The Commission has proposed to amend the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) and the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund for Displaced Workers (EGF) to broaden their scope and make it easier to mobilise support for workers.
Under the proposed changes, Member States would gain more flexibility to redirect ESF+ funding towards skills development in strategic sectors, such as defence and clean industries, and to provide additional support to regions bordering Russia, Belarus and Ukraine, which are facing specific challenges linked to Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine.
The EGF would also be able to intervene earlier - before job losses occur - and mobilise support more quickly through a simplified procedure.
