The ESF assessment drawn up by the European Commission

A report of the European Commission provides an overview of ESF action across the European Union, showing the extent of its action, with its strengths and weaknesses.

The ESF is the oldest structural fund in the European Union. Its creation has been going back for the Treaty of Roma in 1957. Its main objectives are to provide a substantial financial assistance in order to support employment and social inclusion. This fund remains on the only European funds dedicated especially for social affairs.

The European Commission’s report points that the ESF has been very useful for many populations, especially women and young people. Between 2007 and 2014, the ESF helped 10 million European citizens to find a job.

However, there are many disparities about the way that the ESF has been used by States. For instance, Bulgaria, the poorest country in the EU, utilized a lot of its ESF in order to improve social conditions of Bulgarians. On the contrary, Romania and Hungary, didn’t use that much of the available funds. For the most advanced countries in the EU, the ESF seems less attractive but is nether less a good financial support for employment and professional training.

Countries where the ESF is the most effective, are countries where social systems are not well developed. Then the ESF is a good European tool in order to socially harmonize the European Union.

Source : Euractiv