83/516/EEC: Council Decision of 17 October 1983 on the tasks of the European Social Fund

COUNCIL  DECISION
of 17 October 1983
on the tasks of the European Social Fund
(83/516/EEC)
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN
COMMUNITIES
,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, and in particular Article 126 thereof,
Having regard to the draft submitted by the Commission (1),
Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament (2),
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee (3),
Whereas Council Decision 71/66/EEC of 1 February 1971 on the reform of the European Social Fund (4), as amended by Decision 77/801/EEC (5), has, pursuant to an opinion of the Commission based on Article 126 of the Treaty, been the subject of a review, as provided for in Article 11 of that Decision; whereas it would be appropriate to replace it by a new Council Decision establishing rules for the Fund;
Whereas the task of the Fund is to participate in particular in the financing of vocational training, the promotion of employment and geographical mobility;
Whereas the Fund must become a more active instrument to promote employment policies; whereas to achieve this the range of people eligible for assistance should be enlarged so as to extend in particular the possibility of assistance to those working as trainers, vocational guidance or placement experts, and development agents;
Whereas the Fund must make a special effort to develop employment, particularly in small and medium-sized undertakings, with a view to modernizing management or production or applying new technologies;
Whereas the Fund, as an instrument of employment policy must, taking due account of the principle of Community solidarity, contribute as effectively and as consistently as possible to the solution of the most serious problems and in particular the fight against unemployment, including structural underemployment and the promotion of employment among the groups most affected;
Whereas, in this connection and without prejudice to the assistance which the categories of persons who are particularly vulnerable on the labour market (in particular women, the handicapped and migrants) must continue to receive, a significant part of the Fund resources must be allocated to measures in favour of youth employment, in particular those who have few employment opportunities or who have been unemployed over a long period;
Whereas it is desirable, in the light of experience, that procedures for granting Fund assistance should be rendered more flexible and simplified in particular by fixing flat rate amounts;
Whereas the Commission shall be responsible for drawing up the guidelines for the management of the Fund so as to ensure a more effective concentration on operations in accordance with Community priorities and with related action programmes in the area of employment or vocational training;
Whereas this Decision should be reviewed within a fixed period,