On Tuesday 11 March in Strasbourg, MEPs adopted by 432 votes to 155 with 82 abstentions a draft own-initiative report on the ‘European Social Fund Plus’ (ESF+) and its future in the context of the future Multiannual Financial Framework.
Sufficient resources must be maintained for education, training and skills development, and ESF+ must remain independent, stressed the MEPs, who were concerned about potential changes to the Fund's governance and structure.
In particular, the report calls for the ESF+ to be strengthened to support people in vulnerable situations, to invest in people and skills, to help combat poverty, and to stimulate social investment and entrepreneurship. It should tackle social challenges such as digitalisation, the consequences of climate change, decent working conditions and the rising cost of living.
However, MEPs rejected specific references to a directive on the right to disconnect and teleworking rules, a directive on artificial intelligence in the workplace and a directive on psychosocial risks and well-being at work, as well as more effective social conditionalities in rules on public procurement and concessions.
The S&D group also criticised the alliance between the EPP and the far right to weaken the Child Guarantee’, according to a press release.
Link to the adopted text: https://aeur.eu/f/fvb (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)