Structural Funds Annual Report 1997
The European Commission has recently adopted the 9th Annual Report on the Structural Funds (1997). The special focus of this year's report is on the ways in which assistance from the Structural Funds can help small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), following the two previous reports which concentrated on the environmental aspects of assistance (1995) and on support for the technological development of the regions (1996). Rather than presenting exhaustive information, as in previous years, this year's report concentrates on the main activities and features of Structural Funds programming during 1997. Chapter 1 is devoted to the major events of 1997, with particular regard to preparing the future of the policy to promote economic and social cohesion, and is divided into the following sections: - Initial guidelines for further economic and social cohesion; - Changes in fund financing approach; - Development of thematic priorities for cohesion. The other chapters of the report deal with the following: - Implementation of programming in the Member States covering general presentation by objective and a country by country survey detailing the major achievements; - Evaluation and analysis of the impact of the Structural Funds; - Budget implementation, financial checks and verification of additionality; - Coordination with other financial instruments; - Compatibility and complementarity with the other Community policies; - Inter-institutional dialogue with the economic and social partners, information and communication.