This Commission report is the first in a series of
annual reports to the EU institutions on the implementation of the
European Structural and Investment Funds (ESI Funds). It provides
an overview of the 2016 annual implementation reports on the 533
programmes submitted by Member States and regions for the 2014-2015
period and summarises the available evaluations of these
programmes.
The late adoption of the multiannual financial
framework for the period 2014-2020
has had an impact on the adoption of legislation governing the ESI
Funds. By the end of 2014, 220 programmes had been adopted.
However, the majority (313) of programmes were finalised in 2015
181 of which were completed only in the second half of the
year.
Progress in implementation: on the basis of the 2016 annual implementation reports
covering 2014 and 2015, it appears that the total volume of
projects selected for support from the Funds amounted to EUR
58.8 billion, or 9.2% of the total volume of investment planned
for the 2014-2020 period. The EU’s contribution to the
selected projects is estimated at EUR 41.8 billion. The
progress made is as follows :
- according to the most recent financial data submitted
up to the autumn of 2016, implementation has accelerated
significantly in terms of the volume of project selection. The
total financial volume of selected projects more than doubled in
nine months, from EUR 58.8 billion at the end of 2015 to EUR
128.8 billion (20.2% of planned investments);
- by the end of 2015, the Member States and regions had
selected 989 000 projects ranging from investments in heavy
infrastructure to individual support to farms. The selected
projects will support 89 000 micro-businesses and SMEs under the
European Social Fund (ESF);
- the implementation of programme structures and
procedures to ensure the robustness and quality of investments
throughout the programme life cycle has been important for the
successful launch of the programmes ;
- lastly, more than two-thirds of the country-specific
recommendations adopted in 2014 in the context of the European
Semester concerned investments under the ESI Funds (in
particular the ERDF and the ESF) and were therefore integrated into
the priorities of the Member States’ programmes.
Implementation by theme: the report provides an overview of the financial
volume and the selection rate of projects for the ESI Funds by
thematic objective at the end of 2015. The main findings are
as follows:
- projects representing more than EUR 11.5 billion (more
than 12% of the planned amount) were selected in the field of
employment, social inclusion and education: ESF and the
Youth Employment Initiative (YEI) actions involved 2.7 million
participants, including 1.6 million unemployed and 700 000
inactive. 235 000 were in employment following an ESF or YEI
operation, 181 000 had gained a qualification. Social
inclusion is the area where the most noticeable progress is
being made in respect of the ESF: out of
the 631 000 ESF participants (e.g. jobless households, migrants),
55 000 participants have already found a
job ;
- an amount of approximately EUR 6 billion has been
programmed to support institutional capacity building and
efficiency of public administration, mainly under the ESF, with an
ERDF contribution also planned. By the end of 2015, more than 11%
of the total budget had been allocated to projects.
The Commission now considers it vital that the
implementation of the new programmes is accelerated
throughout the European Union.
Recent data show a more uniform state of advancement
in most Member States and themes. The evolution of these trends
will be further evaluated in the 2017 reporting cycle, which will
provide a more comprehensive picture of implementation and allow
for better reporting on a qualitative level.