Kiri

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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

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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.

1 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.

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(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].

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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.

EN 13 EN

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

EN 14 EN