PART III: THE POLICIES AND FUNCTIONING OF THE UNION
TITLE III - INTERNAL POLICIES AND ACTION
CHAPTER III - POLICIES IN OTHER AREAS
SECTION 3 - ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND TERRITORIAL COHESION
ARTICLE III-220
In order to promote its overall harmonious development, the Union shall develop
and pursue its action leading to the strengthening of its economic, social and
territorial cohesion. In particular, the Union shall aim at reducing disparities
between the levels of development of the various regions and the backwardness
of the least favoured regions.
Among the regions concerned, particular attention shall be paid to rural areas, areas affected by industrial transition, and regions which suffer from severe and permanent natural or demographic handicaps such as the northernmost regions with very low population density and island, cross-border and mountain regions.
ARTICLE III-221
Member States shall conduct their economic policies and shall coordinate them
in such a way as, in addition, to attain the objectives set out in Article III-220.
The formulation and implementation of the Union's policies and action and the
implementation of the internal market shall take into account those objectives
and shall contribute to their achievement. The Union shall also support the
achievement of these objectives by the action it takes through the Structural
Funds (European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund, Guidance Section;
European Social Fund; European Regional Development Fund), the European Investment
Bank and the other existing financial instruments.
The Commission shall submit a report to the European Parliament, the Council, the Committee of the Regions and the Economic and Social Committee every three years on the progress made towards achieving economic, social and territorial cohesion and on the manner in which the various means provided for in this Article have contributed to it. This report shall, if necessary, be accompanied by appropriate proposals.
European laws or framework laws may establish any specific measure outside the Funds, without prejudice to measures adopted within the framework of the Union's other policies. They shall be adopted after consultation of the Committee of the Regions and the Economic and Social Committee.
ARTICLE III-222
The European Regional Development Fund is intended to help to redress the main
regional imbalances in the Union through participation in the development and
structural adjustment of regions whose development is lagging behind and in
the conversion of declining industrial regions.
ARTICLE III-223
1. Without prejudice to Article III-224, European laws shall define the tasks,
the priority objectives and the organisation of the Structural Funds, which
may involve grouping the Funds, the general rules applicable to them and the
provisions necessary to ensure their effectiveness and the coordination of the
Funds with one another and with the other existing financial instruments.
A Cohesion Fund set up by a European law shall provide a financial contribution to projects in the fields of environment and trans-European networks in the area of transport infrastructure.
In all cases, such European laws shall be adopted after consultation of the Committee of the Regions and the Economic and Social Committee.
2. The first provisions on the Structural Funds and the Cohesion Fund to be adopted following those in force on the date on which the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe is signed shall be established by a European law of the Council. The Council shall act unanimously after obtaining the consent of the European Parliament.
ARTICLE III-224
European laws shall establish implementing measures relating to the European
Regional Development Fund. Such laws shall be adopted after consultation of
the Committee of the Regions and the Economic and Social Committee.
With regard to the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund, Guidance Section, and the European Social Fund, Articles III-231 and III-219(3) respectively shall apply.