The new EU cohesion policy ( ) EASPD Project Development Workshop May 10th – Sofia (BG) Jelle Reynaert – Policy Officer

BACKGROUND Redistribution between richer and poorer regions is needed 480 billion € since 1988 Main beneficiaries before enlargement: Greece, Portugal, Ireland, East Germany, Italy and Spain Since 2004, most beneficiaries are in central and eastern Europe Background Priorities Legislative package Goals The ESF Reflections Next steps

BACKGROUND In the financial perspectives, cohesion policy amounts up to 35,7% of the total EU budget (308 billion €) Controversial reform in 2006: new policy to concentrate on the Lisbon (innovation, growth, jobs) and Gothenburg (sustainable development) goals Background Priorities Legislative package Goals The ESF Reflections Next steps

PRIORITIES Convergence: support for growth and job creation (81,7% of budget) Competiveness and employment: deal with economic and social change (15,8% of budget) Territorial co-operation: stimulate cross-border co-operation (2,44%) Background Priorities Legislative package Goals The ESF Reflections Next steps

Legislative package Legislative package (2006) to support the priorities: 1 general regulation European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) European Social Fund (ESF) Cohesion Fund European Grouping of Cross-border Co- operation (EGCC) Community Strategic Guidelines Background Priorities Legislative package Goals The ESF Reflections Next steps

GOALS A more strategic approach to growth, socio-economic and territorial cohesion Simplification Decentralisation / “ownership” Background Priorities Legislative package Goals The ESF Reflections Next steps

European Social Fund What is the ESF?  Combat unemployment, prevent people from dropping out of the labour market and promote training to make Europe's workforce and companies better equipped to face new, global challenges  The ESF spends European money on the achievement of the goals agreed in the European Employment Strategy Background Priorities Legislative package Goals The ESF Reflections Next steps

European Social Fund The ESF From 1 januari 2007, new programme has started for EU 27 New emphasis on 3 main objectives of the EES: –Full employment –Quality & productivity at work –Social cohesion & social inclusion ESF provides support for anticipating and managing economic and social change Background Priorities Legislative package Goals The ESF Reflections Next steps

European Social Fund Four key areas for action Increasing adaptability of workers and enterprises Enhancing access to employment and participation in the labour market Promoting partnership for reform in the fields of employment and inclusion Reinforcing social inclusion by combating discrimination and facilitating access to the labour market for disadvantaged people Background Priorities Legislative package Goals The ESF Reflections Next steps

European Social Fund ESF support to people with disabilities in the new regulation: – specific requirement in general regulation with regard to accessibility – specific reference to people with disabilities as a target group – acceptance of diversity in the workplace and combating discrimination – annual implementation report should contain information on actions to strengthen integration in employment and social inclusion of disadvantaged groups, such as pwd. Background Priorities Legislative package Goals The ESF Reflections Next steps

Methods to address disability: Specific actions Mainstreaming actions European Social Fund Background Priorities Legislative package Goals The ESF Reflections Next steps

European Social Fund The role of the social partners Reinforcing partnership between stakeholders in preparing, implementing and monitoring the strategy Supporting the involvement of social partners (capacity building, joint activities) Background Priorities Legislative package Goals The ESF Reflections Background Priorities Legislative package Goals The ESF Reflections Next steps

European Social Fund Architecture and objectives ESF will provide support under 2 new objectives: ‘Convergence’ and ‘Regional Competiveness & Employment’ EQUAL will be mainstreamed and fully integrated in the scope of ESF In each operational programme, attention will be paid to promoting and mainstreaming innovative activities Priority will be given to fund transnational cooperation Background Priorities Legislative package Goals The ESF Reflections Next steps

European Social Fund Money is allocated to the member states depending on their National Strategic Reference Frameworks and Operational Programmes. Background Priorities Legislative package Goals The ESF Reflections Next steps

European Social Fund Reinforcing gender equality Specific measures to improve women’s access to the labour market Elimination of inequalities between women and men Background Priorities Legislative package Goals The ESF Reflections Next steps

REFLECTIONS Full support to include non-discrimination as a horizontal objective in the general regulation However: Focus on Growth & Jobs may not jeopardize social value of the structural funds and ESF –Little attention seems to be given to social inclusion Not only focus on “When will they start” but also on the content of the NSRF’s Partnership chapter is to weak (“such as”, “where appropriate”) –Consultation of NGO’s appears to be very limited –Consulation also in monitoring! Background Priorities Legislative package Goals The ESF Reflections Next steps

REFLECTIONS Financial contributions should be calculated in a way that it does not prevent not-for-profit NGO’s from delivering projects (% own contribution) Mainstreaming of EQUAL seems not to be working Background Priorities Legislative package Goals The ESF Reflections Next steps

NEXT STEPS Member states have submitted their National Strategic Reference Frameworks and Operational Programme beginning of March 27 National Strategic Reference Frameworks and more than 327 operational programmes need to be approved by the Commission within a few months Background Priorities Legislative package Goals The ESF Reflections Next steps