The ESF: Defining The Strategy
The ESF is managed through seven-year programming cycles. The ESF strategy and budget is negotiated between the EU Member States, the European Parliament and the EU Commission. The strategy defines the objectives of ESF funding, which it shares partly or wholly with other structural funding. For the current ESF funding cycle these objectives are:
- The regional competitiveness and employment objective: to reinforce regional competitiveness, employment and attractiveness for investment.
- The convergence objective: to stimulate growth and employment in the least-developed regions. This objective receives more than 80% of total ESF funding.
The strategy also lays down broad ‘priority axes’ – the actions required to achieve the objectives and which are eligible for funding.
Read more about this topic: European Social Fund
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