COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE ON EUROPEAN SOCIAL FUND SUPPORT FOR THE EUROPEAN EMPLOYMENT STRATEGY

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

In Agenda 2000, the Commission put forward plans to reform the European Structural Funds. The objective was to increase the effectiveness of the Funds through greater thematic and geographic concentration in order to respond effectively to the new challenges of economic and social cohesion. At the Berlin European Council in 1999, Heads of State and Government reached a political agreement on the reform. In particular, the European Social Fund received a new role to support the European Employment Strategy initiated at the Luxembourg summit in 1997. As ESF programmes for 2000-2006 have now been adopted, this communication addresses the question of how these programmes have taken into account the need to integrate the ESF within the key priorities of the European Employment Strategy.

The new European Social Fund programmes will make an investment in people of around 60 billion EUR as part of the modernisation and reform of the labour markets. They will give particular attention to integrating marginalised groups into the economy and society. It will also contribute to the transition towards the knowledge-based economy and strengthen the competitive position of the European economy.

The European Employment Strategy puts a strong emphasis on four key areas: employability, entrepreneurship, adaptability and equal opportunities. ESF support under Objectives 1 and 3 will promote these areas in the following way:

* Employability: Around 60% (34BEUR) of the European Social Fund budget will be allocated to improve employability across the European Union. A third of this amount, nearly 11BEUR, is earmarked for the fight against social exclusion.

* Entrepreneurship: The promotion of entrepreneurship will receive 8BEUR from ESF to provide the essential leverage for new business start-ups and job creation in the service sector.

* Adaptability: Close to 11BEUR will be allocated to invest in the adaptability of the European labour force, with the main priorities being the development of continuous learning, ICT use, and SME oriented activities.

* Equal opportunities: the mainstreaming of equal opportunities throughout the entire strategy does not allow to give a precise total amount devoted to equal opportunities. The budget for specific actions, however, accounts for around 4BEUR.

Until negotiations are complete it is not possible to present figures on how the remaining funds under Objective 2 will support the employment strategy.

This Communication also outlines how the European Social Fund underpins the Member States' commitments made in their National Action Plans for employment. The key focus is on the preventative approach. This aims to prevent people becoming long-term unemployed by offering a springboard into the labour market rather than simply a safety-net. It also highlights how the European Social fund is a catalyst for national policies on equal opportunities, in particular aimed at increasing the employment rate for women, with a view to reach full employment for both men and women. The overall package of support will provide a sound basis to underpin both the European Employment Strategy and policy commitments made at the Lisbon European Council.

National, regional and local authorities as well as social partners and the European Commission will have to work together pursue in the coming years to maximise the impact of these new programmes for the economic and social renewal of the European Union.

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE

ON EUROPEAN SOCIAL FUND SUPPORT FOR THE EUROPEAN EMPLOYMENT STRATEGY

1. Introduction

With investment in people recognised as a key driver for economic growth, this communication turns the spotlight on the EU's main financial tool for promoting human resource development, the European Social Fund (ESF). Since its very beginning, the ESF has changed in the face of new challenges. New ways of organising work, new skills needs, new technologies all require a new response from ESF. Despite rising employment levels and favourable macro-economic conditions, unemployment and low employment rates within some Member States continue to pose a threat to economic and social cohesion in Europe. New programmes for the period 2000-2006 will provide significant Community financial resources to support the Member States in the development and implementation of their employment policies. Within the framework of the European Employment Strategy [1], about 60 BEUR of EU funds [2] will be available through ESF over the next 7 years to:

[1] It is also important to recognise the valuable contribution of other Structural Funds in supporting the European Employment Strategy.

[2] 57 Billion EUR is available from ESF under Objectives 1 and 3.

* promote greater economic and social cohesion [3] across the EU;

[3] ESF is one of 4 EU Structural Funds. All work to promote greater economic and social cohesion. See annex 1.

* promote job creation and competitiveness across the EU by investing in skills development;

* support the specific labour market development needs of those regions lagging behind the rest of the EU [4];

[4] ESF provides just under a quarter of structural funds investment in Objective 1 areas (see annex 2).

* underpin the commitments made at the Lisbon European Council to promote a dynamic knowledge-based economy;

* provide the necessary investment in people and training infrastructure to complement development and introduction of new technologies;

* ensure that all people have an equal chance to share in the benefits of economic growth;

* bridge the employment gap between men and women.

This communication looks primarily at the role of ESF under Objectives 1 and 3 of the Structural Funds in supporting the objectives of the European Employment Strategy. ESF support through Objective 2 will also play an important part in promoting the EES within those areas adapting to industrial change. Negotiations over Objective 2 programmes are ongoing. Until these negotations are complete, it is not possible to provide detailed evidence on the nature of ESF support. However, the Commission is actively promoting the link between Objective 2 plans and the wider employment strategy to ensure that all programmes are working towards the common objective of more and better jobs.

2. Role of the European Social Fund in supporting the European Employment Strategy

At the Amsterdam European Council in June 1997, Member States agreed a new employment title in the Treaty in order to better link employment and economic policy. While confirming the primary responsibility for Member States in the design and delivery of employment policies, the Treaty provided the legal base for a more strategic framework for co-ordination of employment policies in the European Union.

The Luxembourg European Council of November that year initiated what is known as the European Employment Strategy (EES) or the Luxembourg process. Heads of State and Government agreed a framework for action based on the commitment from Member States to establish a set of common objectives and targets for employment policy against four pillars: employability, entrepreneurship, adaptability and equal opportunities. This provides the cornerstone for ESF activity.

One of the guiding principles of the European Employment Strategy is to turn passive measures into active labour market policies. The European Social Fund provides an important lever to encourage and support Member States to make their policies more active. Across the EU, ESF makes up an estimated 8% [5] of expenditure on active labour market policies. The combined national and Community effort represents a significant investment in Europe's future.

[5] See annex 3 for details.

Preparations for the EU enlargement see the EES extending its influence eastwards. The participation of candidate countries in the EES is a top priority in the Accession Partnerships. These Partnerships identify for each candidate country the key areas in which progress must be made and outline the ways in which the Phare Programme will support preparation for accession. The Phare programme finances projects in the field of employment and human resources development through its main 'Institution Building' strand and through a specific 'Economic and Social Cohesion' strand. Several projects deal specifically with preparations for future participation in the ESF [6]. Of crucial importance here is also the Special Preparatory Programme for Structural Funds [7]. This programme aims particularly at building the CEECs' capacity to manage Structural Funds effficiently and effectively in support of the EES once they become available after accession.

[6] Cyprus, Malta and Turkey are not eligible for Phare funding.

[7] Implemented under Phare in the period 1998-2000.

3. Support for the four pillars of the European Employment Strategy

The balance of funds [8] to each of the four pillars of the EES shows significant variations across Member States reflecting the flexibility available to support specific domestic priorities [9]. The scale of ESF and the nature of labour market problems within Member States influence the content of programmes and the balance of support across the four pillars of the EES [10]. The underlying concern is to concentrate support where it will have greatest effect both in relation to labour market need and the level of existing financial support for particular activities.

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[8] These figures are broad estimates based on internal analysis by DG Employment & Social Affairs. Country fiches at the back of this communication set out some basic statistics on ESF and the EES in each Member State.

[9] See annex 4 for further statistical information on ESF and key labour market indictaors in each Member State.

[10] See annex 5 for an analysis of the relationship between ESF support for each of the pillars and key labour market indicators.

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3.1 Employability

In financial terms, employability is the key pillar for ESF. It represents about 60% of all ESF resources, which accounts for 34 BEUR. In general, promoting employability receives a lower share of funds in programmes in those regions lagging furthest behind the rest of EU in terms of economic development (Objective 1) than in programmes covering human resource development across the rest of the EU (Objective 3 ).

In line with the employment guidelines, there is a clear shift towards more preventive action [11] in individual programmes. In some Member States, preventive action will account for about half of ESF support for active labour market policies in Objective 3 (Denmark, and the Netherlands). However, in areas of relatively high long-term unemployment, significant resources continue to go towards cutting the stock of unemployed (Spain, Germany's eastern Länder).

[11] Preventive action aims to identify and provide early help to those most at risk of long-term unemployment.

Over the next seven years, ESF will contribute around 9 BEUR to promote social inclusion in Member States by promoting wider access to learning and employment opportunities. Unemployment is the main reason for poverty and exclusion. The ESF programmes recognise that policies putting the individual at the heart of labour market activity have greater prospect of success by building on individual needs and aspirations. This principle drives much of the proposed design of ESF action. It will improve the effectiveness of ESF in confronting some of the most deep-seated problems of social exclusion within Europe.

Lifelong learning cuts across a number of priorities within ESF plans. At least 12BEUR [12] of ESF will go towards the development of lifelong learning over the next seven years. For some Member States, ESF does not just complement national effort on lifelong learning, it is the key motor for the development of a strategy for lifelong learning (Portugal, Austria). Proposed expenditure on lifelong learning broadly reflects the level of educational attainment within Member States. Expenditure on lifelong learning accounts for a greater share of ESF in Member States with lower levels of educational attainment [13].

[12] Arguably most of ESF support is about promoting lifelong learning. This figures is a conservative estimate of support based on proposed expenditure under the specific ESF policy field on lifelong learning.

[13] See annex 5.

New programmes are no longer just about delivering training courses. They embrace a wider approach encompassing: development of a better framework for skills development; a more systematic approach to the validation and recognition of qualifications and skills; and efforts to raise the quality of education and training provision and its relevance of learning to the demands of the workplace. In other words, they support the development of a coherent approach to establish a learning culture.

For some Member States, ESF support for the Public Employment Services (PES) will play a key role in supporting employability by helping to ensure a better match between employers and job-seekers. For countries such as Greece, Italy and Portugal, ESF will have a major role in promoting the modernisation of PES. In combination with the European Regional Development Fund, it will provide a much needed boost to physical infrastructure, PES staff training, and the development of better tools for advice and guidance. In countries such as Germany, Finland and Ireland ESF focuses more on co-funding and developing pilots and innovative approaches to the delivery of PES support.

ESF action on employability

Success from the past (1994-99)

Training and education measures in Portugal during the 1994-99 programmes demonstrated the long-term value of integrating training and work experience through ESF. More generally, ESF programmes played a key role in developing and diversifying the range of support available to bring education and the world of work closer together.

The experience of ESF support in the Netherlands and the UK highlighted the valuable contribution of an integrated approach to labour market support offering people a pathway back to work. The effects of this sort of approach were particularly positive for the most disadvantaged groups within the labour market.

Commitment for the future (2000-2006)

In France, preventive active labour market policies offering guidance and training will offer a "New Start" to young people and unemployed adults. ESF support through the "Plans locaux d'insertion par l'economique" will also offer a clear pathway to employment for unemployed people at risk of exclusion.

Employability is the key pillar for ESF in Portugal. Building on the good start during the previous programmes, ESF will provide significant support for improving the transition from school to the labour market through developing more and better "sandwich courses" and by providing alternative education and training routes for those who fail at school.

In Spain, the integrated pathway approach will help in the fight against social exclusion by targeting specific measures at immigrants, disabled people and other marginalised groups such as "travellers". There will also be a special measure to provide school drop-outs with basic technical skills and work experience. Within the school system itself, the pattern of ESF finance will shift towards greater integration of new technologies and practical experience for students.

In Germany's eastern Länder, a pathway approach will also be developed to rectify deficiences in the education system, ensure good training, and facilitate the transition to work. In addition, a safety-net will be provided for those who drop out along the way, consisting of a special tailor-made counselling and training package to prevent them becoming unemployed.

To open university courses to persons who traditionally have no access to them, Austria is promoting distance learning through the internet.

3.2 Entrepreneurship

Many of the employment guidelines on entrepreneurship lie outside the scope of ESF action and have a greater focus on improving the institutional framework for entrepreneurship within Member States e.g. reducing the administrative burden of national legislation on firms, promoting a supportive taxation system. Nevertheless, with just under 8 BEUR devoted to supporting entrepreneurship, ESF can make a significant contribution to business development and competitiveness across the EU. This will fund a wide range of activities including: support the development of entrepreneurial and innovative skills; the support for business-start-ups; the establishment of networks to reinforce support for entrepreneurship; the promotion of greater awareness of the potential rewards from entrepreneurship.

Typically, support for entrepreneurship is almost twice as high under Objective 1 compared with Objective 3. Spain, Portugal, Greece and Ireland all place greater emphasis than other Member States on support to SMEs. This reflects a greater need to develop firms in Objective 1 regions. There is also some evidence [14] that entrepreneurship accounts for a greater share of funds in those Member States with lower levels of employment in services.

[14] See annex 5.

ESF action for entrepreneurship

Commitment to the future (2000-06)

In Italy, support aims to tap into and sustain the spin-offs and enterprise creation potential of research and development. A clear commitment to equal opportunities underpins specific support for help to female entrepreneurs to set up in business in Denmark, Greece and Germany.

There are important efforts to support new fields of employment through the social economy by upgrading of skills within the social economy organisations (Sweden); encouraging the supply side to create stable jobs offering training to people at risk on the labour market (Belgium); encouraging social economy organisations to enhance the employability of people who are at risk on the labour market (Luxembourg).

Inspired by previous successful schemes in East Berlin, some regions in eastern Germany are creating integrated ESF/ERDF programmes facilitating R&D in universities and assisting its transfer to new SMEs in future-orientated fields (ICT, biotechnology, etc.).

3.3 Adaptability

Across the EU as a whole, 11BEUR will go towards policies promoting adaptability. This global figure hides wide variations between the Member States. Although other Member States such as Portugal and Italy also propose to spend significant amounts on adaptability, Nordic countries tend to focus most on this area. Under Objective 3 in Sweden, for example, around half of ESF funds go to this pillar. New programmes place a stronger emphasis on supporting human resource development in and for SMEs than under previous programmes. Providing access to continuing training is the key objective. Furthermore, all programmes share a commitment to respond to wider changes in work organisation.

The EES placed special emphasis on the need for social partners to participate in the modernisation of the workforce. In supporting the employment guidelines, ESF will make an important contribution to the development of more innovative approaches to including social partners in the development of policies on adaptability.

Maximising the potential from information and communication technologies (ICT) will be crucial to strengthen the competitiveness of companies within Europe. As a result, many programmes will encourage a more effective transfer of technology to SMEs. This will be through employee training, support for the development of IT networks and improving collaboration between SMEs and ICT research and development centres.

While the structural funds will make a major investment in IT in schools, it is not enough to simply provide schools or other learning organisations with PCs. Teachers need to be familiar with ICT. Consequently, the training of teachers and trainers feature strongly in a number of ESF programmes. However, ESF is about more than just training particular groups. It is also about getting in place the right education and training infrastructure. Developing multi-media training packages and a range of distance and open learning methods to promote the development of IT skills in SMEs are a feature of a number of programmes.

In the fight against social exclusion, new ESF programmes reflect the increasing concern to confront what has become known as the digital divide, the exclusion of certain groups from the potential benefits of emerging ICT. Programmes give a clear commitment to widen access to new information technologies.

ESF action on adaptability

Success of the past (1994-99)

Between 1996-1999, the level of employment in firms supported by ESF under Objective 4 in Germany remained stable compared to a fall of between 2% to 6% in firms which did not participate in ESF. Evaluation in Sweden found that ESF Objective 4 had allowed many firms to make a start on skills development. In the UK, there was evidence of a significant rise in the proportion of workers involved in training as a result of ESF support.

Commitment for the future (2000-06)

In Sweden, some innovative steps will be undertaken to support skills development of all the employees in private and public enterprises with a priority to small SMEs. Skills development stimulus requires an analysis of the development of the work organisation and the needs of skills development of the employees. Skills development within a workplace requires an agreement between the employer and local trade union and in its absence with the staff.

UK plans encourage the systematic integration of ICT skills into all types of activities but with particular focus on basic and key skills. Others pay specific attention to improving the IT skills of older workers (Finland) and school drop-outs (Netherlands).

In Greece, significant efforts will go towards improving education and training infrastructure through improving the link between education and the labour market and the level of certification of continuing training. There are also substantial efforts to develop the information society in education, business and other areas of economic importance. All schools will be equipped with computers by 2002, and the teachers trained in ICT.

Objective 3 in the UK aims to fund capacity building projects with the aim of helping social partners play an active part in fulfil supporting the modernisation of the workforce.

3.4. Equal opportunities

Virtually all Member States propose to adopt a two-pronged approach to equal opportunities between men and women within the ESF programmes. In line with the employment guidelines, this sets specific measures to support gender equality alongside a wider commitment to mainstream equal opportunities across all actions and programme priorities. It is difficult to put a figure on the overall investment in gender equality at this stage [15]. So much depends on the application of gender mainstreaming across all areas of ESF activity. However, as to specific actions, the ESF will provide nearly 4BEUR to the promotion of gender equality. The inclusion of funds supporting mainstreaming actions would boost this figure significantly.

[15] An assessment of the Programme Complements for structural fund programmes will provide further details on the scale of funds going towards gender mainstreaming. These documents will be available over the coming months.

A simple comparison of the share of funds going to specific actions for gender equality suggests that, some Member States plan to spend a lower proportion of ESF on specific measures to promote gender equality than labour market indicators might suggest [16]. For example, some Member States with a large gap between men and women in the employment or unemployment rate plan to spend significantly less than other Member States where the gap between men and women is much smaller. The reasons for this are complex. Figures on the level of funds for specific actions for women take no account of the support for women under the policy of gender mainstreaming. Member States may choose to focus efforts on mainstreaming rather than through specific actions. Support from ESF must also complement Member States' own activities. In addition, where existing national effort on equal opportunities is already high, it may be more appropriate to follow the mainstreaming route rather than target funds on specific activities which are already well supported.. However, the analysis does raise important questions about the approach to gender equality through ESF.

[16] See annex 5.

Proposed support for women covers the whole spectrum of labour market activities. Many, however, emphasise specific measures designed to develop and support effective childcare strategies, greater flexibility in delivery arrangements for education and training, and specific targeting of activity for women (e.g. business start-ups).

Almost all programmes introduce explicit project selection criteria designed to test out the commitment ESF projects to equality. Typically, this will be backed up with an enhanced approach to monitoring. In most cases, programme monitoring committees now also include a representative from equal opportunities institutions. These changes will raise the visibility and impact of gender issues at each stage in the programmes from design to implementation and through to evaluation.

ESF action for equal opportunities between men and women

Success from the past (1994-99)

In Ireland, the overall share of women on ESF programmes rose from 36% in 1992 to 54% in 1997. The proportion of women going into employment on leaving ESF was close to that of men, although many moved into part-time or temporary jobs. ESF support in France helped contribute towards a greater emphasis on positive action to support women in the labour market. Evaluation of ESF in Spain flagged up a trend towards greater awareness of gender issues through ESF support for the dissemination of good practice material at regional and local levels

Commitment for the future (2000-06)

New programmes in Ireland demonstrate the value of structural funds coming together to complement each other in promoting the development of childcare provision. Here, ESF investment in a quality improvement programme, training and staff costs complement a capital grant scheme for childcare facilities co-funded by ERDF.

Support for gender mainstreaming in programmes in Austria gives particular emphasis to the development of female employment in non-traditional and new areas of work and support for job opportunities in science and technology.

Some Italian regions are bringing in a quality mark which will be issued to firms developing good practices for reconciling work and family life - not only work-place creches, but also flexible hours, parental leave and other measures.

4. Implementation and management of programmes

It is not just the focus of ESF that has changed for 2000-2006, it is also the way of implementing the programme. Key changes aim to improve the effectiveness of ESF support. The most significant of these is the greater emphasis on better programme management. The programmes mention explicitly what measures will be taken to improve the systems for monitoring and evaluation. This is crucial to get the most out of ESF. For some Member States this has led to significant changes in financial control systems (Netherlands) and improved co-ordination between regional and national policies (Belgium). Monitoring systems need to deliver timely information to support an informed assessment of programme performance at each annual review between programme managers and the Commission.

Other major improvements with regard to the implementation of programmes include the following:

* An approach reflecting the regional and local dimension to implementation provides greater opportunities to tailor ESF to very specific needs of regional and local labour markets. Member State have also signalled their intention to use the flexibility offered by the use of global grants [17] to support better local responsiveness of programmes.

[17] Member States can give certain intermediary organisations responsibility to manage the allocation of small sums to local development organisations or initiatives. Most propose to allocate 0.5% to 1% of funds to this.

* Ensuring that funds complement each other in meeting economic and social development objectives is a central element of structural funds programmes. Decision-makers can establish very close links between investment through ESF and ERDF. By providing a clear contribution to human resource development, ESF can help accelerate the impact of other funds in meeting the objective of greater economic and social cohesion.

* A key theme for ESF is active involvement of social partners, non-government organisations and other relevant interest groups. Partnership is the key to success. Consultation on plan development has been wider than ever before. Member States have involved a wide range of interests via both traditional channels for consultation with social partners and newer means via the internet. It will be important to maintain the clear commitment to partnership by encouraging the active participation of all partners.

5. Conclusions

Negotiations over ESF have shown the commitment of the Member States to allocate Community funding in line with their employment policies as established in the framework of the Luxembourg process. In this sense, the ESF has shifted its focus from an essentially training programme to a policy oriented instrument with a wide range of measures to invest in people. It is aimed at improving the effectiveness and responsiveness of labour market policies and puts a strong emphasis on facilitating job creation. The most clear-cut example is the priority given to the preventive action within ESF programmes. The new programmes show also firm commitments to gender equality, social inclusion and wider access to the benefits of information and communication technologies.

The challenge is now for Member States to make the programmes work. They need to ensure that ESF remains responsive to changing needs and that it continues to get the appropriate match of policy tools and funding to meet specific labour market problems. The greater emphasis on programme monitoring should be used as a positive tool for continuous improvement to maximise the impact of ESF. The annual meetings between programme managers and the Commission allow scope for regular assessment of the need for adjustments to improve the monitoring and management of programmes.

The mid-term review of programmes in 2003 will provide the first opportunity to assess in full how the implementation of the programmes match with the actual plans. This will also be provide a key opportunity to review and redirect programmes. To ensure these exercises are soundly based, Member States need to give priority to establishing effective monitoring and evaluation systems from the start of the programming period. This must go hand in hand with efforts to develop a better link between ESF monitoring and the annual reporting process through the National Action Plans. It is not enough for ESF programmes to incorporate the priorities of the EES if National Action Plans fail to fully integrate the contribution of ESF and other Structural Funds to the EES.

The negotiations over the new programmes represented a good first step in developing a strong and clear link between ESF and the EES. It is important to build on this good start to ensure that ESF is equal to the challenges that lie ahead in supporting the European Employment Strategy and commitments made at the Lisbon European Council.

Annex 1

Structural Fund support 2000-2006

There are 4 Structural Funds: European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), European Social Fund (ESF), European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF), Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance (FIFG). These provide financial support through 3 Objectives:

Objective 1: promotes development and structural adjustment of regions whose development is lagging behind. From 2000-2006, these regions will receive 135,954MEUR from ERDF, ESF, EAGGF, FIFG.

Objective 2: supports the economic and social conversion of areas facing structural difficulties. Regions under Objective 2 will receive 22,454MEUR from ERDF, ESF, EAGGF, FIFG.

Objective 3: supports the adaptation and modernisation of policies and systems of education, training and employment in all areas not designated an Objective 1 area. ESF alone will provide 24,050MEUR over the lifetime of the programme.

ESF accounts for around one third of all structural fund support providing around a quarter of structural fund expenditure in Objective 1 areas and all in Objective 3.

Financial Allocations 2000-06 (mill EUR, 1999prices)

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Annex 2

Annex 3

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Source: DG Employment and Social Affairs; OECD Economic Outlook (June 2000)

* These are very broad estimates based on a simple comparison of planned ESF expenditure against figures on expenditure on active labour market polices provided by Member States to the OECD. OECD figures cover a narrower range of policies than those covered by ESF. Consequently, the table is likely to slightly overstate the share of ESF out of total expenditure on active labour market policies

Annex 4

COUNTRY FICHES

ESF in Austria 2000-2006

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ESF in Belgium 2000-2006

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ESF in Denmark 2000-2006

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ESF in Finland 2000-2006

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ESF in France 2000-2006

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ESF in Germany 2000-2006

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ESF in Greece 2000-2006

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ESF in Ireland 2000-2006

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ESF in Italy 2000-2006

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ESF in Luxembourg 2000-2006

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ESF in Netherlands 2000-2006

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ESF in Portugal 2000-2006

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ESF in Spain 2000-2006

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ESF in Sweden 2000-2006

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ESF in The United Kingdom 2000-2006

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Annex 5

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Analysis of the share of ESF for specific policy areas [18]

[18] The analysis presents a very simple comparison of the share ESF support for particular pillars of the Employment Strategy or specific policy fields for ESF action. Most labour market data are for 1999. Those marked ** are 1997.

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