Forslag til EUROPA-PARLAMENTETS OG RÅDETS FORORDNING om oprettelse af Den Europæiske Socialfond som en del af den nationale og regionale partnerskabsplan som fastsat i forordning (EU) [NRP-planen] om betingelserne for gennemførelse af Unionens støtte til beskæftigelse af høj kvalitet, færdigheder og social inklusion i perioden 2028-2034

EN EN
EUROPEAN
COMMISSION
Brussels, 16.7.2025
COM(2025) 558 final
2025/0239 (COD)
Proposal for a
REGULATION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL
establishing the European Social Fund as part of the National and Regional Partnership
Plan set out in Regulation (EU) […] [NRPPlan] establishing conditions for the
implementation of the Union support to quality employment, skills and social inclusion
for the period from 2028 to 2034
Offentligt
KOM (2025) 0558 - Forslag til forordning
Europaudvalget 2025
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EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM
1. CONTEXT OF THE PROPOSAL
• Reasons for and objectives of the proposal
This proposal establishes the European Social Fund (ESF), the main instrument to invest in
Europe’s people, their future and preparedness. The proposal reflects the current social and
economic context and provides a concrete response to the call from the European public for a
more social Europe and for greater investments in people in the European Union. The ESF is
the EU’s main instrument to promote and strengthen social cohesion in Europe’s societies.
This proposal accompanies the proposal for the National and Regional Partnership regulation.
Both regulations are mutually reinforcing and complementary. The ESF, as part of cohesion
policy, will be implemented as one element of the overarching [National and Regional
Partnership Plans] and complements the [NRP Regulation] on ESF specific policy elements.
The ESF supports the objectives of the NRP Plan within its scope of support, as set out in this
Regulation.
The strength of Europe is its people. On 17 November 2017 the European Parliament, the
Council and the Commission jointly proclaimed the European Pillar of Social Rights.[1]
Its
targets set clear and ambitious goals for employment, skills and poverty reduction. Reaching
these goals is not only a moral imperative; it is also an economic necessity. The Political
Guidelines 2024-2029 note that our unique social market economy gives Europe many
advantages over competitors.
The Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the European
Council, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of
the Regions on the Competitiveness Compass[2]
states, “effective social policies built around
the European Pillar of Social Rights are central to shaping a competitive Europe. A more
competitive economy with high productivity will ensure that our social model is financially
sustainable in the long term and that citizens see clear pathways to their own economic
success. All Europeans must be able to contribute to and benefit from greater competitiveness
improvements”. Indeed, it has consistently been shown that economies with the most effective
investments in human capital are also amongst the most competitive, resilient and
economically sound.
The European Council Conclusions of 20 March 2025 highlight that “following the
Commission communication of 5 March 2025 on a Union of Skills, further efforts should be
made to enhance the acquisition, recognition and retention of skills across the EU, from the
building of basic skills to engaging in life-long learning, reskilling and upskilling, in line with
the European Pillar of Social Rights and its Action Plan”. The same Conclusions refer to the
Budapest declaration on specifically the need to “harness […] Europe’s talent and investing
in skills to foster high-quality jobs throughout the Union”. Furthermore, beyond ensuring
people are skilled, a strong labour force participation in the current demographic context, is
required.
Despite progress, tackling unemployment, skills gaps, labour shortages and persistently high
rates of poverty remain a priority throughout the EU. This not only threatens the prospect of
reaching the headline targets set for the European Pillar of Social Rights, but also hampers
progress in strengthening the competitiveness of Europe in an increasingly globalised world.
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Social issues and services for citizens, such as education, including early childhood education
and care and health and long-term care, as well as the availability of social housing and
lacking progress in poverty reduction are a primary concern of European citizens[3]
. More is
expected in these areas from the Union. There is an increased need for targeted actions to
address these challenges.
In addition, in a context of increased geo-strategic uncertainty and an increased frequency of
extreme weather events, it is crucial to be prepared for the unexpected. [During the
coronavirus outbreak the temporary Support to Mitigate Unemployment Risks in an
Emergency (SURE) showed the importance of protecting employees and the self‐employed,
and thus reducing the incidence of unemployment and loss of income. This proposal
establishes a confirmation of European solidarity which can also be provided in the future
when circumstances duly justify the need].
The ESF will support EU policy implementation, and national or regional structural reforms
in the areas of employment, education and skills, social inclusion, and care services including
long term and healthcare. This corresponds to the remit of the Employment Guidelines
(Article 148 TFEU). It will contribute to Member States’ efforts to reduce unemployment,
advance quality and equal opportunities in education and training and improve social
inclusion and integration. The ESF will specifically also contribute to the implementation of
the Skills Guarantee in line with the Union of Skills. Supporting Individual Learning
Accounts should in this regard be an important dimension, assisting Europe’s strategic
business investments to progress in the immediate future by having access to the right skills.
It will furthermore support sustaining and further developing open, rights-based, democratic,
equal and inclusive societies which are based on the rule of law and on social dialogue.
Additionally, to support integrated approaches, investments in both infrastructure and people
are encouraged from the Funds.
Therefore, the ESF will help to build an empowering social Europe and contribute to
economic, social and territorial cohesion in accordance with Article 174 TFEU, which is a
necessary condition for the proper functioning of the EU as a stable and viable economic and
political union.
• Consistency with existing policy provisions in the policy area
The ESF, as part of cohesion policy, will be operating within the National and Regional
Partnership Plan (NRP Plan) and its single rulebook. The ESF builds upon the long-standing
visibility and proven success of the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) as a trusted framework
for investing in people, in line with the European Pillar of Social Rights, European Semester
and Employment Guidelines. Therefore, while tightly connected to the NRP Plan, the ESF
will maintain its independent legal base as set out in Article 162 of the Treaty on the
Functioning of the European Union (TFEU).
Efficient and effective implementation of actions supported by the NRP Plan, including the
ESF, depends on good governance and partnership between all actors at the relevant territorial
levels and the socio-economic actors, in particular the social partners and civil society
organisations.
The ESF supports policies and priorities which aim to help create full employment, enhance
quality and productivity at work, increase the geographical and occupational mobility of
workers within the Union, improve education and training systems, and promote
intergenerational fairness, social inclusion and health.
The overarching policy objective of the ESF Regulation is to create a more performing and
resilient ‘Social Europe’ and implement the European Pillar of Social Rights, as well as the
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social and employment priorities endorsed by the European economic governance process.
The ESF will contribute to implementing the Integrated Guidelines adopted in accordance
with Articles 121 and 148(4) TFEU and the relevant country-specific recommendations
adopted in the context of the European semester. It will also feed into the overall objective of
smart, inclusive and sustainable growth beyond 2030 (the UN’s sustainable development
goals2
) and upward convergence.
Furthermore, the ESF will help to improve employment opportunities, raise the standard of
living and health, and help increase labour mobility and economic, social and territorial
cohesion as set out in the TFEU and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights as well as the UN
Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities. The ESF also aims to contribute to the
Union of Skills and the integration of third country nationals. Setting a minimum share and
amounts for the ESF will ensure that the EU’s priorities described above are adequately
reflected in the volume of investment that directly target European citizens.
• Consistency with other Union policies
The ESF aims to improve synergies and coherence with other measures investing in human
capital development under the National and Regional Partnership (NRP Plan), in particular
within the framework of cohesion policy, fisheries and agriculture policy support, as well as
with the European Competitiveness Fund.
The ESF will continue to complement the support by Erasmus. The ESF and Erasmus are
active in similar fields, notably helping people gain new skills, upskilling to answer the need
of industrial sectors, improving digital competences and quality of education and training.
2. LEGAL BASIS, SUBSIDIARITY AND PROPORTIONALITY
• Legal basis
The Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), in particular, Articles 164,
174, and 175 of TFEU, provide the legal framework for the measures covered by this
proposal. The ESF is based on Articles 162 and 164 TFEU and support to fight poverty,
notably by addressing food and basic material deprivation, and support to promote
fundamental values of the EU is based under Article 175(3) TFEU.
This proposal defines the scope of support of the ESF in relation to the specific objectives
defined in the NRP Plan Regulation, as well as targeted actions in the area of social
innovation. It also makes reference to the ESF Committee under Article 163 TFEU.
Additionally, the Commission adopted on 16 July 2025 a proposal for a 'National and
Regional Partnership Plan' Regulation in order to improve the coordination and harmonise the
implementation of support under shared management, with the main aim of simplifying policy
delivery. The ESF is also covered by these common provisions.
• Fundamental rights
Alongside the Conditionality Regulation which will continue to apply to the whole of the EU
budget, this Regulation includes strong safeguards to ensure that the funds are implemented in
compliance with the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union and the principles
of the rule of law, as set out in Article 2(a) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2092. This
initiative will also respect the principles of the United Nations Convention of Rights of
persons with disabilities.
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• Subsidiarity (for non-exclusive competence)
In the areas of social and employment policy and public health, the EU has either shared
competence with Member States (Article 4 TFEU), competence to lay down arrangements
within which they must coordinate their action (Article 5 TFEU) or competence to carry out
actions to support, coordinate or supplement the actions of the Member States (Article 6
TFEU).
The ESF is underpinned by the subsidiarity principle. Under shared management, the
Commission delegates strategic programming and implementation tasks to the EU Member
States and regions. It also limits EU action to what is necessary to achieve its objectives as
laid down in the Treaties. Shared management aims to ensure that decisions are taken as
closely as possible to the citizen and that EU-level action is justified in light of the
possibilities and specificities at national, regional or local level. Shared management brings
Europe closer to its citizens and connects local needs with European objectives. Moreover, it
increases ownership of EU objectives, as Member States and the Commission share decision-
making power and responsibility.
• Proportionality
In accordance with the principle of proportionality, this proposal does not go beyond what is
necessary to achieve its goals
• Choice of the instrument
The choice of instrument is a Regulation of the European Parliament and the Council to
establish the European Social Fund.
3. RESULTS OF EX-POST EVALUATIONS, STAKEHOLDER
CONSULTATIONS AND IMPACT ASSESSMENTS
[Please see NRP Plan regulation IA]
4. BUDGETARY IMPLICATIONS
[placeholder]
The total budget allocated for the ESF amounts to EUR XX billion (in current prices) for the
2028-2034 period.
Details on financial and staffing needs can be found in the Legislative Financial and Digital
Statement of the NRP Plan Regulation.
5. OTHER ELEMENTS
• Implementation plans and monitoring, evaluation and reporting arrangements
[Please see NRP Plan regulation IA]
• Detailed explanation of the specific provisions of the proposal
The ESF Regulation includes the subject matter and defines the scope of support of the ESF
in relation to the objectives defined in the NRP Plan Regulation. It also includes provisions
social innovation. Finally, it outlines the Committee under Article 163 TFEU and the date of
entry into force.
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2025/0239 (COD)
Proposal for a
REGULATION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL
establishing the European Social Fund as part of the National and Regional Partnership
Plan set out in Regulation (EU) [NRPPlan] establishing conditions for the
implementation of the Union support to quality employment, skills and social inclusion
for the period from 2028 to 2034
THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular
Article 164, and Article 175(3) thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,
After transmission of the draft legislative act to the national parliaments,
Having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee
Having regard to the opinion of the Committee of the Regions
Acting in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure,
Whereas:
(1) On 17 November 2017, the European Pillar of Social Rights was jointly proclaimed by
the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission as a response to social
challenges in Europe. The twenty key principles of the pillar are structured around
three categories: equal opportunities and access to the labour market; fair working
conditions; social protection and inclusion. The twenty principles of the European
Pillar of Social Rights should guide the actions under the European Social Fund (ESF).
On 4 March 2021, the Commission put forward an Action Plan for the implementation
of the European Pillar of Social Rights (the ‘Action Plan’), including ambitious yet
realistic Union headline targets for 2030 on employment (that at least 78 % of the
population aged 20-64 should be in employment), skills (that at least 60 % of all adults
should participate in training every year) and poverty reduction (that at least 15
million fewer people should be at risk of poverty or social exclusion, including 5
million children) (the ‘Union headline targets for 2030’) and complementary sub-
targets, as well as a revised Social Scoreboard. In order to contribute to the
implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights the ESF should support
investments in people and reforms of the systems in the policy areas of employment,
education and social inclusion, thereby supporting economic, territorial and social
cohesion in accordance with Article 174 of the Treaty.
(2) The guidelines for the employment policies of the Member States, as provided for in
Article 148(2) of the Treaty, adopted annually by the Council in the context of the
European Semester, are a key instrument for coordination of Union and national
employment and social policies. They provide common priorities and targets for
employment, education, skills and social policies with a view to improving the
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Union’s competitiveness and making it a better place to invest, create jobs and foster
social cohesion. The ESF is the Union’s main instrument for supporting the
employment guidelines and achieving Union objectives in employment and social
policies. The employment guidelines complement the principles of the European Pillar
of Social Rights. In this context, the scope of the ESF for 2028 to 2034 should be fully
aligned with Council Decision (EU) … 1
[Employment guidelines adopted by the
Council at the latest by 1 January 2027].
(3) At Union level, the European Semester of economic policy coordination is the
framework to identify national reform priorities and monitor their implementation.
Member States should submit annual progress reports on the implementation of their
medium-term fiscal-structural plans. That framework should be the basis for the use of
Union funding in a coherent manner, including with a view to maximise the added
value of the financial support to be received.
(4) The Union is confronted with structural challenges arising from economic
globalisation, vulnerable supply chains, the management of migration flows and the
increased security threat, the clean energy transition, technological change and
demographic change, an ageing workforce, lack of social housing, and growing skills
and labour shortages in many sectors and regions.
(5) Taking into account the changing realities in the world of work, the Union should be
prepared for current and future challenges by investing in relevant skills, by making
growth more inclusive and by improving employment and social policies, including in
view of labour mobility and sectoral restructuring, paying attention to urban and rural
areas that face particular social weaknesses .
(6) Between now and 2040, the Union labour market will comprise approximately 1
million fewer persons each year. Furthermore, in addition to a shrinking workforce,
some regions are affected by a small and stagnant share of the population with tertiary
education, making it difficult to compensate for the loss of labour through higher
labour productivity. This will increase pressure on the social welfare model of the
Union, putting its sustainability and adequacy under pressure. It will also increase
labour and skills shortages in the labour market, putting strain on economic growth
and competitiveness. For some sectors this will lead to labour cost pressures. This is
why the ESF needs to support an increase in participation in the labour market,
especially of women and young people, persons with disabilities, Roma communities
and to support employers in finding the right people for available jobs, empower older
workers with appropriate labour market and workplace measures, ensure a skilled
workforce able to tackle major societal challenges, and support a healthy work life
balance including by ensuring access to quality childcare.
(7) On 29 January 2025, the Commission presented the Competitiveness Compass. The
Compass sets a path for Europe to become the place where future technologies,
services, and clean products are invented, manufactured, and put on the market, while
being the first continent to become climate neutral. It recognises five horizontal
enablers for competitiveness, including promoting skills and quality jobs, and
highlights that the foundation of Europe’s competitiveness is its people. To be
competitive and prepared for the future, the Union needs to support and prepare its
people with the skills and competences needed for success in learning, work, and life.
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Insert publication reference
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(8) In addition, on 26 February 2025 the Commission adopted the Communication “The
Clean Industrial Deal: A joint roadmap for competitiveness and decarbonisation”. It is
vital to recognise the critical role of skills in facilitating a successful transition to a
cleaner and more competitive industrial future within the Union. Developing a highly
skilled workforce is essential for driving innovation and advancing decarbonisation
and circularity across vital industries. This focus on skill enhancement is crucial for
achieving the Union’s objectives of a just transition and for sustaining and enhancing
the Union’s global competitiveness. Furthermore, access to environmental resources
and their benefits is unequally distributed across society, as are environmental hazards
and health risks. It is more likely to fall disproportionately on vulnerable groups.
(9) The Union of Skills aims to support the development of quality, inclusive and
adaptable education, training and skills systems to increase the Union’s
competitiveness, preparedness, security and democracy. Therefore, in line with the
Union of Skills, the Union should ensure sufficient funding to build solid skills
foundations and promote lifelong and future-oriented upskilling and reskilling
opportunities for all, in particular to address the challenges of the digital and green
transitions. This will contribute to notably digital skills and key enabling technologies
but also , skills to support emerging sectors, with a view to providing people with
skills adjusted to digitalisation, technologically and innovation-driven changes, social
and economic change, facilitating career transitions, mobility and supporting in
particular low-skilled or poorly qualified adults. In line with the Union of Skills, the
challenges of the digital and green transitions need to be addressed by upskilling and
reskilling workers, aligning education with industry needs, and fostering partnerships
among educational institutions, employers, and public authorities. It is also necessary
to enhance circulation and adequate allocation of skills in the internal market,
including through easier skills portability, and be able to attract and retain skills in the
EU.
(10) Regulation (EU) [NRP Regulation] establishes the general rules on the National
Regional Partnership Plan (the ‘NRP Plan’) and lays down, in particular, the
objectives to be supported by the National Regional Partnership Plans and the rules
concerning the preparation, implementation, management and control of such Plans.
The ESF is one of the nationally pre-allocated funds grouped under the National
Regional Partnership Plan, in accordance with Regulation (EU) [...] [NRP Plan
Regulation. It is therefore necessary to clarify the scope of support of the ESF in
relation to the objectives set out in the NRP Regulation and lay down specific
provisions concerning the implementation of the ESF.
(11) Efficient and effective implementation of actions supported by the NRP Plan,
including the ESF, depends on good governance and partnership between all actors at
the relevant territorial levels and the socio-economic actors, in particular the social
partners and civil society organisations.
(12) In order to strengthen Europe’s societies and Europe’s Social model, Member States
should allocate a minimum amount of resources under their National and Regional
Partnership Plans adopted in accordance with Regulation (EU) [NRP Plan Regulation]
to the ESF. The diverse nature and severity of different socio-economic challenges in
Member States requires a more flexible approach to programming. Whilst a minimum
level of support for social policies is necessary to ensure action commensurate to these
challenges, it also needs to be closely corresponding to the national and regional
characteristics. The underlying sources of social disparities or problems need to inform
the relative importance given to investments and reforms within the realm of the
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Employment Guidelines and the ESF. This implies that policy safeguards through
thematic concentration should result from engagement between Member States and the
Commission. The minimum amount of ESF must also find the balance between the
strategic interest the Union has in investing in its people, and thereby in the quality of
labour supply as well as social progress, and at the same time investment needs
covered by other specific objectives enlisted in article 3 of the [NRP Plan Regulation].
(13) The ESF should support employment, equal access for all to the labour market, fair
and quality working conditions and labour mobility. The ESF should support Member
States in providing support to unemployed and inactive people with effective, timely,
coordinated and tailor-made assistance based on support for job searches, training, up-
and reskilling and access to other enabling services, paying particular attention to
people in vulnerable situations and people negatively affected by the green and digital
transitions or labour market shocks, as well as those furthest away from the labour
market. The ESF should continue to focus on youth unemployment and the issue of
young people not in employment, education or training (NEETs) through the
prevention of early leaving from education and training, and structural improvement of
the school-to-work transition, including through the full implementation of the
reinforced Youth Guarantee, which should also support quality youth employment
opportunities. In addition, the ESF should continue to invest in skills crucial for the
green and digital transitions.
(14) The ESF should enhance labour supply and improve education and training and
lifelong acquisition of skills. In particular, the ESF should help progression within
education and training and transition to work, support lifelong learning, including
formal, non-formal and informal learning that takes place at all stages in life and
employability, and contribute to competitiveness and societal and economic
innovation by supporting scalable and sustainable initiatives in these fields. This could
be achieved for example through work-based learning and apprenticeships, lifelong
guidance, skills anticipation in cooperation with industry, up-to-date training
materials, forecasting and graduate tracking, training of educators, validation of
learning outcomes and recognition of qualifications.
(15) The ESF should facilitate access to services, including the strengthening of the
modernisation, digitalisation and the resilience of both healthcare and long-term care
services. The ESF should support Member States in implementing measures to
eliminate all forms of discrimination and ensure equal opportunities for all, and in
particular for groups that are under-represented in the labour market, ensuring equal
access to services. The availability of affordable, sustainable and high-quality services
such as early childhood education and care, out-of-school care, education, training,
and health and long-term care, in particular family and community-based care
services, is a necessary condition for ensuring equal opportunities and labour mobility.
The ESF should ensure that everyone, including children in line with the European
Child Guarantee, have access to essential services of good quality. The specific needs
of persons with disabilities, including accessibility, should be taken into account in
relation to those services as well as independent living. The ESF should also
contribute to the modernisation of social protection systems with a view in particular
to promoting their accessibility.
(16) Support through the ESF should be used to promote equal opportunities for all, to
support strong social safety nets, foster social inclusion, intergenerational fairness and
fight poverty. The ESF should support Member States’ efforts to tackle poverty,
including by addressing material deprivation, with a view to breaking the cycle of
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disadvantage across generations and promote social inclusion by ensuring equal
opportunities for all, tackling discrimination and addressing health inequalities. This
implies mobilising a range of policies targeting the most disadvantaged people
regardless of their age, including children in poverty, marginalised communities such
as the Roma, the working poor and the most deprived. The ESF should promote the
active inclusion of people far from the labour market with a view to ensuring their
socio-economic integration. The ESF should also tackle homelessness, including with
prevention and alleviation measures in line with the Lisbon declaration of 2021.
Support to social innovation plays an important role in achieving these objectives and
should therefore be promoted.
(17) The principles of democracy, the rule of law and protection of fundamental rights are
fundamental values of the Union. These values are fundamental for every single
person, especially for those who are most vulnerable. Furthermore, they are
instrumental for the effective implementation of the ESF. Therefore, the ESF should
also support the promotion and implementation of these values for all. The ESF will
also continue to address the rights of persons with disabilities as enshrined in the UN
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. It will also ensure coherence
with the Union of Equality and its related Strategies1 that aim at combating
discrimination based on sex, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or
sexual orientation and ensure social cohesion by sustaining and developing open,
fundamental rights-based, democratic, equal and inclusive societies based on the rule
of law.
(18) Regulation (EU) [National Plan Regulation] requires that Member States respect
horizontal principles in the preparation and implementation of the national and
regional partnership plans. In this context, Member States should also be encouraged
to use the ESF to supports targeted actions to promote horizontal principles such as the
promotion of gender equality and ensuring the accessibility of services for people with
disabilities and to enable people with disabilities to actively participate.
(19) To ensure that the social dimension of Europe as set out in the European Pillar of
Social Rights is duly put forward and that a sufficient amount of resources is targeting
those most in need, Member States should allocate resources of the ESF to fostering
social inclusion.
(20) Due to the particular need to support children in poverty Member States should also
programme resources of the ESF to address the measures under the Child Guarantee.
(21) The ESF should contribute to the reduction of poverty by supporting national schemes
aiming to alleviate food and material deprivation and promote the social integration of
people at risk of poverty or social exclusion and the most deprived. Member States
should allocate resources of the ESF to address the forms of extreme poverty with the
greatest social exclusion impact, such as homelessness and food and material
deprivation.
(22) In light of persistently high levels of youth unemployment and inactivity in a number
of Member States and regions, in particular affecting young people who are neither in
employment, nor in education or training, it is necessary that those Member States
continue to invest sufficient resources of the ESF towards measures to promote youth
employment, including through the implementation of the Youth Guarantee. Member
States should therefore allocate an appropriate amount of resources to this challenge.
Member States seriously affected by youth unemployment should allocate resources of
the ESF to support youth employability.
EN 10 EN
(23) Efficient and effective implementation of actions supported by the ESF depends on
good governance and partnership between all actors at the relevant territorial levels
and the socio-economic actors, in particular the social partners and civil society. It is
therefore essential that Member States encourage the participation of social partners
and civil society in the implementation of the ESF. Member States that have received
a country-specific recommendation in this area should allocate resources of the ESF to
promote the capacity building of social partners and civil society organisations.]
(24) Taking into account the special characteristics and constraints of the outermost
regions, the Member States should include in their Chapter for outermost regions,
measures for enhancing employment and labour mobility, in particular for young
people, education and skills, social inclusion.
(25) Since the objective of this Regulation, namely enhancing the effectiveness of labour
markets and promoting access to quality employment, improving access to and the
quality of education and training, promoting social inclusion and health and reducing
poverty cannot be sufficiently achieved by the Member States but can rather, be better
achieved at Union level, the Union may adopt measures, in accordance with the
principle of subsidiarity as set out in Article 5 of the Treaty on European Union. In
accordance with the principle of proportionality, as set out in that Article, this
Regulation does not go beyond what is necessary in order to achieve that objective
HAVE ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:
Article 1
Subject matter
(1) This Regulation lays down specific conditions for the implementation of the
European Social Fund for the 2028-2034 programming period as part of the
Union support in accordance with the general objectives laid down in Article 2
of Regulation XX [NRP Plan Regulation], and in particular point (b) and (e)
thereof.
(2) This Union support shall be provided under the National and Regional
Partnership Plan, in accordance with the rules set out in Regulation (EU) […]
[NRP Plan].
Article 2
ESF support
(1) The European Social Fund (ESF) shall support the specific objectives set out in
Article 3 of Regulation XX [NRP Plan Regulation].
(2) For the purpose of paragraph 1, Member States use of the ESF shall, for the
purposes of Article 2, point (b) of Regulation XX [NRP Plan], be based on the
guidelines for the employment policies of the Member States, as provided for
in Article 148 (2) of the Treaty, set out in the Decision (EU) xxxx
[Employment guidelines adopted by the Council at the latest by 1 January
2027].
EN 11 EN
Article 4
Social innovation
(1) Social innovation shall be supported in the areas falling within the scope of the
ESF, in particular with the aim of testing, evaluating and scaling up innovative
solutions, including at the local or regional level, in order to address social
needs in partnership with the relevant partners and, in particular, social
partners.
(2) The Commission shall use technical assistance at its own initiative, in
accordance with Article 12 of Regulation (EU) [NRP Plan Regulation] to
facilitate capacity building for social innovation, in particular through
supporting mutual learning, transnational cooperation, establishing networks,
and disseminating and promoting good practices and methodologies.
Article 5
Support for demographic transition
Member States and regions shall, where appropriate, set out an integrated approach
to addressing challenges stemming from the demographic transition in one or more
dedicated chapters of the National Regional and Partnership Plan.
Article 6
Support for addressing material deprivation
(1) Member States may provide support for addressing material deprivation
through the distribution of food and goods that are in conformity with the
Union law on consumer product safety.
(2) Member States and beneficiaries shall choose the food and/or the basic
material assistance on the basis of objective criteria related to the needs of the
most deprived persons. The selection criteria for the food, and where
appropriate for goods, shall also take into consideration climate-related and
environmental aspects, in order to ensure a fair and just green transition, in
particular with a view to reduction of food waste and single-use plastics.
Where appropriate, the choice of the type of food to be distributed shall be
made having considered their contribution to the balanced diet of the most
deprived persons. The food and/or basic material assistance may be provided
directly to the most deprived persons or indirectly, for example, through
vouchers or cards, in electronic or other form, provided that they can be
redeemed only against food and/or basic material assistance. Support for the
most deprived persons shall be additional to any social benefit that may be
provided by national social systems or according to national law.
(3) The Commission and Member States shall ensure that aid provided in the
framework of the support for addressing material deprivation respects the
dignity and prevents stigmatisation of the most deprived persons.
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(4) Member States shall complement the delivery of food and/or basic material
assistance by accompanying measures, such as referrals to competent services
or by promoting the social integration of the most deprived persons.
The first subparagraph, shall not apply where the provision of such measures is
not possible, for instance, where the support is provided in response to an
emergency situation such as a natural disaster
(5) For the purposes of this Article, ‘most deprived persons’ means natural
persons, whether individuals, families, households or groups of persons,
including children in vulnerable situations and homeless people, whose need
for assistance has been established according to the objective criteria which are
set by the national competent authorities in consultation with relevant
stakeholders while avoiding conflicts of interest, and which may include
elements that allow for the targeting of the most deprived persons in certain
geographical areas.
Article 7
Partnership
Member States shall ensure meaningful participation of the social partners and civil society
organisations in the delivery of support for quality employment, education and skills and
social inclusion policies in accordance with Article 6 of Regulation XX [NRP Plan].
Article 8
Committee set up under Article 163 TFEU
(1) The Commission shall be assisted by the Committee set up under Article 163
TFEU (‘the ESF Committee’) with regard to the support provided for the
general objective referred to in Article 3(1), point (c) [specific objective –
employment] of Regulation XX [NRP Plan].
(2) Each Member State shall appoint one government representative, one
representative of the workers’ organisations, one representative of the
employers’ organisations and one alternate for each member for a maximum
period of seven years. In the absence of a member, the alternate shall be
automatically entitled to take part in the proceedings. The Committee shall also
include one representative from each of the organizations representing
workers’ organisations and employers’ organisations at Union level.
(3) The Committee may deliver opinions on any issues regarding the
implementation of the ESF.
Article 9
Entry into force and application
This Regulation shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in
the Official Journal of the European Union.
It shall apply from the date of application of Regulation (EU) […] establishing the National
and Regional Partnership Plan for the period 2028-2034.
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This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.
Done at Brussels,
For the European Parliament For the Council
The President The President
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