RIGA, July 4 (LETA) - The European Committee of the Regions (CoR) has expressed its opposition to European Commission plans to merge the European Social Fund (ESF) with other European Union instruments within single national plans, calling for it to be preserved as a self-standing tool, the committee informed LETA.

The committee also called for the ESF budget to be increased to over EUR 124 billion in 2028-34.

Regional and local leaders argued that depopulation of rural areas, energy poverty, unemployment and homelessness are social emergencies that must be addressed by the EU and that the EU cannot tackle them effectively without the necessary financial resources. The 14 percent minimum target for social spending foreseen by the European Commission in its proposal for the EU long-term budget 2028-34 is not enough, they said. They therefore called for the ESF to be preserved and for it to be one of the main EU financial instruments, with its seven-year budget to be increased from the current EUR 100 billion to at least EUR 124.19 billion (in 2025 prices).

It is estimated that 94.6 million people, two out of ten EU citizens, live in households at risk of poverty or social exclusion, that 42 percent of the EU population lack basic digital skills, and that more than 50 million workers need training. CoR members underlined that a strong ESF would give the Union the financial resources needed to tackle these challenges, achieve the objectives of the European Pillar of Social Rights, invest in social cohesion, combat child poverty and support young people in finding jobs.

One in four children in the EU is at risk of poverty or social exclusion and the youth unemployment rate is nearing 15 percent. Regions and cities argued that these warning figures prove the need to reinforce the European Child Guarantee and Youth Guarantee with dedicated budgets, place-based indicators and the involvement of specialized civil-society organizations.

CoR members called for the ESF to be given a crucial role in the fight against poverty, and, in particular, they asked for stronger safeguards against child poverty. Actions against poverty should include the Quality Jobs Roadmap proposed by the European Commission, with measures based on education and training and on promoting fair and decent wages. A genuine territorial approach to social investment and a meaningful involvement of local and regional authorities is crucial to guarantee the effectiveness of the ESF, the opinion argues.