Background Document - European Commission

Background Document - European Commission

Background Document
Public consultation in the context of ex-post evaluation of the European
Social Fund during the 2007-2013 programming period
Purpose of this public consultation
This consultation seeks feedback from the direct stakeholders of the European Social Fund (ESF)
during 2007-2013 programming period in the 28 EU member states as well as of the wider public. It
complements the analysis and findings of a series of thematic studies commissioned by the DG EMPL
in the framework of the ESF ex-post evaluation.
Results of this consultation will be analysed and summarised in a synopsis report that will be
published on the consultation website of DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion. They will also
be reflected in the Staff Working Document presenting the results of the evaluation.
European Social Fund
The ESF is the major financial instrument in support of human capital in the European Union (EU) and
exists since the 1957 Treaty of Rome.
The views that are sought for this consultation relate to the 2007-2013 programming period. The ESF
was delivered through mono-fund operational programmes of seven-year duration. Operations may
still extend to 2015.
€115 billion (of these €77 billion from the EU budget, the remainder from national public and private
contributions) were dedicated to ESF programmes during the 2007-2013 programing period.
For the 2007-2013 programming period, the ESF was tasked to contribute to the priorities of the
Union "as regards strengthening economic and social cohesion by improving employment and job
opportunities, encouraging a high level of employment and more and better jobs 1". In particular, the
ESF was designed to "support actions based on the European Employment Strategy, as incorporated
into the Integrated Guidelines for Growth and Jobs, and the accompanying recommendations1".
The Commission and Member States worked in partnership to determine the priorities within each
Member State so as to achieve respective convergence and competitiveness objectives.
1
Regulation (EC) No 1081/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 July 2006 on the
European Social Fund and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1784/1999
Actions supported by the ESF were organised around priorities. For the purposes of the ex-post
evaluation these were grouped into five themes:
Access to Employment
Enhancing access to employment and the sustainable inclusion in the labour market
of job seekers and inactive people, preventing unemployment, in particular longterm and youth unemployment, encouraging active ageing and longer working lives,
and increasing participation in the labour market.
Social Inclusion
Reinforcing the social inclusion of disadvantaged people with a view to their
sustainable integration in employment and combating all forms of discrimination in
the labour market.
Human Capital
Investment in enhancing human capital aimed to develop the skills of the various
target groups (such as pupils, students, educators) to improve the quality of
education and training systems (such as schools, universities and vocational
education centres). The Human capital theme includes also actions for increasing
adaptability of workers, enterprises and entrepreneurs with a view to improving the
anticipation and positive management of economic change.
Promoting Partnerships
Pacts and initiatives through networking of relevant stakeholders to mobilise for
reforms in the field of employment and labour market inclusiveness.
Strengthening institutional capacity
Strengthening the capacity and the efficiency of public administrations and public
services with a view to reforms, better regulation and good governance especially in
the economic, employment, education, social, environmental and judicial fields.”
More information on the ESF can be found at:
http://ec.europa.eu/esf/
Rules for ESF 2007-2013:
http://ec.europa.eu/esf/main.jsp?catId=571&langId=en
The ESF 2007-2013 ex-post evaluation
This evaluation is required by Art.49.3 of Council Regulation (EC) No 1083/2006. To fulfil this
requirement the Commission has commissioned 3 thematic studies and one synthesis study.
The corresponding intermediary and final reports are available on this website:
http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=701&langId=en
Target groups of this consultation
All citizens and organisations are welcome to contribute to this consultation.
Contributions are particularly sought from stakeholders directly involved in the ESF during the 20072013 programming period:
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Stakeholders involved in the management of operational programmes, including
Member states, Managing Authorities, Implementing bodies at all levels, social and
other partners represented in the monitoring committee,
Stakeholders involved in the delivery of ESF operations as project promoters such as
training organisations, PES, NGOs, municipalities, chambers of commerce and similar
service providers,
Participants in ESF support measures such as: individuals, firms, NGOs, public
administrations.
Scope of consultation
This consultation includes questions covering the following evaluation criteria: Relevance,
Coherence, Effectiveness, Efficiency, and EU-Added Value.
Responses should only relate to the interventions funded through 2007-2013 programming period,
even if projects could still be run in years 2014-2015. Responses should not relate to 2014-2020 ESF
programmes, as these projects are subject to different rules and will only be evaluated at a later
stage.