The role of trade union organisations in planning and monitoring economic and social cohesion policies in the new financial framework for 2014-2020

Summary:

In early July 2013 the European Union institutions (Commission, Council and Parliament) adopted the Multiannual Financial Framework, i.e. the EU budget for the 2014-2020 period, after months of difficult discussions and negotiations in a context of unprecedented financial, economic and social crisis in the EU Member States. The upshot is that the EU budget for 2014-2020 will have to be cut by about 7% of the budget for the previous period, 2007-2013 (EUR 908 billion of expenses covered as against EUR 977 billion), although the agreement provides for some flexibility as regards use of the funds. However, according to the Commission's Strategic report (published on 18 April 2013) on implementation of economic and social cohesion programmes for 2007-2013, investments financed by the ESF, the ERDF and the Cohesion Fund have helped to find a way out of the crisis and generate growth, allowing, in particular, a significant increase in the number of people benefiting from employment support (from 10 million per year before 2010 to almost 15 million per year since), and significant speeding-up of results since 2010 in the area of support for SMEs: around 400 000 jobs were created (half of which in 2010-2011), including 15 600 jobs in research and 167 00 jobs in SMEs. Through these three funds - the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the European Social Fund (ESF) and the Cohesion Fund - EU economic and social cohesion policy has invested EUR 347 billion (EUR 75 billion from the ESF) in the 27 Member States for the period 2007-2013. This sum represents 35% of the EU's total budget for this period (EUR 975 billion).