The Commission’s staff working document presents the main findings of the Preliminary evaluation of the support provided by ESF and FEAD under the Coronavirus Response Investment Initiatives (CRII and CRII+).

As an immediate response to the public health crisis and its emerging socio-economic impacts, the Commission adopted two initiatives in March and April 2020: the Coronavirus Response Investment Initiative and the Coronavirus Response Investment Initiative Plus. The two packages offered Member States flexibilities and simplification measures in reprogramming of the unspent resources from the 2014-2020 European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF) and the Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived (FEAD). They proved to have replied well to the needs on the ground.

23 Member States and the UK used CRII and CRII+ flexibilities to implement ESF operations mitigating the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, mostly in the area of health and access to social services as well as for Short-Term Working Arrangements. Despite addressing the general public rather than specific target groups ESF during the pandemic continued to support the disadvantaged groups (persons with disabilities, migrants, women).

15 Member States used CRII+ flexibilities in FEAD programmes to implement COVID-19 operations which, thanks to adjusted processes of reaching out to the end recipients, could continue to provide food and material assistance to the most deprived. In 2020 there was a substantial increase in participation in FEAD operations compared to 2019.

The CRII and CRII+ facilitated an efficient process for using remaining funds to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as integration of the ESF and FEAD responses into the national anti-crisis strategies. The implementation of crisis operations under ESF and FEAD contributed to building of crisis response capacity at EU, national and regional levels.