The structural and investment funds 2014-2020 (ESI funds) helped around 45 million people by the end of 2020 through direct support for employment, social inclusion and education, according to the latest summary report on the implementation of the European Structural and Investment Funds, published on Friday 17 December.
For example, the funds would have maintained 31,500 jobs and created 4,000 new jobs in the maritime and fisheries sector.
According to the report, the ESI funds have also helped: - to support 3 million businesses with additional working capital; - to create 236,500 new jobs; - to improve the energy efficiency of more than 359,000 households; - to contribute to more than 2 million projects in the agricultural sector and rural areas.
Overall, funding from the funds amounts to €461 billion over the 2014-2020 period, or €640 billion with national co-financing (excluding REACT-EU resources, which is around €50.6 billion in total - see EUROPE 12839/11).
At the height of the health crisis, total cohesion policy support for the pandemic under the CRII and CRII+ grants reached €21.3 billion (see EUROPE 12680/5).
To read the summary report: https://bit.ly/3Fma3YM (Original version by Pascal Hansens)