Social Agenda Issue 52 - EN

SOC I A L AG E NDA / J U LY 2 0 1 7 / 2 3 The European Globalisation Fund (EGF) is part of the reserve? Yes,asitisalreadybutitwillgobeyondthecurrentscopeofglobalisation or economic and financial crises: It will also be for supporting people who lost their job due to digitalisation and robotisation. Indeed, it is difficult to explain to a person in one company that he/she benefited from this very quick ad hoc personalised support because his/her job went to Vietnam, and to a person who lost his/her job in another company that he/she cannot get such support because his/her job went to a robot! It is necessary to extend the scope of EGF, reduce the number of redundancies needed to trigger it and to shorten the process and procedure for mobilising the funds. The EGF will remain ex-post support: While the ESF is about anticipating and helping companies and workers adapt to new challenges, the EGF is really a follow-up support to people after they have been hit by redundancies. Erasmus is going to be considerably increased. Are we going to benefit from this? Yes, Vocational Education and Training will benefit from it, as well as disadvantaged young people. Currently, this is already happening with the ESF. Some Member States have already decided that if young bright students want to go to Erasmus but can't afford to do so, they can get financial support through the ESF. It is a question of national priorities. Skills provision is the key element. We are establishing better cooperation at EU level between Erasmus and the ESF+ but also at national level, between the national education ministries and their Erasmus agencies, and the ESF managing authorities. Has the European Pillar of Social Rights made a difference in designing the MFF and ESF+ proposals? Its proclamation by EU leaders in November 2017 (see Social Agenda n°50) was really a major political push for drawing attention to social policy and acknowledging the priority to invest in people in the EU budget, in the wording and even in the narrative of the MFF. With the new Social Scoreboard annexed to the Joint Employment Report, we are in a position to guide the Member States’ investments. The Pillar is a starting point. It is a general effort, not only on the part of the Commission but also of the Member States, as the funds under shared management are implemented by them. We are therefore supporting their effort to implement the principles of the Pillar and address their policy challenges. It was really important that the Member States recognise the Pillar as a global political priority. More information: http://europa.eu/!tV86kd 8