today – In July, the European Commission approved the program after two years of negotiations ESF Plus approved by the state of South Tyrol. The financial framework for the next seven years is € 150 million, which is higher than the previous programming period. The ESF will be Program period 2021–2027 to the European Social Fund Plus (ESF +). The priorities remain employment, education, training and social inclusion, with a particular focus on young people and social innovation.
The planning of the new programming period 2021-27 was the subject of the meeting at the end of last week ESF Monitoring Committeein the presence of the governor Arno Kompatscher. The governor stressed that a new program planning for the ESF and all the European structural funds is at the beginning. Faced with world events, 2021-27 programming represents a great challenge for everyone, on the one hand for the important objectives to be achieved and on the other for the need to use the different tools developed by the EU, such as the recovery plan (Pnrr) to coordinate optimally. Kompatscher also stressed that the European Social Fund is still important for South Tyrol.
The Head of the Europe Department, Martha Garber, he stressed that “the European Structural Funds in the social field represent an important opportunity to implement measures for social balance and equal opportunities. The European Social Fund program therefore also contributes to preventing the radicalization of the South Tyrolean social structure”.
The director of the ESF office, Claudia Weiler, recalled that in 2021, as in 2014-2020, the planned spending targets were achieved and the financial envelope of the operational program was fully used. “The ESF has also helped to counter the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic by providing 28 million euros to support the incomes of private sector workers by financing social safety nets”. The allocation of these funds did not prevent the continuation of ESF activities, explained the director of the office. Rather, the reprogramming and establishment of a specific accompanying program (so-called POC) ensured the implementation of all the initiatives.
In the current year 2022, three final calls have been published on the ESF program 2014-20 with a financial framework of ten million euros: these are the training of the unemployed, further training of employees and preparation for the membership qualification exam. – health and nursing staff. The first call for project proposals for the new programming period 2021-27 will follow by the end of the year.
red / jw
