Cohesion Policy and Lisbon

<img src="http://www.eprc.strath.ac.uk/news/lisbon.jpg" border="0" align="left At a European Commission seminar held in Brussels on 15 March 2006, John Bachtler outlined the challenges for planning EU Structural Funds programmes in the 2007-2013 period. Drawing on EPRC research on the National Strategic Reference Frameworks across the EU, he discussed the different policy and institutional contexts among the Member States and the possible objectives/priorities for the future Operational Programmes. The seminar was organised for geographical desk officers from DG REGIO, DG EMPL and DG ENTR to discuss how Cohesion policy could address the economic modernisation (Lisbon) agenda of 'growth and jobs', and was addressed by the directors-general of the three DGs.