After more than a year of difficult negotiations, against the backdrop of rising infection rates, states of emergency, confinement measures… the legislative process has prevailed and so will support for thousands of Maltese and millions of Europeans over the coming years.
Last month, the European Parliament and each EU member state agreed on the multi-billion-euro framework I had been appointed to negotiate on behalf of the European Parliament.
The European Social Fund is the EU’s main financial tool, which has been extended beyond its seven-year cycle to assist governments in improving the lives of Europe’s citizens. It boasts ambitious aims and an even more ambitious budget, which will go to a variety of organisations, state bodies and projects aimed at a fairer society with equal opportunities for access to employment and training.
The ESF, born long before Malta joined the EU, is the main tool to directly improve society and the economy through initiatives managed by small organisations and aimed at individuals. Tens of billions of euros are spent over a seven-year cycle.
At its heart, the ESF puts into practice Europe’s commitment to a social economy that safeguards its working citizens, which is why it has been running since 1957. EU financing managed in Malta by JobsPlus improves employment in two ways: firstly, by assisting in accessing employment opportunities for the unemployed and jobseekers, for instance those returning to the job market after a long-term absence. To achieve this, the ESF supports enterprises to promote inclusivity in their workforce to create job opportunities directly. Typically, these are aimed at those who are most vulnerable or disadvantaged in the market so that nobody gets left behind.
Facing the bleak prospects of the coronavirus fallout, these initiatives will be indispensable going forward. Along those lines, the second way the ESF supports employment is through the promotion of lifelong learning. It is through EU funds that so many individuals can upgrade their skills and knowledge on a constant basis. This is relevant on two counts.
It promotes flexibility, which makes it easier to access opportunities, and improves job security as a result.
While Europe funds learning opportunities for those with a basic level of education, it isn’t the whole story. Every year, Maltese students are able to take their education to the next level, pursuing their masters and doctorates with the help of EU funds through the Endeavour programme. Workers in vital sectors are able to sharpen their skills. To name just one example, nursing students and nurses at Saint Vincent de Paul Residence benefitted from an ESF-funded programme on treating patients with dementia.
Hundreds more initiatives took place in Malta because of this and many more thousands around Europe. There is that stubborn impression that Europe’s legislative process seems remote and inaccessible, tucked away in a cold foreign country. It helps to see the real effect when you look at individual examples of how the EU improves citizens lives on the ground.
Creating a fairer Europe has never been more relevant now- David Casa
In the last cycle, Malta benefitted from millions of euros for employment and education alone and it will again benefit from tens of millions of euros for several years to come.
Figures do not speak for themselves all the time but it does make sense to know that Europe helped to improve the quality of life of a dementia patient and his carer. It helps to know that a student could further her studies and build a better life than her parents could in their situation. There are thousands more stories with which EU citizens can relate. As a member of the European Parliament’s Committee on Employment and Social Affairs, this is what drives me and my colleagues.
Creating a fairer Europe has never been more relevant now. Those at the bottom of the income scale, once again, were affected disproportionately by the coronavirus. These are people who were impacted adversely, even if they were never infected. Our work in the European Parliament is concerned with the social symptoms of something that is more than just a medical phenomenon. And the social symptoms have been likewise dire.
The FEAD initiative that passed recently is targeted to curb the effects of the coronavirus on Europe’s most vulnerable. Within the REACT-EU package, this will give states greater sources of funding, including from the old ESF fund, while the ESF+ for the next period will, hopefully, outlive the pandemic as it ends in 2027.
As Europe emerges from the pandemic, I am confident that our government – and governments across the EU – have been well-equipped to support our citizens’ well-being thanks to this crucial fund.
David Casa is the European Parliament’s rapporteur on the European Social Fund Plus.