Key elements of the Commission proposal
for the future ESF
2014-2020
Franz Pointner, DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion
European Social Fund
Legislative package

The General Regulation
 Common provisions for cohesion policy, the rural
development policy and the maritime and fisheries
policy
 Common provisions for cohesion policy only
(ERDF, CF, ESF)

Fund specific regulations

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ERDF regulation
CF regulation
ESF regulation + YEI
ETC regulation
EGTC regulation
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Guiding political principles of the reform
 Concentration on Europe 2020 Strategy
 Focus on results
 Better coordination and harmonisation between the
funds
 Simplification
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Geographical coverage of support

Three categories of regions
 Less developed regions (GDP per capita < 75% of
EU average)
 Transition regions (GDP per capita between 75%
and 90%)
 More developed regions (GDP per capita > 90%)
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ESF - minimum shares
 At least 25% of the Cohesion envelope for the ESF  € 84 billion
 (25% for the less developed regions, 40% for the transition
regions and 52% for the more developed regions)
 Why?
 Important contribution to the Europe 2020 strategy and its
headline targets
 Key factor for medium term growth (OECD)
 Expression of European solidarity
In 2010, 10 million people were reached out
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Focus on …
 … Reinforced Integrated Programming
 … Results
 Performance framework and reserve
 Indicators
 Evaluation
 Joint Action Plan
 … Conditionality
 … Thematic Concentration
 Simplification
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Specific provisions for the ESF
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Scope
18 Investment priorities
in 4 thematic objectives
ESF contribution to the other
thematic objectives notably:
1.
Promoting employment and
supporting labour mobility
1. Supporting an environmentally
sustainable economy (low
carbon…)
2.
Promoting social inclusion
and combating poverty
2. Enhancing the accessibility, use
and quality of ICT
3.
Investing in education, skills
and lifelong learning
3. Strengthening research and
innovation
4.
Enhancing institutional and
administrative capacities
4. Enhancing the competitiveness
of small and medium-sized
enterprises
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ESF specific issues
1.
Ensuring a strong involvement of social partners and NGOs
2.
Gender equality and non discrimination at the core of the ESF
3.
Transnationality and social Innovation
4.
Reinforcing the territorial approach
2.
Specific provisions for financial management
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Youth Employment Initiative
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Overview
 Aim: fight youth unemployment in EU regions
NUTS level 2 with >25% youth unemployment
rate in 2012 (Eurostat data).
 Budget: EUR 3 bn ESF +3 bn from new
budget line within MFF sub-heading 1b.
 YEI aims to directly support the Youth
Employment Package, in particular the
Youth Guarantee (Council political
agreement 28 February)
 Available 2014-2020
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Proposed amendments
to the ESF Reg. (1)
 New chapter (III bis) on YEI + separate Annex 2 on indicators +
new recital
 YEI will target actions to individuals only (not systems).
 Target group:
- NEETs (aged 15-24);
- inactive or unemployed (+long-term);
- registered or not as job seekers;
- residing in the eligible regions.
 Concrete policy measures to be supported by the YEI will be
discussed with Member States in the context of ESF OP
negotiations
BUT: direct and speedy results expected
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Proposed amendments
to the ESF Reg. (2)
 Additional flexibility element introduced: MS may direct up to
10% of their YEI allocation (ESF + top-up) outside the eligible
regions, to support e.g. young persons residing in big cities.
 YEI top-up calculated proportionally to the number of young
unemployed in the regions (fixed once, at the start).
 ESF allocation at least equal to the share of the top-up for the
region concerned, possibly greater
BUT: the top-up cannot increase.
 YEI separate budget line allocation not taken into account for
thematic concentration.
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Proposed amendments
to the ESF Reg. (3)
 MS chooses to programme YEI as either:
- a dedicated priority axis,
- a part of a priority axis or
- a dedicated OP (volume).
 National co-financing rates apply only to the ESF part (not the
top-up).
 If several categories of regions in one Member State => the
highest co-financing rate applies.
 Additional monitoring and evaluation arrangements +
indicators for YEI (new Annex 2).
 Other provisions: financial management, technical assistance,
publicity.
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Proposed amendments to the CPR
Only limited amendments. A new recital is introduced.

Article 18: Performance reserve shall not apply to the YEI.

Article 83-84: introducing the resources for the YEI

Article 93: public support threshold for JAPs provision does not apply
for YEI.

Annex V: a new ex-ante conditionality criterion under TO8 is
introduced. It requires that MS have a comprehensive strategic policy
framework underpinning the Youth Employment Package and the
Youth Guarantee.

All other CPR provisions, including those related to macro-economic
conditionalities, also apply to the YEI.
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• Discussions in Council working group (SAWP)
• EP opinion on the amendments
• Commission position
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