Het EU-cohesiebeleid ondersteunt de sociale inclusie van gehandicapten, jongere en oudere werknemers, laagopgeleide werknemers, migranten en etnische minderheden zoals de Roma-bevolking, mensen die in achterstandsbuurten wonen en vrouwen op de arbeidsmarkt. Het steunt de Europa 2020-strategie, die er op gericht is om voor twintig miljoen mensen de kans op armoede te verkleinen.
Het pakket sociale-investeringsmaatregelen, dat in 2013 werd aangenomen, beschrijft de hervormingen die lidstaten moeten doorvoeren om meer adequaat en duurzaam sociaal beleid te garanderen via de investering in de vaardigheden en competenties van mensen. Het omvat ook enkele belangrijke mededelingen waarmee rekening moet worden gehouden tijdens het moderniseren van het sociaal beleid en het aanpassen ervan aan de nieuwe uitdagingen, waaronder via de Europese structuur- en investeringsfondsen (ESI-fondsen).
The integrated use of ESI Funds is particularly important in addressing the territorial dimension of poverty. ESI Funds may not be used for actions contributing to any form of segregation and discrimination. The integration of marginalised communities requires coherent and multi-dimensional approaches supported from the various ESI Funds, complementing national resources and implemented coherently with reforms of social protection systems.
A multi-dimensional integrated approach, combining actions from various ESI Funds, is particularly relevant for the Roma community, whose effective integration requires investments in employment, education, healthcare, housing and social integration.
In deprived urban areas, the physical and economic regeneration activities supported by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) should go hand in hand with European Social Fund (ESF) actions aimed at promoting the social inclusion of marginalised groups.
In 2014-2020, the ESF will be the main Cohesion Policy fund supporting social inclusion. In addition to the measures financed by the ESF, the ERDF supports the integration and participation of disadvantaged groups through various measures such as:
investing in health and social infrastructure which contribute to national, regional and local development, reducing inequalities in terms of health status, promoting social inclusion through improved access to social, cultural and recreational services and the transition from institutional to community-based services
supporting the physical, economic and social regeneration of deprived communities in urban and rural areas
providing support for social enterprises
investments in the context of community- led local development strategies;
