European Social Fund (ESF) Education for Competitiveness Operational Programme (ECOP)

The policy of economic and social cohesion ranks among the most significant common policies of the European Union. This is a policy of reducing the interregional disparities in the EU, which assists in the harmonic development of the EU as a whole.
From the practical point of view this is an especially important structural policy, which serves as a tool for the fulfilment of the above-mentioned subjects.
The global objetive of the EU policy is declared as the harmonic development of the EU regions and  the removal of interregional social and economic disparities.
The policy of economic and social cohesion for the period of 2007 to 2013 is based on three subjects:

• Convergence
• Regional Competitiveness 
• Employment and European regional co-operation.

The implementation of the mentioned subjects is supported by means of two structural funds and by the cohesion fund. The centre of our interest is first of all the European Social Fund.

The European Social Fund (ESF) was founded as early as in 1957 and currently it represents the main implementation tool of the EU social policy and employment. It supports the development projects in the areas of employment and human resources. The leading mission of the ESF is enhancing of employment and employability in the member countries of the EU.

In the program period of 2007 to 2013 there exist three operational programs within the ESF for the Czech Republic.

• Education for Competitiveness
• Human Resources and Employment
• Prague Adaptability

The Education for Competitiveness Operational Programme (ECOP) is a multi-annual thematic programme controlled by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic (MEYS), within which it is possible to draw finances from the European Social Fund (ESF), one of the structural funds of the European Union (EU), in the programming period 2007-2013.  
The ECOP is focused on the area of human resources development by means of education in all its various forms with emphasis on a complex system of lifelong learning, creation of a suitable environment for research, development and innovation activities and stimulation of cooperation of participating entities.
The Operational Program Education for Competitiveness contains four priority axes:

• Initial education
• Tertiary education, research and development
• Further education
• Lifelong learning

The whole OP Education for Competitiveness further consists of twelve supported areas.
Here are the four supported activities of the second priority axis:

• Tertiary professional education
• Higher education
• Human resources in research and development
• Partnership and networks

The managing authority is the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, which is in charge of the Education for Competitiveness Operational Programme.