The European Association of Service providers for Persons with Disabilities (EASPD) and 45 prominent European networks, have co-signed the Joint Statement “Keep what works: 8 success factors for a future ESF+.” This comes ahead of upcoming proposals by the European Commission on the next EU Budget. Recent leaks of the European Commission’s intentions have raised significant concerns that the European Social Fund will be removed from their proposals, despite its significant success over the last 65 years.

On 16 July, the European Commission is expected to launch their overarching and programme-specific proposals for the next Multi-Annual Financial Framework (MFGF), post-2027. This moment will mark the formal start of negotiations over the EU’s next long-term budget. Programmes such as the European Social Fund+ (ESF+) have enabled millions of people across the European Union, particularly those most excluded, to gain access to quality employment, training and social support programmes.

Recent leaks, as well as the EU Commission’s new political priorities, have sparked significant concerns that these programmes will be removed, merged or weakened. 

On these concerns, Thomas Bignal, Secretary General EASPD, says, “The European Social Fund+ delivers guaranteed funding to our local communities, in particular to those most on the margins. ESF+ embraces a philosophy, a way of working, between the EU and its regions, through shared governance, jointly established priorities and partnership with civil society. All this matters, because the most successful social projects are typically implemented locally, in partnership with Social Economy actors and in line with European values while providing the opportunity to learn from other good practices across the Union.”

For this reason, EASPD led and co-signed the Joint Statement “Keep what works: 8 success factors for a future ESF+.” Collectively, the co-signatories of the Joint Statement are the main European networks representing hundreds of millions of people in Europe as well as millions of workers and Social Economy organisations, including over 200,000 social service providers, education and training providers and work integration social enterprises.

The statement highlights eight primary success factors of the European Social Fund+ and advocates for its inclusion in the EU Commission’s forthcoming proposals. These success factors include:

• Guaranteed funding for employment, training & social initiatives
• Multi-level governance, through shared management between the EU and its regions
• Earmarking for social inclusion, to ensure funding also reaches the most excluded
• Simplification and flexibility for end-beneficiaries, to make EU Funds more attractive
• Enabling conditions, to align funds with international legal frameworks
• The partnership principle, to ensure EU funds meet local needs
• Funding for local initiatives, instead of solely large-scale projects
• Focus on long-term priorities and reforms, rather than short-term investments only.

EASPD and the 45 signatories look forward to working with the European Institutions in the months to come to create a European budget that is fair, that works for all and that helps to make the European Union inclusive and sustainable.

Read the full joint statement here.

Supporting Documents.

• Joint Statement- Keep what works: 8 success factors for a future ESF+
• European Commission – what is the ESF+?
• European Commission – ESF+ factsheet
• Helpdesk project
• EU funds for social services: technical guidance on effective interventions
• ESF+ Committee Opinion on the future ESF
• MEPs demand a strengthened and separate European Social Fund Plus post-2027
• Joint Statement- Time for ambition: The EU needs a strong Social Fund to live up to its commitments

For more information, please contact:
Irene Bertana, Senior Policy Officer and EU Parliament Liaison, EASPD

Note to editors:

The European Association of Service providers for Persons with Disabilities (EASPD) is the leading voice of disability services across Europe. Representing over 20,000 services in 50 different countries, we promote human rights and equal opportunities for people with disabilities through effective and high-quality support.

Our work focuses on key areas essential to quality support provision. This includes Inclusive Living, Employment, Education, Early Childhood Intervention, Person-Centred Technology, Workforce Development and Human Resources, Arts, Culture & Sport, and Policy Impact.