Relationship between Structural Funds and Economic Indicators of the European Union

Economic and social cohesion is one of the economic objectives of the European Union (EU). Therefore it is important to analyse the influence of the European Union policies on the cohesion. The common market itself is not able to solve the economic and social problems that are relevant for the EU countries. The EU structural funds should encourage the employment and development of the region. The cohesion policy provides the possibility to finance various activities in order to promote economic growth in the European Union Member States. The convergence, regional competitiveness, employment and European territorial cooperation are the three main objectives of the current EU development aims. The cohesion policy can be helpful instrument for achieving economic convergence. The EU investments are meant to support the innovations as well as education and training in urban and rural areas, create sustainable high-quality jobs in order to reduce the unemployment and pursue low-carbon economy. In summary, the funds should lead to economic growth. This article presents the analysis of the relationship between the structural support and economic indicators of the EU. The research methods used in the article include the analysis of literature and statistical data, and correlation analysis. The analysis showed that correlation between main economic indicators and the funds is not significant and it may show the insufficient use of the support.