Objective 1

The Objective 1i Programme operates within areas of most need and supports the development of regions that are significantly falling behind the rest of Europe. For the 2000-2006 programming period, the European Union has designated Merseyside as an Objective 1 area and allocated approximately £840m of funding to the area. The Programme is delivered through 4 priorityi areas:

Priority 1: Developing Business

  • The focus of this Priority is on business and competitiveness. The aim is to improve the economy of Merseyside and the wealth generation activity of its residents through the creation of a competitive, knowledge driven economy, focused on entrepreneurship, business competitiveness, and world-class management skills. Actions will be explicitly targeted towards companies having the capacity to expand and develop, and towards identified growth sectors within the Merseyside economy and new business generation

Priority 2: Developing People

  • This Priority aims to develop the existing and potential workforce in Merseyside through lifelong learning, job creation and entrepreneurship, particularly by developing the skills and activities people require to start up small businesses and positive action to increase female participation in and facilitate equal access to the labour market

Priority 3: Developing Locations

  • The focus of Priority 3 is to concentrate Structural Fundsi investment in defined geographic areas that demonstrate the greatest potential to generate economic and employment growth. Transport links and strategic spatial development will be equally weighted with marketing activities and improving the attractiveness of certain areas in the region

Priority 4 : Developing Pathways Communities

  • Priority 4 consists of a package of measures to regenerate defined areas of greatest need (Pathways Communities) to reduce social and economic disparities between them and the rest of Merseyside and build sustainable communities. These measures will include support for lifelong learning for people in work, support for self-employment and local job creation initiatives and actions to integrate socially excluded groups into the labour market

As you may be aware, the Structural Funds are being prepared for the new Programme (2007 – 2013). Objectives 1, 2 and 3 will be changing into the new objectives, namely:
Convergence
Competitiveness
Co-operation
For more information on these new changes please refer to the Post 2006 section of our website (under European funds).