Scientific Collection «InterConf», (39): with the Proceedings of the 8th International Scientific and Practical Conference «Science and Practice: Implementation to Modern Society» (December 26-28, 2020) at Manchester, Great Britain

LEGAL INSTRUMENTS OF SUPPORT FOR STRENGTHENING 
COHESION OF REGIONS OF THE EUROPEAN UNION DURING
THE ECONOMIC CRISIS 
The aim of this contribution is to approximate the latest (selected) relevant legal 
instruments of support the use of European Structural and Investment Funds, leading 
to strengthening the economic, social and territorial cohesion of regions of the 
European Union during the economic crisis, caused by the COVID-19 pandemic 
(hereinafter in text referred to as "pandemic").
In accordance with the third sentence of Article 174 of the Treaty on the 
Functioning of the European Union [1], to support the wholly harmonious development 
of the European Union is in the framework of concerned regions special attention needs 
devote to rural regions, regions affected by changes in the industry and regions 
seriously and permanently disadvantaged by natural and demographic conditions, such 
as the northernmost regions with a very low population density, island, cross-border 
and mountain regions.
On the basis of the above mentioned, it should be noted at this place that the 
essential presumption for the adoption of functional and effective legislation at 
supranational level is, in its essence, the reduction of disparities between the levels of 
development of the regions and backwardness in the most disadvantaged regions 
within the European Economic Area.
A specific sphere is, especially in economic contexts, the development of the so-
called border regions in the framework of the individual Member States of the 
European Union. One of the feasible and (necessarily) needed manners to increase 

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economic potential so to speak the most affected regions of the European Union, may 
be cooperation of certain, respectively geographically specific regions, as at the 
internal borders of the Member States of the European Union, so cooperation with 
regions directly neighboring with the Member States of the European Union.
However, the Member States of the European Union were affected in an 
unprecedented manner earlier this year by the consequences of the pandemic. The 
current crisis in the field of public health so to speak braked the growth in the Member 
States of the European Union. It makes it worse the serious liquidity shortages due to 
the sudden and significant increase in public investment needed in their healthcare 
systems and other sectors of their economies. That has caused an exceptional situation, 
which needs to be addressed through specific measures [2]. 
In order of solving the consequences of the crisis in the sphere of public health, 
there has been a change of Regulation on the European Regional Development Fund 
and on specific provisions, concerning the Investment for growth and jobs goal [3] and 
Regulation, laying down common provisions on the ERDF, the European Social Fund 
(hereinafter in text referred to as "ESF"), the Cohesion Fund (hereinafter in text 
referred to as "CF"), the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development 
(hereinafter in text referred to as "EAFRD") and the European Maritime and Fisheries 
Fund (hereinafter in text referred to as "EMFF"), and laying down general provisions 
on the ERDF, the ESF, the CF and the EMFF [4]. 
This change has occurred on the basis of the Regulation No. 2020/460, as regards 
specific measures to mobilize investments in the healthcare systems of Member States 
of the European Union and in other sectors of their economies in response to the 
pandemic [5]. The central intention is to allow more flexibility in the implementation 
of programs supported by the ERDF, ESF, CF and EMFF. In order to contribute to an 
effective response to the current crisis in the field of public health, the scope of ERDF 
support has been significantly expanded [2]. 
The serious negative effects on the economies and societies of the European 
Union are still getting worse. Therefore it´s necessary to provide for the Member States 
of the European Union exceptional additional flexibility, so that they can react to this 

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unprecedented crisis in the field of public health. This is in particular by strengthening 
the possibility of mobilizing any non-utilized support from the (above mentioned) 
Funds. In order to reduce the burden on public budgets responding to the crisis in the 
field of public health, the Member States of the European Union should given an 
exceptional possibility to request a co-financing rate for cohesion policy programs in 
the amount of 100%, which will be used for the financial year 2020 to 2021 in 
accordance with the appropriations and depending on the available funds. Based on an 
assessment of the application of this exceptional co-financing rate, the European 
Commission could propose an extension of this measure [2]. 
In order to ensure support and cohesion in the regions of the European Union, it´s 
accordingly appropriate to consider a proportional increase of contributions of the so-
called richer Member States of the European Union into the budget of the European 
Union. One of the fundamental arguments for "defense" such an attitude is the 
proclaimed withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 
from the European Union. The necessary consequence will be so to speak the loss of 
several billion funds, which were significant (non-negligible) contributed to the total 
amount of available resources for financing projects within the European Economic 
Area.
For purposeful equalizing of regional disparities it´s therefore highly topical, 
especially in the horizon of the period after overcoming the economic crisis caused 
by the pandemic, reassess strategies at the institutional level of the European Union 
bodies with an aim to proposing conceptual (flexible) solutions. The priority should 
be to maintain the optimal setting of a functioning mechanism of budgetary rules 
that will be balanced and (geographically) non-discriminatory. At the same they will 
take into account the (acute) needs of the so-called less developed economies of the 
Member States of the European Union. These are principally those that don't reach 
the average quality of life in the European Union. Some suggestions presented in 
this article are to be understood only in terms of academic opinions and de lege 
ferenda proposals.