Cohesion funds are essential for implementing employment targets - EU Employment guidelines for 2013 adopted

06.02.2013 11:30

"Today, the European Parliament gave a clear signal to Member States' governments that they have to make further commitments to ensure the implementation of the EU2020 Strategy, with special focus on job creation and stimulating growth. It is regretful that in the European debate on employment policy, there is still a lack of reference to disadvantaged people, people with disabilities in particular", said Csaba Őry MEP, EPP Group Coordinator in the Employment and Social Affairs Committee of the European Parliament, and Ádám Kósa MEP, EPP Group Spokesman on the dossier and the only deaf Member of the European Parliament, following the adoption of a Resolution on the 2013 Employment Guidelines. These guidelines endorse the original 2010 Employment Guidelines.

"The EPP Group's priorities haven't changed in the last two years in this field: further support should be given to the development of SMEs, special emphasis should be placed on education and training. Also, due to the persistent employment and social crisis, combating poverty and unemployment, particularly youth unemployment, should be a top priority for all governments", emphasised Csaba Őry. "The European Commission's Youth Guarantee Proposal can be a good solution to some extent, but the financial back-up of the instrument is still not clear for us. It must be clear for everybody. In order to reach our employment targets in the coming years, the funding of the cohesion policy must be maintained in the new Multiannual Financial Framework. Cohesion funds are significantly contributing to job creation and the integration of underdeveloped European regions. Cuts in this field would harm the European economy", highlighted Csaba Őry.

Ádám Kósa, Rapporteur of the dossier on the general regulation on the Structural Funds, said: "Europe is now facing an unprecedented crisis in terms of the shrinking number of active workers. A 1% annual rise in employment level is required to achieve the 75% employment level set in the EU2020 Strategy until 2020. In the meantime, 12 million jobs for undereducated people, people with disabilities in particular, will disappear. These people with disabilities, about 80 million people in Europe, have seven times less chance of getting a job in the labour market where the number of unemployed is now a staggering 26 million. It is therefore high time to reconsider the importance of the European Social Fund and its efficiency regarding the projects aimed at people with disabilities and youth unemployment", concluded Ádám Kósa MEP.

Note to editors

The EPP Group is by far the largest political group in the European Parliament with 270 Members and 3 Croatian Observer Members.

Background information: The Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) stipulates that Member States are to regard their economic policies and promoting employment as matters of common concern and to coordinate them within the Council. The Treaty also provides for the Council to adopt broad economic policy guidelines and employment guidelines, specifying that the latter must be consistent with the former. On this basis, the Commission submitted in November 2012 its draft Council Decision on guidelines for the employment policies of the Member States (EGs) which is the part of the Integrated Guidelines for implementing the Europe 2020 Strategy, the current EU-level strategy for jobs and growth. According to the decision of the European Institutions, the 2010 employment guidelines will remain unchanged until 2014 to enhance their correct and effective implementation. Therefore, this year they are simply endorsed by a Council Resolution, after consulting the European Parliament. The Commission proposal was adopted without any amendment.