Horizontal Priorities

Implementation of Horizontal Priorities is a compulsory request in order to use EU structural funds. Horizontal priorities were launched to improve present state policy and to solve complex problems threatening society and environment, such as social separation, environment pollution, inequality in regional development etc.

In the strategy for the use of EU structural assistance for 2007-2013 and in the operational programmes of Human Resources Development, Economic Growth, Cohesion Promotion and Technical Support four horizontal priorities are noted: sustainable development, equal opportunities, informational society and regional development. Implementation of first two priorities is obligatory under the regulations of use of EU structural assistance. Two of the last priorities (informational society and regional development) were noted in the programmes of EU structural funds after considering Lithuania’s national needs.

Definition of Horizontal priorities

In the Lithuanian strategy for the use of EU structural assistance for 2007-2013 and it’s operational programmes horizontal priorities are defined as:

-         Sustainable development – combining the goals of economic, social and environmental development by turning attention to their manifold dependence and the foreseen consequences of their implementation.

-         Equal opportunities – assuring equal opportunities for both men and women and repealing any means of discrimination because of ethnic or racial dependency, age, indisposition, sexual orientation, religion or believes.

-         Informational society – a social and economic factor that covers creation of new informational technologies and functions as well as user’s maintenance and competence development.

-         Regional development – decrease of social and economic differences between separate regions of the state

Work group supervising the implementation of Horizontal priorities

Work group for the supervision of the implementation of horizontal priorities in Lithuania was formed on the 15^th of April, 2008. This group is lead by coordinating institution (EU Cohesion Policy and Structural Assistance Coordination Department of the Ministry of Finance). It is formed of representatives of institutions involved in the implementation of Operational Programmes and representatives of social and economic partners.