The European Union has created Cohesion (Regional) policy to support the development of less developed areas and to reduce the differences between the levels of development of the regions. Cohesion policy is both an expression of solidarity among Europeans, and the main investment policy of the European Union. Its action seeks to reduce the economic and social differences between the European Union regions which affect the harmonious development of the Union and stimulate territorial cohesion among the regions. For this purpose, the EU has created special instruments of regional policy known as European Union funds - the European Social Fund, the European Regional Development Fund and the Cohesion Fund. The role of these funds is to stimulate economic convergence for least developed regions with the aim of creating jobs for workers, providing new opportunities for producers and consumers, encouraging quality education and social cohesion. Cohesion policy plays an important role in mitigating economic and financial shocks that the European economy experienced in 2008. Partly due to the resources of Regional policy and partly due to good public finance management, the Polish economy managed to break the negative effects of the economic crisis and maintain positive economic indicators. Success in business and good governance has also been demonstrated in programming period 2007-2013, during which European Union funds have withdrawn a substantial part of the funds for the development of Polish regions, i.e. strengthening of economic, social and territorial cohesion.