem is that national ministries of some states like say, Slovakia, are reluctant to delegate control of EU funds to light governance levels. The central governments do not trust the ability of their municipalities and regional authorities to implement the funds timely and effectively. There have been cases where regional authorities have mixed implementation of policies, to say the least. Nevertheless, Slovakia has not been able to create any efficient mechanisms for decision-making and management of public funds (Guy & Kovats, 2006). cobblers last Funds drawn from the European Union have increased employment opportunities, bolstered the education sectors of beneficiaries and led to the growth of economies. Additionally, funding the tra nsport sector, research and innovation projects have led to groundbreaking discoveries in the agricultural, health and transport sectors among others. The number of lives saved and projected to save by some of these discoveries is amazing. Nonetheless, the funding has not been without a few controversies. Some parties have tried to take advantage of corrupt officials to leverage some money for themselves leading to misuse and task of dubious projects. An honest culture should be created to ensure appropriate use of funds. The European Union funding goal is to ensure that beneficiaries spend money in a transparent, accountable manner. It is thus the duty of all beneficiaries to make it a reality.ReferencesCouncil, T. R. D. (2007). European Union Funding.Eckhouse, S., & Sullivan, R. (2006). A survey of public funding of cancer research in the European Union. PLoS Medicine, 3(7), e267.Evans, G., & Foord, J. (1999). European funding of culture promoting common culture or regional growt h?. Cultural Trends, 9(36), 53-87.Fagan, A. (2005). taking stock of civil-society development in post-communist Europe Evidence from the Czech Republic. Democratization, 12(4), 528-547.Guy, W., & Kovats, M. (2006). EU-funded Roma programmes Lessons from Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. London Minority Rights Group International.Kraemer, R. A., Wilkinson, D. G., Klasing, A., & von Homeyer, I. (2002). EU Environmental authorities A Benchmark of Policy Instruments. With a focus on Agriculture, Energy and Transport. Study commissioned by the Belgian Federal Department of the Environment. No. ECOLOGIC, Berlin.umpkov, M., Pavel, J., & Klazar, S. (2004, May). EU funds absorption capacity and effectiveness of their use, with focus on regional level in the Czech Republic. In concourse proceedings of the 12 th NISPAcee Conference.Wolz, A., Hubbard, C., Mllers, J., Gorton, M., & Buchenrieder, G. (2012). Patterns behind rural success stories in the European Union Major lessons of fo rmer enlargements (No. 68). Studies on the agricultural and food sector in Central and Eastern Europe.Source document