Casa to shape EU fund investing in workers, families and youth

PN head of delegation MEP David Casa has been appointed rapporteur for the European Social Fund (ESF) in negotiations on the European Union’s next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF).

The appointment places Casa at the Parliament’s helm in negotiating one of the EU’s most important funding instruments. The European Social Fund is the Union’s main tool for investing in people, supporting employment, skills development, social inclusion, and measures to combat poverty across Member States.

Commenting on the appointment, David Casa said that the ESF has a direct and tangible impact on citizens’ lives by helping people gain new skills, access employment, and improve social cohesion. “At a time of rapid economic change, demographic pressure, and growing skills gaps, investing in people must remain a top priority for the European Union,” he said.

Casa brings significant experience to the role, having also served as rapporteur for the European Social Fund Plus in the current MFF period. In that capacity, he played a key role in shaping how billions of euros are allocated to support workers, jobseekers, young people, and vulnerable groups across Europe.

Under the current MFF, Malta is set to receive approximately €124.4 million in ESF+ funding to promote employment opportunities, training and lifelong learning, inclusive education, active inclusion of vulnerable groups, and healthcare worker training.

As co-rapporteur for the next MFF period, Casa will work to ensure that the European Social Fund remains adequately financed, flexible, and effective, while delivering real added value for citizens and supporting a more inclusive and competitive European economy.

The negotiations on the next Multiannual Financial Framework will determine EU spending priorities for the years ahead, setting the financial framework for policies that affect millions of Europeans.

In the current 2021-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework, the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) has a total EU budget of nearly €99.3 billion, making it the Union’s largest instrument for investing in people — supporting jobs, education, skills, and social inclusion across all Member States.

EXAMPLES OF BENEFICIARIES IN THE CURRENT MFF

Maltese beneficiaries of ESF+ support include national institutions such as Jobsplus, which delivers employment and skills services; educational and training bodies like MCAST and the University of Malta; social welfare and inclusion providers; NGOs and social partners supporting disadvantaged communities, including Caritas; businesses and SMEs accessing upskilling subsidies; and countless workers, jobseekers, young people, women returning to the labour market, and vulnerable groups who have directly benefitted from ESF+-supported programmes. This funding underscores the tangible impact of EU cohesion policy in Malta’s labour market and social landscape.