21.12.2013The EU cohesion policy package for the new planning period is approved: is it linked with Roma integration
After long negotiation process that prolonged more than 2 years the key EU institutions approved the package for the next planning period. The European Commission proposed draft Regulations on October 6, 2011. The European Council and the European Parliament adopted the cohesion policy package for 2014-2020 on December 17, 2013. They are published on the Official Journal of the European Union on December 20, 2013.
The new regulations open the way for new investment of more than 325 billion euros from the beginning of 2014 in all European Union. Cohesion policy is designed to achieve the Europe 2020 strategy objectives of smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. It aims at reducing disparities between the different levels of development of the EU's various regions by promoting economic growth, job creation and competitiveness.
The regulations adopted –common provisions and specific regulations- define the conditions of eligibility and the criteria for the allocation of the EU cohesion policy support.
During the negotiation process social inclusion for Roma, combating poverty and discrimination as well as investments in marginalized communities were among the key topics discussed. The new policy package is significant step ahead in this direction in comparison with the previous one. It sets certain preconditions for using EU funds for implementation of the National Roma Integration Strategies. Below we point some of the main provisions:
Establishes the thematic Objective n. 9: “Promoting social inclusion, combating poverty and any discrimination”
Sets the ex-ante conditionality 9.2 “A national Roma inclusion strategic policy framework is in place”
And the criteria for fulfilment are indicated as follows:
“— A national Roma inclusion strategic policy framework is in place that:
— sets achievable national goals for Roma integration to bridge the gap with the general population. These targets should address the four EU Roma integration goals relating to access to education, employment, healthcare and housing;
— identifies where relevant those disadvantaged micro-regions or segregated neighbourhoods, where communities are most deprived, using already available socio-economic and territorial indicators (i.e. very low educational level, long- term unemployment, etc);
— includes strong monitoring methods to evaluate the impact of Roma integration actions and a review mechanism for the adaptation of the strategy;
— is designed, implemented and monitored in close cooperation and continuous dialogue with Roma civil society, regional and local authorities.
—Upon request and where justified, relevant stakeholders will be provided with support for submitting project applications and for implementing and managing the selected projects.”
Failure to achieve … the Commission is entitled to suspend payments to Member States.
Art. 3.
(…) “the ESF shall support the following investment priorities: (…)
(b) For the thematic objective 'promoting social inclusion, combating poverty and any discrimination':
(ii) The socio-economic integration of marginalised communities such as the Roma;
(iii) Combating all forms of discrimination and promoting equal opportunities
(c) For the thematic objective 'investing in education, training and vocational training for skills and life-long learning':
(i) Reducing and preventing early school-leaving and promoting equal access to good quality early-childhood, primary and secondary education including formal, non-formal and informal learning pathways for reintegrating into education and training;
(ii) Improving the quality and efficiency of, and access to, tertiary and equivalent education with a view to increasing participation and attainment levels, especially for disadvantaged groups;
Art. 4
2. At least 20 % of the total ESF resources in each Member State shall be allocated to the thematic objective "promoting social inclusion, combating poverty and any discrimination"
(…) Taking into account data protection requirements linked to collecting and storing sensitive data on participants, the Member States and the Commission should regularly evaluate the effectiveness, efficiency and impact of ESF support in promoting social inclusion and combating poverty, in particular with regard to disadvantaged people such as the Roma.
Member States are encouraged to report on ESF-funded initiatives in the national social reports annexed to their national reform programmes, in particular as regards marginalised communities, such as the Roma and migrants.”
“Investment priorities: (…)
(9) promoting social inclusion, combating poverty and any discrimination, by:
(a) investing in health and social infrastructure which contributes to national, regional and local development, reducing inequalities in terms of health status, promoting social inclusion through improved access to social, cultural and recreational services and the transition from institutional to community-based services;
(b) providing support for physical, economic and social regeneration of deprived communities in urban and rural areas;
(c) providing support for social enterprises;
(d) undertaking investment in the context of community- led local development strategies;
(10) investing in education, training and vocational training for skills and lifelong learning by developing education and training infrastructure;”
“The achievement of the objectives of rural development, which contribute to the Europe 2020 strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth, shall be pursued through the following six Union priorities for rural development, which reflect the relevant Thematic Objectives of the CSF: (…)
(6) promoting social inclusion, poverty reduction and economic development in rural areas, with a focus on the following areas:
(…) Basic services and village renewal in rural areas: (…)
(d) investments in the setting up, improvement or expansion of local basic services for the rural population, including leisure and culture, and the related infrastructure;
g) investments targeting the relocation of activities and conversion of buildings or other facilities located within or close to rural settlements, with a view to improving the quality of life or increasing the environmental performance of the settlement.”
The new Regulations can be downloaded here:
p://eur-lex.europa.eu/JOHtml.do?uri=OJ%3AL%3A2013%3A347%3ASOM%3AEN%3AHTML
More information and analysis of the Regulations will be published soon at:
