Brussels, 28/02/2011 (Agence Europe) - Addressing the European Parliament's regional development committee in Brussels on Monday 28 February, EU Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion Commissioner László Andor explained how he sees the role of the European social fund (ESF) and its budget. He backed the draft report by Georgios Stavrakakis (S&D, Greece), calling for greater flexibility in the structural funds and for synergies between the various funds to be created or improved. A robust cohesion policy can only be achieved if backed by a substantial cohesion fund to allow inclusion and jobs, said the commissioner. Andor wants the ESF to do more for social inclusion, particularly for the worrying situation facing the Roma community. Credibility is key when it comes to the ESF budget, he explained, and investment must go into human resources to combat unemployment, ensuring there is greater funding for the ESF, with the resources needed to tackle the challenges of poverty and the risk of poverty that some 80 million Europeans currently face, along with greater numbers of children (up 3% since 2005).
Constanze Krehl (S&D, Germany) asked whether the key policy for the ESF in the future should be integration, education or training. Andor answered that it was the EUROPE 2020 policy that sets the priorities in the interest of individuals and explains how best to achieve them at regional and national level. The ESF should find over-arching solutions in the field of lifelong learning and active ageing and ensure sustainable training for minority groups. Krehl asked whether he had considered ensuring the ESF projects were funded differently because there are huge differences among the regions in terms of employment. The ESF should help improve the availability and demand for labour in low-resource regions, said the commissioner, saying that use of the various funds needed joined-up thinking. He said there should be a regulation to set up EU funds in coordination with private resources or international banks and a stronger financial system. In answer to Karima Delli (Greens/EFA, France) who said that the ESF must not abandon the idea of tackling social emergencies, Andor said it needed to focus on two aims - employment and tackling poverty and social exclusion. It was a question, he added, of the labour force, training for young people and training for pensioners. The ESF can be used to expand social services for people at risk of falling below the poverty line and for pensioners, explained the commissioner, pointing out the existence of a European globalisation fund. On improving employment levels, the commissioner said that the coordination method was what was needed, and called for stronger administrative capacity in Romania and Bulgaria, where improvements have already been noted (Nicole Manescu, ALDE, Romania). On the competitiveness pact mooted by Merkel and Sarkozy, and measures to be taken in relation to pay, Andor said one would have to wait to see what the European Council decides (Charalampos Aggourakis, GUE/NGL, Greece). The commissioner concluded that there was the need for a stronger ESF with greater powers and training in how it fits in with the EU 2020 strategy. (G.B./transl.fl)