Amending budget 7/2013: increasing the European Social Fund (ESF) allocations to address unemployment, poverty and social exclusion in France, Italy and Spain

The Committee on Budgets adopted the report by Giovanni LA VIA (EPP, IT) on the position of the Council on the Draft Amending Budget No 7/2013 of the European Union for the fiscal year 2013, section III – Commission.

Members recalled that the Draft Amending Budget for the 2013 fiscal year covers an increase of commitment appropriations of EUR 150 million in heading 1b of the multi-annual financial framework (MFF) to address “some problems” affecting France, Spain and Italy resulting from the final outcome of the negotiations on the MFF for the 2014-2020 period.

Knowing that these additional funds should contibute to addressing the specific situations of unemployment, in particular youth unemployment, and of poverty and social exclusion in these Member States, Members underlined that the Commission considers that the most appropriate way to assist them is by increasing the European Social Fund (ESF).

The reinforcement of EUR 150 million in commitment appropriations will be covered by the margin under the expenditure ceiling of heading 1b (EUR 16 million), and by the mobilisation of the Flexibility Instrument (EUR 134 million) targeted at this specific action.

Members therefore called on the European Parliament to approve the Commission proposal to reserve the additional funds to the ESF programmes underway in the Member States concerned. They looked to the Commission to report in due time to the European Parliament on the actions and measures financed by these funds. Furthermore, they called on the European Parliament to approve, unamended, the Council position on the Draft Amending Budget No 7/2013.