The members of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs approved by 32 votes to 15, with 11 abstentions, under the ‘urgent procedure’, changes to the European Social Fund+ to stimulate the development of skills in the defence and decarbonisation sectors, on Wednesday 25 June, according to the European Parliament in a press release.
The Commission proposed amendments in April (see EUROPE 13612/23) to encourage EU countries to use ESF+ funding to develop skills in the defence and industrial decarbonisation sectors, and to provide additional support for regions bordering Russia, Belarus and Ukraine.
Under the approved text, EU countries would benefit from additional one-off pre-financing of 4.5% on the basis of their modified programme budget if they allocate at least 10% of resources to new priorities, compared with a minimum amount of 15% in the initial proposal.
MEPs also added a provision to the text stipulating that, when modifying programmes, EU countries must include obligations towards beneficiaries in terms of respect for working conditions and employment. Member States may also decide to include support for the development of skills in the defence industry and cyber security among the new priorities. Micro, small and medium-sized enterprises should have priority access to this support.
For the NUTS2 regions bordering Russia, Belarus or Ukraine that have been severely affected by the war, the elected representatives propose that the EU should be able to fund up to 95% of ESF+ projects in these areas, with no minimum amount to be reprogrammed. They also extend the deadline for member countries to submit their amendments to the ESF+ programme to 31 December 2025.
Link to the text: https://aeur.eu/f/hk6 (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)