European Union assistance for employment and human resources. A brief guide to the ESF for future Member States

Summary:

This brochure is intended to explain the European Social Fund, its objectives and how it works, to interested people in the applicant countries. It has been specially designed as part of the Special
Preparatory Programme for the ESF to cater for a wide range of information needs among people who will be working with the ESF when their country becomes a full member of the EU. In particular, it gives an idea of the sorts of uses which can be made of the ESF, and the structures which manage it.

This will in turn give an idea of the type and scope of preparations which will have to be made between now and full membership.

In this regard, many aspects of Structural Fund assistance will be reflected in the assistance which applicant countries will be receiving through Phare or other pre­accession financial instruments, such as SAPARD and ISPA.

Particularly relevant to future ESF activities will be the elements relating to economic and social cohesion within the Phare 2000 programme.