(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 Plus (ESF+). In order to contribute to the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights the ESF+ should support investments in people and systems in the policy areas of employment, education and social inclusion , thereby supporting economic, territorial and social cohesion in accordance with Article 174 TFEU .

(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 Plus (ESF+). In order to contribute to and support economic, social and territorial cohesion, in accordance with Article 174 TFEU, and the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights, the ESF+ should support investments in people and systems in the policy areas of employment, education and social inclusion.

(2)

At Union level, the European Semester of economic policy coordination is the framework to identify national reform priorities and monitor their implementation. Member States develop their own national multiannual investment strategies in support of those reform priorities. Those strategies should be presented alongside the yearly National Reform Programmes as a way to outline and coordinate priority investment projects to be supported by national and/or Union funding. They should also serve to use Union funding in a coherent manner and to maximise the added value of the financial support to be received notably from the programmes supported by the Union under the European Regional Development Fund, the Cohesion Fund, the European Social Fund Plus, the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development, the European Investment Stabilisation Function and InvestEU, where relevant.

(2)

At Union level, a long-term development strategy succeeding the Europe 2020 Strategy and implementing the Sustainable Development Goals is to provide a strategic framework for the new programming period starting in 2021. The European Semester of economic policy coordination is the framework to identify national reform priorities and monitor their implementation. Member States develop their own national multiannual investment strategies in support of those reform priorities. Those strategies should be developed by local, regional and national authorities working together and be presented alongside the yearly National Reform Programmes as a way to outline and coordinate priority investment projects to be supported by national and/or Union funding. They should also serve to use Union funding in a coherent manner and to maximise the added value of the financial support to be received notably from the programmes supported by the Union under the European Regional Development Fund, the Cohesion Fund, the European Social Fund Plus, the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development, the European Investment Stabilisation Function and InvestEU, where relevant.

(5)

The Union is confronted with structural challenges arising from economic globalisation, the management of migration flows and the increased security threat, clean energy transition, technological change and an increasingly ageing workforce and growing skills and labour shortages in some sectors and regions, experienced especially by SMEs. Taking into account the changing realities of the world of work, the Union should be prepared for the current and future challenges by investing in relevant skills, making growth more inclusive and by improving employment and social policies, including in view of labour mobility.

(5)

The Union is confronted with structural challenges arising from economic globalisation, the management of migration flows and the increased security threat, clean and just energy transition, technological change , including the digital transformation, the increasingly ageing European population, and growing skills and labour shortages in some sectors and regions, experienced especially by SMEs. Taking into account the changing realities of the world of work, the Union should be prepared for the current and future challenges by investing in relevant skills, making growth more inclusive , particularly at local and regional levels, and by improving education, training, employment and social policies, including in view of labour mobility.

(6)

Regulation (EU) No […] establishes the framework for action by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+), the Cohesion Fund, the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF), the Asylum and Migration Fund (AMIF), Internal Security Fund (ISF) and the Border Management and Visa Instrument (BMVI) as a part of the Integrated Border Management Fund (IBMF), and lays down, in particular, the policy objectives and the rules concerning programming, monitoring and evaluation, management and control for Union funds implemented under shared management. It is therefore necessary to specify the general objectives of the ESF+, and to lay down specific provisions concerning the type of activities that may be financed by the ESF+.

(6)

Regulation (EU) No […] establishes the framework for action by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+), the Cohesion Fund, the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF), the Asylum and Migration Fund (AMIF), Internal Security Fund (ISF) and the Border Management and Visa Instrument (BMVI) as a part of the Integrated Border Management Fund (IBMF), and lays down, in particular, the policy objectives and the rules concerning programming, monitoring and evaluation, management and control for Union funds implemented under shared management. It is therefore necessary to specify the general objectives of the ESF+ and how it ties in with the other funds , and to lay down specific provisions concerning the type of activities that may be financed by the ESF+.

(8)

The types of financing and the methods of implementation under this Regulation should be chosen on the basis of their ability to achieve the specific objectives of the actions and to deliver results, taking into account, in particular, the costs of controls, the administrative burden, and the expected risk of non-compliance. For grants, this should include consideration of the use of lump sums, flat rates and unit costs, as well as financing not linked to costs as envisaged in Article 125(1) of the Financial Regulation. To implement measures linked to the socioeconomic integration of third country nationals, and in accordance with Article 88 of the Common Provisions Regulation, the Commission may reimburse Member States using simplified cost options including the use of lump sums.

(8)

The types of financing and the methods of implementation under this Regulation should be chosen on the basis of their ability to achieve the specific objectives of the actions and to deliver results, taking into account, in particular, the costs of controls, the administrative burden, the characteristics of the actions and the expected risk of non-compliance. For grants, this should include consideration of the use of lump sums, flat rates and unit costs, as well as financing not linked to costs as envisaged in Article 125(1) of the Financial Regulation. To implement measures linked to the socioeconomic integration of third country nationals, and in accordance with Article 88 of the Common Provisions Regulation, the Commission may reimburse Member States using simplified cost options including the use of lump sums.

In view of this, it is important for simplification measures to be continued, in order to reduce the administrative burden and thus increase the added value, visibility and effectiveness of the funds by focusing effort and human resources on achieving political objectives as a priority.

(8bis)

Support under the investment priority ‘community-led local development’ can contribute to all the thematic objectives set out in this Regulation. The ‘community-led local development’ (CLLD) strategies supported by the ESF+ should be inclusive with regard to disadvantaged people living in the region, both in terms of the governance of the community development groups and in relation to the content of the strategy.

(14)

The ESF+ should provide support to improving the quality, effectiveness and labour market relevance of education and training systems in order to facilitate the acquisition of key competences notably as regards digital skills which all individuals need for personal fulfilment and development, employment, social inclusion and active citizenship. The ESF+ should help progression within education and training and transition to work, support lifelong learning 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.

(14)

As the EU’s main instrument for investing in human capital and skills, the ESF+ is to play a key role in promoting social, economic and territorial cohesion. The ESF+ should provide support to improving the quality, effectiveness and labour market relevance of education and training systems in order to facilitate the acquisition of key competences notably as regards digital skills which all individuals need for personal fulfilment and development, employment, social inclusion and active citizenship. The ESF+ should help progression within education and training and transition to work, support lifelong learning 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)

Support through the ESF+ should be used to promote equal access for all , in particular for disadvantaged groups, to quality, non-segregated and inclusive education and training, from early childhood education and care through general and vocational education and training and to tertiary level, as well as adult education and learning, thereby fostering permeability between education and training sectors, preventing early school leaving, improving health literacy, reinforcing links with non-formal and informal learning and facilitating learning mobility for all. Synergies with the Erasmus programme , notably to facilitate the participation of disadvantaged learners in learning mobility , should be supported within this context .

(15)

Support through the ESF+ should be used to promote equal access for all to quality, non-segregated education and training that, inter alia, promotes social inclusion and takes account of disadvantaged groups , from early childhood education and care , paying special attention to children coming from a disadvantaged social background, such as children in institutional care and children experiencing homelessness, through general and vocational education and training and to tertiary level and re-integration into the education system, as well as adult education and learning, thereby preventing the transmission of poverty through generations, fostering permeability between education and training sectors, preventing early school leaving and social exclusion, improving health literacy, reinforcing links with non-formal and informal learning and facilitating learning mobility for all. Synergies with the Erasmus programme should be established in this context in order to properly and actively reach out and to prepare disadvantaged learners for mobility experiences abroad and increase their participation in cross-border learning mobility.

(18)

The ESF+ should support Member States ’ efforts to tackle poverty with a view to breaking the cycle of 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, marginalised communities such as the Roma, and the working poor. The ESF+ should promote the active inclusion of people far from the labour market with a view to ensuring their socioeconomic integration. The ESF+ should be also used to enhance timely and equal access to affordable, sustainable and high quality services such as healthcare and long-term care, in particular family and community-based care services. The ESF+ should contribute to the modernisation of social protection systems with a view in particular to promoting their accessibility.

(18)

The ESF+ should support Member States’ efforts at all levels of government including at regional and local level to tackle poverty, including energy poverty as foreseen in the newly agreed rules on the Governance of the Energy Union, with a view to breaking the cycle of disadvantage across generations and promote social inclusion by ensuring equal opportunities for all, fighting discrimination and addressing social and health inequalities. This implies mobilising a range of pro-active and reactive policies targeting the most disadvantaged people regardless of their age, including children, in line with Principle 11 of the European Pillar of Social Rights, marginalised communities such as the Roma, persons with disabilities, people experiencing homelessness, third-country nationals and the working poor. The ESF+ should promote the active inclusion of people far from the labour market with a view to ensuring their social and economic integration including through targeted support to the social and solidarity-based economy . The ESF+ should be also used to enhance timely and equal access to free or affordable, sustainable and high quality services such as healthcare and long-term care, in particular family and community-based care services and services guiding access to adequate social or affordable housing . The ESF+ should contribute to the modernisation of social protection systems with a view in particular to promoting their accessibility.

(19)

The ESF+ should contribute to the reduction of poverty by supporting national schemes aiming to alleviate food and material deprivation and promote social integration of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion and the most deprived. With a view that at Union level at least 4 % of the resources of the ESF+ strand under shared management supports the most deprived, Member States should allocate at least 2 % of their national resources of the ESF+ strand under shared management to address the forms of extreme poverty with the greatest social exclusion impact, such as homelessness, child poverty and food deprivation. Due to the nature of the operations and the type of end recipients, it is necessary that simpler rules apply to support which addresses material deprivation of the most deprived.

(19)

The ESF+ should contribute to the reduction of poverty by supporting national and regional schemes aiming to alleviate food and material deprivation and promote social integration of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion and the most deprived. With a view that at Union level at least 4 % of the resources of the ESF+ strand under shared management supports the most deprived, Member States should allocate at least 2 % of their national resources of the ESF+ strand under shared management to address the forms of extreme poverty with the greatest social exclusion impact, such as homelessness, child poverty and food deprivation. Due to the nature of the operations and the type of end recipients, it is necessary that simpler rules apply to support which addresses material deprivation of the most deprived.

(20)

In light of the persistent need to enhance efforts to address the management of the migration flows in the Union as a whole and in order to ensure a coherent, strong and consistent support to the solidarity and responsibility-sharing efforts, the ESF+ should provide support to promote the socioeconomic integration of third country nationals complementary to the actions financed under the Asylum and Migration Fund.

(20)

In light of the persistent need to enhance efforts to address the management of the migration flows in the Union as a whole and in order to ensure a coherent, strong and consistent support to the solidarity and fair responsibility-sharing efforts, the ESF+ should provide support to promote the social and economic integration of third country nationals in a way that is both complementary to and coordinated with the actions financed under the Asylum and Migration Fund, the ERDF, and those funds which can have a positive effect on the inclusion of third-country nationals. Member States should allocate an appropriate amount of ESF+ resources to local and regional authorities to meet the needs for third-country nationals’ integration at the local level .

(21)

The ESF+ should support policy and system reforms in the fields of employment, social inclusion, healthcare and long-term care, and education and training. In order to strengthen alignment with the European Semester, Member States should allocate an appropriate amount of their resources of the ESF+ strand under shared management to implement relevant country-specific recommendations relating to structural challenges, which should be addressed through multiannual investments falling within the scope of the ESF+ . The Commission and the Member States should ensure coherence, coordination and complementarity between the shared-management and Health strands of ESF+ and the Reform Support Programme, including the Reform Delivery Tool and the Technical Support Instrument . In particular, the Commission and the Member State should ensure, in all stages of the process, effective coordination in order to safeguard the consistency, coherence, complementarity and synergy among sources of funding, including technical assistance thereof.

(21)

The ESF+ should support policy and system reforms in the fields of employment, social inclusion, healthcare and long-term care, and education and training linked to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals and to the challenges identified by the social scoreboard in the European Semester and in national reports . These reports will be prepared in close consultation with local and regional authorities. On the basis of the specific characteristics of each region, Member States will allocate an appropriate amount of their resources of the ESF+ strand under shared management to implement country-specific recommendations that are relevant from the point of view of the scope and mission of the ESF+ in coordination with local and regional authorities, taking into account distribution of competences for managing the different policies and the funding that is needed for this. The Commission, the Member States and the local and regional authorities should ensure coherence, coordination and complementarity between the shared-management and Health strands of ESF+ and the Reform Support Programme, while also maintaining the autonomy of the ESF+ which will only be able to finance the challenges identified by the European Semester when the goals coincide with those of the ESF+, avoiding an improper use of the ESF+ beyond its objectives . In particular, the Commission and the Member State should ensure, in all stages of the process, effective coordination in order to safeguard the consistency, coherence, complementarity and synergy among sources of funding, including technical assistance thereof.

(22bis)

In light of the persistently high levels of child poverty and social exclusion in the EU (26,4  % in 2017), and the European Pillar of Social Rights which states that children have the right to protection from poverty, and children from disadvantaged backgrounds have the rights to specific measures to enhance equal opportunities, Member States should allocate adequate amount of ESF+ resources under shared management to a European Child Guarantee scheme for the eradication of child poverty and social exclusion. Investing early in children yields significant returns for children and society as a whole. Supporting children to develop skills and capabilities enables them to develop their full potential, become active members of society and increase their chances on the labour market as young people.

(23)

In the 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+ strand under shared management towards actions to promote youth employment including through the implementation of Youth Guarantee schemes. Building on the actions supported by the Youth Employment Initiative in the 2014-2020 programming period targeting individual persons, Member States should further promote employment and education reintegration pathways and outreach measures for young people by prioritising, where relevant, long-term unemployed, inactive and disadvantaged young people including through youth work . Member States should also invest in measures aimed at facilitating school-to-work transition as well as reforming and adapting employment services with a view to providing tailor-made support to young people. Member States concerned should therefore allocate at least 10 % of their national resources of the ESF+ strand under shared management to support youth employability.

(23)

In the 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 and regions continue to invest sufficient resources of the ESF+ strand under shared management towards actions to promote youth employment including through the implementation of Youth Guarantee schemes. Building on the actions supported by the Youth Employment Initiative in the 2014-2020 programming period targeting individual persons, Member States and regions should further promote employment and education reintegration pathways and outreach measures for young people by prioritising, where relevant, long-term unemployed, inactive and disadvantaged young people including through youth employment . Member States and regions should also invest in measures aimed at facilitating school-to-work transition as well as reforming and adapting employment services with a view to providing tailor-made support to young people. Member States that have regions with high youth unemployment and inactivity should therefore allocate at least 15 % of their national resources of the ESF+ strand under shared management to support youth employability in these regions .

(24)

Member States should ensure coordination and complementarity between the actions supported by these funds.

(24)

Member States , while fully respecting the principles of partnership, subsidiarity and multi-level governance in accordance with Article 6 of the CPR, should ensure coordination and complementarity between the actions supported by these funds.

(25bis)

Account should also be taken of the provisions of the third paragraph of Article 174 TFEU, which states that particular attention shall be paid to regions which suffer from severe and permanent natural or demographic handicaps, such as island, cross-border and mountain regions.

(26)

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 socioeconomic 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+ under shared management.

(26)

Efficient and effective implementation of actions supported by the ESF+ depends on good governance and partnership between all actors at the relevant territorial levels, particularly and specifically at local and regional levels, and the socioeconomic actors, in particular the social partners, civil society and non-governmental organisations . It is therefore essential that Member States and local and regional authorities encourage the participation of social partners and civil society in the implementation of the ESF+ under shared management.

(28)

The Member States and the Commission should ensure that ESF+ contributes to the promotion of equality between women and men in accordance with Article 8 TFEU to foster equality of treatment and opportunities between women and men in all areas, including regarding participation in the labour market, terms and conditions of employment and career progression. They should also ensure that the ESF+ promotes equal opportunities for all, without discrimination in accordance with Article 10 TFEU and promotes the inclusion in society of persons with disabilities on equal basis with others and contributes to the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. These principles should be taken into account in all dimensions and in all stages of the preparation, monitoring, implementation and evaluation of programmes, in a timely and consistent manner while ensuring that specific actions are taken to promote gender equality and equal opportunities. The ESF+ should also promote the transition from residential/institutional care to family and community-based care, in particular for those who face multiple discrimination. The ESF+ should not support any action that contributes to segregation or to social exclusion. Regulation (EU) No [future CPR] provides that rules on eligibility of expenditure are to be established at national level, with certain exceptions for which it is necessary to lay down specific provisions with regard to the ESF+ strand under shared management.

(28)

The Managing Authorities of the Member States at local and regional levels, and the Commission should ensure that ESF+ contributes to the promotion of equality between women and men in accordance with Article 8 TFEU to foster equality of treatment and opportunities between women and men in all areas, including regarding participation in the labour market, terms and conditions of employment and career progression. They should also ensure that the ESF+ promotes equal opportunities for all, without discrimination in accordance with Article 10 TFEU and promotes the inclusion in society of persons with disabilities on equal basis with others and contributes to the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. These principles should be taken into account in all dimensions and in all stages of the preparation, monitoring, implementation and evaluation of programmes, in a timely and consistent manner while ensuring that specific actions are taken to promote gender equality and equal opportunities. The ESF+ should also promote the transition from residential/institutional care to family and community-based care, in particular for those who face multiple discrimination. The ESF+ should not support any action that contributes to segregation or to social exclusion. Regulation (EU) No [future CPR] provides that rules on eligibility of expenditure are to be established at national level, with certain exceptions for which it is necessary to lay down specific provisions with regard to the ESF+ strand under shared management.

(30)

With regard to the processing of personal data within the framework of this Regulation, national data controllers should carry out their tasks for the purposes of this Regulation in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council.

(30)

With regard to the processing of personal data within the framework of this Regulation, national and regional data controllers should carry out their tasks for the purposes of this Regulation in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council. In addition, Member States and regions must ensure access to this data through means that allow compliance with the transmission deadlines for the established indicators.

(31)

Social experimentation is a small-scale project testing which allows gathering evidence on the feasibility of social innovations. It should be possible for feasible ideas to be pursued on a wider scale or in other contexts with financial support from the ESF+ , as well as from other sources.

(31)

Social experimentation is a small-scale, project testing which allows gathering evidence on the feasibility of social innovations. It should be possible to evaluate the quality and encourage the pursuit of feasible ideas on a wider scale or in other contexts in different regions or Member States with financial support from the ESF+ or in combination with other sources.

(31bis)

The ESF+ covers cross-border partnerships between regional public employment services and social partners and their activities to promote voluntary and fair mobility, as well as transparency and integration of cross-border labour markets through information, advice and placement. In many border regions they play an important role in the development of a genuine European labour market.

(32)

ESF+ lays down provisions intended to achieve freedom of movement for workers on a non-discriminatory basis by ensuring the close cooperation of the central employment services of Member States with one another and with the Commission. The European network of employment services should promote a better functioning of the labour markets by facilitating the cross-border mobility of workers and a greater transparency of information on the labour markets. The ESF+ scope also includes developing and supporting targeted mobility schemes with a view to filling vacancies where labour market shortcomings have been identified.

(32)

ESF+ lays down provisions intended to achieve freedom of movement for workers on a non-discriminatory basis by ensuring the close cooperation of the central and regional employment services of Member States with one another and with the Commission. The European network of employment services should promote a better functioning of the labour markets by facilitating the cross-border mobility of workers and a greater transparency of information on the labour markets. The ESF+ scope also includes developing and supporting targeted mobility schemes with a view to filling vacancies where labour market shortcomings have been identified.

(36)

Keeping people healthy and active longer and empowering them to take an active role in managing their health will have positive effects on health, health inequalities, quality of life, productivity, competitiveness and inclusiveness, while reducing pressures on national budgets. The Commission has been committed to help Member States to reach their sustainable development goals (SDG), in particular SDG 3 ‘Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages’.

(36)

Keeping people healthy and active longer and empowering them to take an active role in managing their health will have positive effects particularly as regards reducing inequalities , in terms of access to healthcare, including preventive care , quality of life, productivity, competitiveness and inclusiveness, while reducing pressures on national budgets. The Commission has been committed to help Member States and regions to reach their sustainable development goals (SDG), in particular SDG 3 ‘Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages’.

(46)

Reflecting the importance of tackling climate change in line with the Union’s commitments to implement the Paris Agreement and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, this Regulation will contribute to mainstream climate action in the Union’s policies and to the achievement of an overall target of 25 % of the EU budget expenditures supporting climate objectives. Relevant actions will be identified during the preparation and implementation, and reassessed in the context of the mid-term evaluation.

(46)

Reflecting the importance of tackling climate change in line with the Union’s commitments to implement the Paris Agreement and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, this Regulation will contribute to mainstream climate action to ensure a socially acceptable and fair transition to a sustainable low carbon economy in the Union’s policies and to the achievement of an overall target that can exceed 30 % of the EU budget expenditures supporting climate objectives. Relevant actions will be identified during the preparation and implementation, and reassessed in the context of the mid-term evaluation.

(3)

‘basic material assistance’ means goods which fulfil the basic needs of a person for a life with dignity, such as clothing, hygiene goods and school material;

(3)

‘basic material assistance’ means goods which fulfil the basic needs of a person for a life with dignity, such as clothing, hygiene goods and school material , adequate nutrition, decent housing and healthcare ;

(10)

‘legal entity’ means any natural person, or any legal person created and recognised as such under national law, Union law or international law, which has a legal personality and which may, acting in its own name, exercise rights and be subject to obligations;

(10)

‘legal entity’ means any natural person, or any legal person created and recognised as such under national law, Union law or international law, which has a legal personality and which may, acting in its own name, exercise rights and be subject to obligations;

(16)

‘social innovations’ mean activities that are social both as to their ends and their means and in particular those which relate to the development and implementation of new ideas ( concerning products, services and models) that simultaneously meet social needs and create new social relationships or collaborations, thereby benefiting society and boosting its capacity to act;

(16)

‘social innovations’ mean collective activities that are social both as to their ends and their means and in particular those which relate to the development testing, validation, implementation and scaling of new ( combinations of) products, services, models or practices that meet social needs and resolve societal challenges, and simultaneously create new social relationships or collaborations between public, private and third sector organisations , thereby empowering civil society actors and boosting their capacity to act;

(17)

‘social experimentations’ mean policy interventions that offer an innovative response to social needs, implemented on a small scale and in conditions that enable their impact to be measured, prior to being implemented in other contexts or on a larger scale, if the results prove convincing ;

(17)

‘social experimentations’ mean the test and the comparative assessment of the innovative response to social needs, implemented on a small scale and in conditions that enable their impact to be measured, prior to being implemented in other geographical or sectoral contexts or on a larger scale, if the results prove advantageous over current practice ;

(i)

improving access to employment of all jobseekers, in particular youth and long-term unemployed, and of inactive people, promoting self-employment and the social economy;

(i)

improving access to employment of all jobseekers, in particular youth and long-term unemployed, inactive people and people with disabilities , promoting self-employment and increasing employment in businesses and social economy entities and supporting cross-border labour mobility ;

(ii)

modernising labour market institutions and services to assess and anticipate skills needs and ensure timely and tailor-made assistance and support to labour market matching, transitions and mobility;

(ii)

modernising labour market institutions and services to assess and anticipate skills needs and ensure timely and tailor-made assistance and support to labour market matching, transitions and mobility , and improve the quality of all aspects of work ;

(iv)

improving the quality, effectiveness and labour market relevance of education and training systems, to support acquisition of key competences including digital skills;

(iv)

improving the quality, effectiveness and labour market relevance of education and training systems, including higher education systems, to support acquisition of key competences including digital skills;

(v)

promoting equal access to and completion of, quality and inclusive education and training, in particular for disadvantaged groups, from early childhood education and care through general and vocational education and training, and to tertiary level, as well as adult education and learning, including facilitating learning mobility for all;

(v)

promoting equal access to and completion of, quality and inclusive education and training, in particular for disadvantaged groups, from early childhood education and care through general and vocational education and training, and to tertiary level, as well as adult education and learning and higher education , including facilitating learning mobility for all;

(xii)

strengthening the institutional capacity of the authorities and stakeholders and contributing to efficient public administration.

1.

a smarter Europe through the development of skills for smart specialisation, skills for key enabling technologies, industrial transition, sectorial cooperation on skills and entrepreneurship, the training of researchers, networking activities and partnerships between higher education institutions, vocational and educational training (VET) institutions, research and technological centres and enterprises and clusters, support to micro, small and medium sized enterprises and the social economy;

1.

a smarter Europe through the development of skills for smart specialisation, skills for key enabling technologies, industrial transition, sectorial cooperation on skills and entrepreneurship, the training of researchers and trainers , networking activities and partnerships between higher education institutions, vocational and educational training (VET) institutions, research and technological centres and enterprises and clusters, support to micro, small and medium sized enterprises and the social economy;

(a)

the purchase of land and real estate, and the provision of infrastructure; and

(a)

the purchase of land and real estate, and the provision of infrastructure; and

(b)

the purchase of furniture, equipment and vehicles except where the purchase is necessary for achieving the objective of the operation, or these items are fully depreciated, or the purchase of these items is the most economic option.

(h)

to provide guidance for the development of social infrastructure (including housing, child care and education and training, health care and long-term care) needed for the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights;

(h)

to provide guidance for the development of social infrastructure (including housing, child care and education and training, health care and long-term care and community-led development strategies ) needed for the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals ;

—

Number of children below 18 years of age

—

Number of children below 18 years of age,