L 347/320 Official Journal of the European Union 20.12.2013 REGULATION (EU) No 1303/2013 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 17 December 2013 laying down common provisions on the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund, the Cohesion Fund, the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund and laying down general provisions on the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund, the Cohesion Fund and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 1083/2006 THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 177 thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission, After transmission of the draft legislative act to the national parliaments, Having regard to the opinions of the European Economic and Social Committee (1), Having regard to the opinions of the Committee of the Regions (%), Having regard to the opinions of the Court of Auditors (%), Acting in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure, Whereas: (1)  Article 174 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) provides that, in order to strengthen its economic, social and territorial cohesion, the Union is to aim at reducing disparities between the levels of development of the various regions and the backwardness of the least favoured regions or islands, and that particular attention is to be paid to rural areas, areas affected by industrial transition, and regions which suffer from severe and permanent natural or demographic handicaps. Article 175 TFEU requires that the Union is to support the achievement of these objectives by the action it takes through the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund, Guidance Section, the European Social Fund, the European Regional Development Fund, the European Investment Bank and other instruments. (2)  In order to improve coordination and harmonise imple- mentation of the Funds providing support under () O] C 191, 29.6.2012, p. 30, O] C 44, 15.2.2013, p. 76 and O] C 271, 19.9.2013, p. 101. () OJ C 225, 27.7.2012, p. 58 and OJ C 17, 19.1.2013, p. 56. () O] C 47,17.2.2011, p. 1, O] C 13, 16.1.2013, p. 1 and OJ C 267, 17.9.2013, p. 1. cohesion policy, namely the European Regional Devel- opment Fund (ERDF), the European Social Fund (ESF) and the Cohesion Fund, with the Fund for rural devel- opment, namely the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD), and for the maritime and fisheries sector, namely measures financed under shared management in the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF), common provisions should be established for all these Funds (the 'European Structural and Investment Funds' - 'ESI Funds'). In addition this Regu- lation contains general provisions which apply to the ERDF, the ESF and the Cohesion Fund, but do not apply to the EAFRD and the EMFF as well as general provisions applicable to the ERDF, the ESF, the Cohesion Fund and the EMFF, but do not apply to the EAFRD. Due to the particularities that exist for each ESI Fund, specific rules applicable to each ESI Fund and to the European territorial cooperation goal under the ERDF should be specified in separate Regulations. In line with the conclusions of the European Council of 17 June 2010, whereby the Union strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth was adopted, the Union and Member States should implement the delivery of smart, sustainable and inclusive growth, while promoting harmonious development of the Union and reducing regional disparities. The ESI Funds should play a significant role in the achievement of the objectives of the Union strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. As regards the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), significant synergies have already been obtained by harmonising and aligning management and control rules for the first pillar (European Agricultural Guarantee Fund - EAGF) and the second pillar (EAFRD) of the CAP. The strong link between the EAGF and the EAFRD should therefore be maintained and the structures already in place in the Member States preserved. The outermost regions should benefit from specific measures and from additional funding to offset their structural social and economic situation together with the handicaps resulting from the factors referred to in Article 349 TFEU. The northern sparsely populated regions should benefit from specific measures and additional funding to offset the severe and natural or demographic handicaps referred to in Article 2 of Protocol No 6 to the 1994 Act of Accession.