2011/268 (COD)

Proposal for an

amendment to the Commission Proposal COM(2011) 607 final/2 - REGULATION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL

on the European Social Fund and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 1081/2006

Commission's proposal COM(2011) 607 final/2 is amended as follows:

(1) the following recital (6 bis) is added:

'(6 bis) In light of the persistent need to make an effort to address youth unemployment in the Union's most affected regions, a Youth Employment Initiative (YEI) should be created. It should support in those regions young people not in employment, education or training (NEET), who are unemployed or inactive, by reinforcing and accelerating the delivery of activities supported by ESF funding. Additional funds should specifically be attributed to the YEI matched with investment from the ESF. By targeting individual persons rather than structures, the YEI should aim to complement other ESF and national actions targeting young NEET with the objective of implementing the Youth Guarantee[1].'

(2) Article 1 is replaced by the following:

'Article 1 Subject matter

This Regulation establishes the mission of the European Social Fund (ESF), including the Youth Employment Initiative, the scope of its assistance, specific provisions and the types of expenditure eligible for assistance.'

(3) In Article 3, paragraph 1(a)(ii) is replaced by the following:

'(ii) Sustainable integration into the labour market of young people (aged 15-24) not in employment, education or training, in particular in the context of the Youth Guarantee;'

(4) Article 5 is replaced by the following:

'Article 5 Indicators

1. Common indicators as set out in the Annex I to this Regulation and programme specific indicators shall be used in accordance with Article 24(3) and 87(2)(b)(ii) of Regulation (EU) No […]. All indicators shall be expressed in absolute numbers. Common and programme specific output indicators relate to partially or fully implemented operations. Where relevant to the nature of the operations supported, cumulative quantified target values shall be fixed for 2022. Baseline indicators shall be set at zero. Common and programme specific result indicators relate to the priority axes. Baseline indicators shall use the latest available data. Cumulative quantified target values shall be fixed for 2022.

1 bis. In addition to paragraph 1, indicators as set out in the Annex II to this Regulation shall be used for all operations supported under the investment priority referred to in Article 3(1)(a)(ii). All indicators set out in Annex II to this Regulation shall be linked with a quantified cumulative target value for 2022 and a baseline.

2. At the same time as the annual implementation reports, the managing authority shall transmit electronically structured data for each investment priority. The data shall cover the categorisation and the output and result indicators.'

(5) the following Chapter III bis is added:

'Chapter III bis Youth Employment Initiative

Article 15 i Objective of the Youth Employment Initiative

The Youth Employment Initiative shall support the fight against youth unemployment in the eligible regions of the Union, as referred to in Annex IIIter to Regulation (EU) No [CPR] through support to actions under Article 3 (1) (a) (ii) of this Regulation. It shall target all young persons (aged 15-24) not in employment, education or training, residing in the eligible regions, who are inactive or unemployed (including long-term unemployed), and registered or not as seeking work.

In agreement with the Commission, the Member State may decide to allocate a limited amount not exceeding 10% of the funds under the YEI for young persons residing in sub-regions which experience high youth unemployment levels and which are outside the eligible NUTS 2 regions.

Article 15ii Thematic concentration

The specific allocation for YEI shall not be taken into account for the purpose of calculating the thematic concentration referred to in Article 4.

Article 15 iii Programming

The Youth Employment Initiative is integrated in the programming of the ESF under Article 87 of Regulation (EU) No [CPR]. Where appropriate, Member States shall set out the programming arrangements for the YEI in the partnership agreement and in the Operational programme. The arrangements may take one or several of the following forms:

(a) a dedicated operational programme;

(b) a dedicated priority axis within an operational programme;

(c) a part of a priority axis.

Article 15iv Monitoring and evaluation

1. In addition to the provisions made in Article 100 of Regulation (EU) No [CPR], at least once per year, the monitoring committee shall examine the implementation of the Youth Employment Initiative in the context of the programme and progress towards achieving its objectives.

2. The Annual Implementation Report and the final report as referred to in Article 44(1) and (2) of Regulation (EU) No [CPR] shall include additional information on the implementation of the Youth Employment Initiative.

3. At the same time as the annual implementation report referred to in Article 44(1) and (2) of Regulation (EU) No [CPR], the managing authority shall transmit electronically structured data for each priority axis or a part thereof supporting the Youth Employment Initiative. Data transmitted shall relate to values for the indicators set out in annex 1 and 2 of this Regulation and, where applicable, to programme specific indicators. They shall relate to partially or fully implemented operations.

4. The annual implementation report referred to in Article 44(4) of Regulation (EU) No [CPR] and the final report shall present the main findings of evaluations referred to in paragraph 6 of this article assessing the effectiveness, efficiency and impact of the Youth Employment Initiative.

5. The progress reports as referred to in Article 46 of Regulation (EU) No [CPR] shall include additional information on and assess the implementation of the Youth Employment Initiative.

6. At least twice during the programming period, an evaluation shall assess the effectiveness, efficiency and impact of support from the European Social Fund and the specific allocation for YEI and implementation of the Youth Guarantee.

Article 15 v Information and publicity measures

1. The beneficiaries shall ensure that those taking part in an operation are specifically informed of the YEI support.

2. Any document, including an attendance or other certificate, concerning such an operation shall include a statement to the effect that the operation was supported under the YEI.

Article 15 vi Technical assistance

The specific allocation for YEI may be taken into account by the Member States in the calculation of the limit to the total amount of the Funds allocated to technical assistance of the Member State.

Article 15 vii Financial support

1. The Commission decision adopting an operational programme shall fix the maximum amount of support from the ESF and from the specific allocation for YEI for each priority axis. The ESF shall at least match the support from the specific allocation for YEI for each priority axis.

2. On the basis of the amounts referred to in paragraph 1, the Commission decision shall also fix the ratio between the ESF and the specific allocation for YEI.

3. Where the YEI is implemented by a specific priority axis covering eligible regions from more than one category, the highest co-financing rate shall apply with regard to the ESF allocation. The specific allocation for YEI shall not be subject to the national co-financing requirement. The overall co-financing rate of the priority axis fixed by the Commission decision referred to in paragraph 1 shall be calculated taking into account the co-financing rate of the ESF allocation together with the special allocation for the initiative.'

Article 15 viii Financial management

In addition to the provisions of Article 120 of Regulation (EU) No [CPR], when the Commission reimburses interim payments and pays the final balance for the Youth Employment Intiative by priority axis, it shall allocate the reimbursement from the Union budget between the ESF and the specific allocation for YEI according to the ratio laid down in Article 15 vii (2).' (6) the following Annex II is added:

'Annex II Indicators for the Youth Employment Initiative (YEI)

The data for all indicators set out in this annex are to be provided in the annual implementation reports as referred to in Article 44(1) and (2) of Regulation (EU) No [CPR]. All data are to be broken down by gender.

The following immediate result indicators shall apply:

· Unemployed participants who receive an offer of employment, continued education, apprenticeship or traineeship within 4 months after joining the YEI operation*;

· Long-term unemployed participants who receive an offer of employment, continued education, apprenticeship or traineeship within 4 months after joining the YEI operation*;

· Inactive participants not in education or training who receive an offer of employment, continued education, apprenticeship or traineeship within 4 months after joining the YEI operation*.

The following longer-term result indicator shall apply

· Participants in continued education, training programmes leading to a qualification, an apprenticeship or a traineeship 6 months after leaving*.

By derogation to Annex I, data for the following common longer-term result indicators are to be reported in the annual implementation reports as specified in Article 44 (1) and (2)

· Participants in employment 6 months after leaving*;

· Participants in self-employment 6 months after leaving*.'

[1] Council Recommendation on Establishing a Youth Guarantee, XXX