European Parliament resolution on the Communication from the Commission on the implementation of innovative measures under Article 6 of the European Social Fund Regulation for the programming period 2000-2006 (COM(2000) 894 - C5-0341/2001 - 2001/2141(COS))
Date: 2001-10-24
Institutions: European Parliament
Subjects: EU employment policy, European Social Fund, innovation, operational programme

9.5.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 112 E/193

Wednesday 24 October 2001

7. ESF

A5-0328/2001

European Parliament resolution on the Communication from the Commission on the implemen-
tation of innovative measures under Article 6 of the European Social Fund Regulation for the
programming period 2000-2006 (COM(2000) 894 + C5-0341/2001 + 2001/2141(COS))

The European Parliament,

(cid:1) having regard to the Commission Communication (COM(2000) 894 (cid:1) C5-0341/2001),

(cid:1) having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999 of 21 June 1999 laying down general provi-

sions on the Structural Funds (1), and in particular Article 22 thereof,

(cid:1) having regard to European Parliament and Council Regulation (EC) No 1784/1999 of 12 July 1999

on the European Social Fund (2), and in particular Article 6 thereof,

(cid:1) having regard to its resolution of 6 July 2000 on the draft Guidelines for various types of innovative
measures in the context of Article 22 of the General Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999 (cid:1) Innovative
Measures under Article 6 of the ESF Regulation (C5-0235/2000 (cid:1) 2000/2127(COS)) (3),

(cid:1) having regard to Rule 47(1) of its Rules of Procedure,

(cid:1) having regard to the report of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (A5-0328/2001),

A. whereas innovative measures play an important role in the European Social Fund system by seeking to
identify examples of best practice which may subsequently be further circulated under the other ESF
interventions and under the European Employment Strategy in order to foster economic, social and
regional cohesion,

B. whereas a systematic approach is necessary to determine the basic sectors to be promoted and to
evaluate the results in order to achieve optimum use of resources and the greatest possible multiplier
effect as regards innovative measures,

C. whereas the EU is lagging behind in the development of innovation; whereas the attainment of the
Lisbon objective (cid:1) to make the Union the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economic
area in the world (cid:1) depends to a great extent on the innovative capacity of Europe’s economy and
society and in particular its employment policy; whereas the promotion of innovation and quality
must therefore be the objective of all policies at national and European level,

D. whereas attaining a high level of employment requires the coordination of all policies at European and

national levels, which in turn must be coordinated with corresponding regional and local initiatives,

E. whereas the funding of innovative measures is inadequate, and fewer funds are being made available
for the 2000-2006 programming period than in the previous programming period; whereas the funds
originally earmarked for this purpose have been substantially cut through transfers of appropriations,

that

the Commission’s Communication has met

1. Welcomes the fact
the European Parliament’s
demand in its abovementioned resolution for the creation of a framework for the implementation of
innovative measures; regrets that this framework is still marred by serious shortcomings; calls on the
Commission to cooperate closely with the European Parliament to further improve this framework during
the 2000-2006 programming period in order to attain the objective of optimum use of innovative
measures in accordance with Article 6 of the ESF Regulation;

(1) OJ L 161, 26.6.1999, p. 1.
(2) OJ L 213, 13.8.1999, p. 5.
(3) OJ C 121, 24.4.2001, p. 343.

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2.
Agrees with the Commission’s approach of focusing innovative measures on specific thematic fields
and projects; believes, however, that there is a lack of clarity in the thematic fields announced and calls
therefore on the Commission to be clearer and more precise in its calls for proposals;

Calls on the Commission to adopt the following fixed criteria to be taken into account in fixing

3.
support priorities for and selecting projects and to state them clearly in the calls for proposals:

(cid:1) the direct relevance to the European Employment Strategy;

(cid:1) innovative features as regards the planning and implementation of the measure;

(cid:1) the quality and viability of the measure;

(cid:1) the potential for the circulation and dissemination of the results within the framework of the ESF;

4.
Regrets that the Commission has set the thematic priorities for 2000-2002 without consulting the
European Parliament; reiterates its desire for a regular dialogue with the Commission; reserves the right to
submit proposals for financial aid priorities within the framework of its resolution on budget guidelines to
the Commission;

Calls on the Commission to redefine the thematic fields for 2002, giving particular attention to
5.
matters directly relating to combating unemployment and promoting social cohesion, such as the mobility
of workers, up-to-date vocational training and retraining; calls on the Commission to take into account in
preparing thematic priorities, as appropriate, the opinion of the parties concerned, the Committee of the
Regions, the Economic and Social Committee and the relevant European Institutions;

6.
Takes the view that the Commission’s proposals on adaptation to the new economy within the
framework of social dialogue are excessively vague and calls for more particular attention to be paid to
creating the necessary conditions to encourage inter-state dialogue, thereby contributing to the creation of
a genuine European labour market;

7.
Regrets that in the Commission’s Communication the principle of complementarity is so unclearly
formulated that it does not result in any specific measures or commitments; calls on the Commission to
ensure the self-sufficiency of innovative measures and of the budgetary lines with related but separate
content;

8.
Reiterates its request for a report evaluating the implementation of innovative measures during pre-
vious programming periods as a basis for developing a more substantiated and effective approach in
future;

9.
Calls on the Commission, in the annual report which it intends to publish in order to ensure broader
dissemination of the results, to undertake a substantive qualitative and quantitative assessment of the
measures funded with the aim of highlighting examples of best practice so that they are subsequently
adopted in national employment policies;

10.

Calls on the Member States to incorporate best practices in their national employment policies;

11.
Points out to the Commission that managing innovative measures and disseminating the results
must also be innovative in character; welcomes in this context the fact that the Commission has recently
set up a special unit to manage innovative measures and expects this unit to be adequately staffed;

Suggests that this special unit should be able to play an increased role in coordination between

12.
project holders;

13.
Calls on the Member States to give special support to innovative projects by facilitating procedures
for providing information to the persons concerned, by ensuring the introduction of special technical aid,
particularly by introducing regional management units, and by guaranteeing that the results obtained will
be exploited;

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14.
Takes the view that cooperation between scientific research and organisations on the ground is
particularly appropriate with a view to drawing up innovative models; calls on the Commission, therefore,
in the context of innovative measures for employment, to provide particular support for cooperation
between institutes of higher education, research centres and the relevant decentralised bodies on the
ground (undertakings, the social partners, public services and non-governmental organisations);

15.
Appreciates the fact that the Commission has complied with Parliament’s demand not to restrict its
calls for proposals only to a specific circle of players; calls on the Commission to ensure that the pro-
cedures adopted are as flexible and unbureaucratic as possible in order to facilitate the access of small,
service sector organisations which constitute a substantial source of innovative ideas;

16. Welcomes the specific reference to equality between men and women; believes also that measures
must be taken to ensure equality of opportunity in exploiting innovative measures from a geographical
point of view, given the major disparities between the regions of the Union in the field of innovation; calls
for special attention to be given to projects originating from disadvantaged regions, such as island and
mountain regions;

17.
Notes with great regret that the innovative measures of all the Structural Funds during the 2000-
2006 programming period exist so far only on paper and that resources have been substantially reduced;
is therefore adamantly opposed to any attempt to make further cuts, during the present programming
period, in the resources set aside for innovative measures in the next few financial years or to cancel any
appropriations which have not been taken up by the end of the year; calls, in this connection, on the
committee competent for budgetary questions to hold consultations in good time with the relevant parlia-
mentary committees in respect of each application by the Commission for transfers of appropriations;

18.

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission.