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EU Competition policy encourages companies to offer consumers goods and services on the most favourable terms. It drives efficiency, fosters innovation, and reduces prices, ensuring a vibrant market that benefits businesses and consumers alike.

For competition to thrive, companies must act independently of one another while responding to competitive pressures. This independence is essential to avoid practices that distort the market, such as cartels, abuse of dominant positions, or unfair mergers that harm smaller competitors.

The EU Competition Policy is built on three main pillars:
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  1. Antitrust: Enforcing rules that prohibit agreements or practices that restrict free trade and competition between companies, such as price-fixing or market-sharing agreements.
  2. Merger Control: Monitoring and assessing mergers or acquisitions to prevent market dominance that could harm competition and consumer choice.
  3. State Aid Control: Ensuring that government support to businesses does not distort competition or create unfair advantages in the single market.

By promoting these principles, the EU safeguards a level playing field where companies can grow and innovate, and consumers can benefit from greater choice and better prices. Our platform offers in-depth resources to understand these policies and their implications, providing a space to analyze, discuss, and navigate this vital policy area.
Antitrust & Cartels
Mergers
State Aid
Digital Markets Act
Foreign Subsidies
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ERDF: The European territorial Cooperation (INTERREG)

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INTERREG (INTERREGional Cooperation goal) is the EU’s tool for fostering cooperation across regions and countries. It funds collaborative projects involving EU Member States, their outermost regions, EU acceding countries, and neighboring countries.

Interreg is financed by ERDF. The ERDF resources for Interreg programmes shall amount to € 8.050 billion 2018 prices of the global resources available for budgetary commitment from the ERDF, ESF+ and the Cohesion Fund for the 2021-2027 programming period and set out in Article 109(1) of Regulation (EU) 2021/1060.

Key Objectives for 2021-2027

  1. Cross-Border Mobility and Services: Support for environmental protection, emergency services, skilled job creation, and access to public services.
  2. Better Cooperation Governance: Enhancing governance structures for improved territorial cooperation.
  3. A Safer, More Secure Europe: Addressing security and safety challenges across regions.

Types of Cooperation

  • Cross-Border Cooperation: Along all EU land and maritime borders.
  • Transnational Cooperation: Including macro-regional strategies and sea basin initiatives.
  • Interregional Cooperation: Facilitating network building and experience sharing among regions.

Global Impact

  • Interreg NEXT: Partners with Eastern and Southern Neighbourhood countries.
  • Interreg Outermost Regions: Strengthens relations between the EU's remote regions and their neighbors.
  • Interreg IPA: Enhances cooperation between Member States, Western Balkan countries, and Turkey, helping acceding countries manage programs like Member States.

Post-2020 Simplifications

  • Simplified Rules: Clearer, shorter, and fewer regulations.
  • Reduced Red Tape: Easier access for businesses and organizations.
  • Streamlined Implementation: More efficient program execution.

Focus on Green and Digital Recovery: Interreg supports a green and digital recovery from the coronavirus pandemic, aiming for sustainable growth and competitiveness while ensuring inclusivity.

ERDF: Specific Territorial Characteristics

The ERDF also gives particular attention to specific territorial characteristics. ERDF action is designed to reduce economic, environmental and social problems in urban areas, with a special focus on sustainable urban development.

At least 8 % of the ERDF resources are set aside for this field through territorial or local development strategies, i.e. Integrated Territorial Investment (ITI), Community-led Local Development (CLLD) but also tools supporting similar initiatives designed by Member States.

Areas that are naturally disadvantaged from a geographical viewpoint (remote, islands, mountainous or sparsely populated areas) benefit from special treatment and Member States can set out integrated approaches and dedicate funds to these areas.

The outermost regions of the EU also benefit from specific assistance from the ERDF to address disadvantages due to their remoteness.

Structural and investment funds for regional and urban development projects

List of EU financial instruments for regional and urbandevelopment: