SocialDialogue.net

Brussels 24-06-2006

After two years of negotiations, the EU has agreed the budget and regulations for the next round of Structural Fund programmes for 2007-2013. The Structural Funds will be available for 27 Member States (including Romania and Bulgaria).There will be less funding than now for richer Member States such as the UK, but a sharper focus on employment and skills issues.

The new ESF regulation, which provides a common framework for ESF interventions throughout the Union, is more focussed than the current (2000-2006) regulation. Throughout the Union, under both the 'Convergence' and the 'Regional Competitiveness and Employment' objectives, the ESF will provide support for anticipating and managing economic and social change.

Its intervention will focus on four key areas for action:

• increasing adaptability of workers and enterprises;
• enhancing access to employment and participation in the labour market;
• reinforcing social inclusion by combating discrimination and facilitating access to the labour market for disadvantaged people;
• promoting partnership for reform in the fields of employment and inclusion.

In the least prosperous regions and Member States the Funds will concentrate on promoting structural adjustment, growth and job creation. To this end, under the 'Convergence' objective and in addition to the priorities mentioned above, the ESF will also support:

• efforts to expand and improve investment in human capital, in particular by improving education and training systems;
• action aimed at developing institutional capacity and the efficiency of public administrations, at national, regional and local level.

Document's Table of Content

Section	Page
EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM	2
Proposal for a REGULATION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL on the European Social Fund	4
Articles	6-12

Links

European Commission site for the European Social Fund, 2007-2013 This site contains information and references about the ESF in the programming poeriod 2007-2013.