The General Objectives of the Programme are presented below:

• Enhancement of competitiveness of the production system 
• Utilization of the position of the territorial section in the area of SE Europe. 
• Balanced financial and social development within the frame of sustainability

In more detail:

1. Enhancement of competitiveness of the production system through the utilization of the multitude of possibilities provided by the transition to the economy of knowledge. The unified approach of competitiveness, innovation and viability of development contributes to the support of innovative entrepreneurship, so as to develop competitive enterprises and give a significant boost to the increase of employment.  Within the same framework, the development and utilization of man power is incorporated, as well as the composition of regional employment market according to the needs of an integrated strategy to upgrade the knowledge and skills of the employees and the productivity and efficiency at work.
2. The utilization of the position of Territorial Section in the area of South Eastern Europe and in general in the area of the Balkans, as well as the utilization of its proximity to emerging markets in the areas of Black Sea and Eastern Mediterranean Sea, through the completion of inter-European and regional networks, for the enhancement of interstate and inter-regional cooperation and the promotion of business networking and extroversion. The emergence of the Territorial Section, as a nodal factor for the development in the Balkans and in the wider region of South Eastern Europe, utilizes the vested advantages due to its geographical position as a gate of the country to the interest zone - but also to the European Union in its south-eastern borders and as a node of the transport - communication - energy networks, at both national and international level, while it promotes the possibilities of the dynamic development pole which is foreshadowed through the metropolitan operation of the Urban Planning Complex and the wider area of Thessaloniki. 
3. The balanced financial and social development within the frame of sustainability aiming at reducing inequalities and enhancing the participation of all in the results of development. The attenuation of inter-regional inequalities will contribute to the cohesion of North Greek area, to the creation of regional conscience, to the development of efficiency of regional policies and actions, to the creation of operational networking, to common actions and the generation of a compact territorial section.

For the complete integration of the environmental dimension in the programme, the ROP of “Macedonia – Thrace” sets sustainable development, as its central objective and recognizes from start, the significance of the creation and integration of environmental policy in all of its secondary axes.  An effective and integrated environmental policy that completes and supports the policies for the promotion of economic development and social prosperity.  In this frame, the secondary objectives of the environmental policy will have to include the protection of the environment as the basis of social and economic development.

Thus, the priority for the strategic planning of the Territorial Section is to incorporate environmental parameters in all secondary sectoral policies, such as transfers, energy, tourism, etc.