ERDF action is designed to reduce economic, environmental and social problems in urban areas, with a special focus on sustainable urban development. It focuses its investment on several key priority areas – Innovation and research; the digital agenda; support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs); and the low-carbon economy.
Together with the Cohesion Fund (CF), the ERDF will finance Malta’s Operational Programme I: ‘Fostering a competitive and sustainable economy to meet our challenges’. This programme aims to strengthen the productivity of enterprises, boost research and innovation, enable the shift towards a more low-carbon and environmentally-friendly society, foster health and social development and increase education attainment in line with Malta’s ambition to contribute towards the Europe 2020 targets for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth.
ERDF will also address the needs, imbalances and bottlenecks which have been identified in the relevant Country Specific Recommendations, Malta’s National Reform Programme, the SWOT analysis portrayed in the Partnership Agreement with the European Commission, as well as other pertinent national strategies.
The Managing Authority responsible for the above mentioned funds is the Planning and Priorities Coordination Division (PPCD).