On the 28th of January, the European Parliament and the Council provisionally agreed on the EU Social Fund+. The new ESF + merges the existing European Social Fund (ESF), the Youth Employment Initiative (YEI), the Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived (FEAD), the Employment and Social Innovation Programme (EaSI) and the EU Health Programme and will amount to €87,995 billion.
According to the deal, all EU countries must allocate appropriate resources to tackle child poverty. In countries where the number of children at a high risk of poverty is above the EU average, a minimum of 5% of the ESF+ resources must be assigned to this goal, being the first time an earmark is agreed on this topic.
Likewise, all Member States will be obliged to address youth unemployment. In countries where the number of youngsters not studying and not working (NEETs) is above the EU average, 12,5% of the resources must be allocated to tackle this issue.
Moreover, 25% of the Fund will be assigned to measures addressing social inclusion. Regarding the fight against extreme poverty, a budget dedicated to this matter will exist in each member state. At least 3% will be spent on the most vulnerable, with a co-financing rate of 90%. Equally, appropriate funding must be allocated in all EU countries for capacity building of civil society and social partners. Finally, safeguards are provided to ensure the fulfilment of fundamental rights in all projects that are to be funded by ESF+.
Eurodiaconia celebrates this provisional agreement as a cornerstone of a European social recovery. Notably, we welcome the inclusion of the 5% earmarking to fight child poverty as a key step for implementing the European Child Guarantee. We have been strongly advocating for this outcome in the last months as members of the EU Alliance for Investing in Children.
For more information on this topic, please visit the European Parliament website.
For more information on the work of the EU Alliance for Investing in Children, please visit its website.