EU funds

Horizontal Priority Equal Opportunities

Adhesion to basic human rights, non-discrimination and equal opportunities are one of the fundamental principles applied in the EU. The issue of equal opportunities is a part of the foundations of the European employment strategy and the European framework strategy for non-discrimination and equal opportunities for all. The Horizontal priority Equal Opportunities (HP EO) will support the combating of discrimination based on gender, race, ethnic origin, religion, faith, health condition, age or sexual orientation.

The goal of horizontal priority is “To ensure equal opportunities for all and prevention of all forms of discrimination”.

Gender equality and non-discrimination is one of the nine principles of assistance of the EU: “From EU perspective and in line with General Regulation, Chapter IV, Title I, nine main principles of EU assistance are to be respected: the principle of complementarity of assistance from the Funds to national actions, the principle of consistency according to which assistance from the Funds shall be consistent with the Community activities, policies and priorities, the principle of coordination between the Funds, the EAFRD, the EFF and interventions of the EIB  and of other existing financing instruments and, the principle of compliance of operations financed from the Funds with the Treaty and further principles of programming, partnership, territorial aspect of implementation, proportional intervention, shared management, additionality, gender equality and non-discrimination and sustainable development.”[1]

HP EO in the NSRF

The Horizontal priority Equal Opportunities (HP EO) is defined in the NSRF with the statement that it will be applied and monitored crosswise in all operational programs. Horizontal priority Equal Opportunities according to the NSRF shall affect only those projects that will have a positive or negative impact on EO.[2] For other projects, which in the opinion of the applicant have not an impact on Equality of opportunities, the principle of HP EO shall not apply.

Special emphasis in the NSRF is put on the principle of gender equality which fulfilment is one of the “obligations to eliminate inequality and to advance gender equality in all activities using gender mainstreaming method.” NSRF then defines gender mainstreaming “According to this approach, the conceptual, strategic, decision-making and evaluation processes in all stages of preparation and implementation have to consider gender equality.  This means in the context of the structural funds, that equality of opportunities for all and support of balanced representation of men and women need to be considered in programming, monitoring and evaluation activities.”[3]

National Strategic Reference Framework for the PP 2007 – 2013

Current programme period of 2007 – 2013 is the first programme period during which the Slovak Republic will be able to draw from the EU funds in its entire duration. The document known as the National Strategic Reference Framework for the period of 2007 – 2013 (NSRF) provided the baseline for this drawing. This strategic document has been drawn up pursuant to the new regulations of the European Union (EU) for the Structural Funds and Cohesion Fund. The Government of the Slovek Republic approved the document on December 6, 2006 and the European Commission on August 17, 2007. To download the document, click here.

NSRF 2007 – 2013 Slovak version

NSRF 2007 – 2013 English version

Note: Translation is not considered an official document. The only official version of the NSRF is the version in Slovak language

For further information visit the web page of the Central Coordination Authority in Slovakia