National authorities will use the guidelines as the basis for drafting their national strategic priorities and planning for 2007-2013, the so called National Strategic Reference Frameworks (NSRFs), and their Operational Programmes. According to the guidelines and in line with the renewed Lisbon strategy, programmes co-financed through the cohesion policy should seek to target resources on the following three priorities: 

More growth and jobs for all regions and cities of the European Union – this message will be at the heart of cohesion policy and its instruments between 2007 and 2013. During that period, the greatest investment ever made by the EU through cohesion instruments will be worth 308 billion euros (in 2004 prices) to support regional growth agendas and to stimulate job creation.

82% of the total amount will be concentrated on the “Convergence” objective, under which the poorest Member States and regions are eligible. In the remaining regions, about 16% of the Structural Funds will be concentrated to support innovation, sustainable development, better accessibility and training projects under the “Regional Competitiveness and Employment” objective. Another 2.5% finally are available for cross-border, transnational and interregional cooperation under the “European Territorial Cooperation” objective.