Horizontal priorities

Horizontal priorities are key to the development of society and run across all areas and operational programmes. They should also be respected by all applicants for public funding. In the 2007-2013 programming period, the programmes and projects have to observe the two horizontal priorities of economic and social cohesion policy: equal opportunities and sustainable development. The European Union considers these two topics to be its fundamental policies and principles and, as such, tries to promote them through the structural funds and Cohesion Fund. For this reason, projects that have a negative impact on the environment or could lead to the deterioration of the position of disadvantaged groups must not be supported.