To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the entry into force of the European Social Fund (EFS), the German Presidency of the EU held an inter-ministerial conference at Potsdam last week with the title “50 years of investments in people”. The two-day conference – in which hundreds of “key players” from all over Europe took part – focused its discussion on the contribution made by the Fund to millions of citizens over the last half century to help them gain access to the labour market and advance professionally. But it also presented the new generation of ESF programmes which have an overall budget of 77 billion euros for the 27 member states for the period 2007-2013; that is equivalent to approximately a tenth of the EU’s total budget. Also worth noting is the simplification of the procedures for application, administration and bookkeeping of the funds introduced by the new Regulation on structural funds. Over the next seven years, in collaboration with the competent national authorities, the ESF will develop activities and projects especially in the following priority sectors: workers and new skills; businesses and change; access to employment and social integration; education and training; women and employment; anti-discrimination measures; work in partnership; improvement of public services, transnational projects and networks.
