It is the PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT entered into between Portugal and the European Commission, which brings together the work of five European Structural and Investment Funds - ERDF, Cohesion Fund, ESF, EAFRD and EMFF - which define the programming principles enshrining economic, social and territorial development policy to promote in Portugal, between 2014 and 2020.
These programming principles are in line with Smart, Sustainable and Inclusive Growth, in continuation of the EUROPE 2020 STRATEGY.
Portugal will receive 25 billion euros by 2020, and for that it set the Thematic Objectives for stimulating growth and creating employment, the interventions needed to achieve them and the achievements and results expected from these loans.
Stimulating the production of tradable goods and services; Increasing exports; Transfer of the scientific system results to the productive level; Completion of compulsory schooling up to 18 years; Reduction of early school drop-outs; Integration of people at risk of poverty and combating social exclusion; Promotion of sustainable development, with a view to efficient use of resources; Strengthening territorial cohesion, particularly in cities and low density areas; Rationalization, modernization and capacity building of public administration, are the main objectives of the policies to develop in Portugal 2020.
Another noteworthy factor is the Strategy for Research and Innovation of Portugal for a Smart Specialization in its components NATIONAL eREGIONALS: NORTH | CENTER | LISBON | ALENTEJO | ALGARVE | AZORES | MADEIRA - approved ON December 23th, 2014, which identifies the major smart strategic bets, which are themes with scientific, technological and economic expertise, in which Portugal and its regions hold comparative and competitive advantages or revealed potential to emerge as such. Alignment with these strategies is mandatory in achieving the Portugal 2020's investments in Research, Technological Development and Innovation (OT 1) and other priority cases, such as in the context of support for the competitiveness of SMEs (3 OT).
At the initiative of the Portuguese authorities, the EX ANTE ASSESSMENT OF THE PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT was made, based on an interactive process of reflection that strengthened the scrutiny of the major strategic choices.
