PURPOSE: to adapt the amounts of resources allocated to resources for economic, social and territorial cohesion and the resources allocated to the Investment for Growth and Jobs goal and the annual breakdown of commitment appropriations in Annex VI to Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013 to reflect the changes made to the financial programming for the Youth Employment Initiative (YEI).

LEGISLATIVE ACT: Regulation (EU) 2018/1719 of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013 as regards the resources for economic, social and territorial cohesion and the resources for the Investment for growth and jobs goal.

CONTENT: the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2018 amended the financial programming for the Youth Employment Initiative (‘YEI’) by increasing commitment appropriations for the specific allocation for the YEI by an amount of EUR 116.7 million in current prices and bringing the overall amount of commitment appropriations for the YEI for 2018 up to EUR 350 million in current prices.

This amendment to Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013 laying down common provisions applicable to the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESI Fund) is therefore intended to adjust downwards the amount of commitment appropriations for 2020 to reflect the frontloading to 2018.

Under the amending Regulation, the resources allocated to economic, social and territorial cohesion available for budgetary commitments for the period 2014-2020, expressed in 2011 prices, amount to EUR 329 982 345 366, in accordance with the annual breakdown set out in Annex VI to the Regulation, of which EUR 325 938 694 233 represent the total resources allocated to the ERDF, ESF and Cohesion Fund, and EUR 4 043 651 133 represent a specific allocation to the YEI.

The resources allocated to the YEI thus amount to EUR 4 043 651 133 from the specific allocation allocated to the YEI and at least EUR 4 043 651 133 from targeted investments from the European Social Fund (ESF).

ENTRY INTO FORCE: 17.11.2018

The European Parliament adopted 582 votes to 51, with 32 abstentions, a legislative resolution on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013 as regards the resources for economic, social and territorial cohesion and correcting that Regulation as regards the resources for the Investment for growth and jobs goal.

The European Parliament adopted its position at first reading under the ordinary legislative procedure without making any amendments to the Commission's proposal .

As a reminder, the proposal to amend the Regulation laying down common provisions applicable to the European Structural and Investment Funds (‘ESI Fund’) concerns the financing of the Youth Employment Initiative (YEI) in 2018.

The present proposal seeks to frontload some of the 2020 appropriations for the YEI to 2018 . An increase in the budgetary means for the YEI in 2018 was agreed in the budgetary negotiations for 2018. The increase is considerable, namely by an amount of EUR 116.7 million, which brings the total YEI budget for 2018 to EUR 350 million.

The amount of commitment appropriations for 2020 needs to be adjusted downwards accordingly to reflect the frontloading to 2018.

The resources for economic, social and territorial cohesion available for budgetary commitment for the period 2014-2020 shall be EUR 329 982 345 366 in 2011 prices, in accordance with the annual breakdown set out in Annex VI, of which EUR 325 938 694 233 represents the global resources allocated to the ERDF, the ESF and the Cohesion Fund and EUR 4 043 651 133 represents a specific allocation for the YEI.

The Committee on Regional Development adopted the report by Iskra MIHAYLOVA (ALDE, BG) on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013 as regards the resources for economic, social and territorial cohesion and correcting that Regulation as regards the resources for the Investment for growth and jobs goal.

The committee recommended that the European Parliament adopt its position at first reading, taking over the Commission proposal .

As a reminder, the proposal to amend the Regulation laying down common provisions applicable to the European Structural and Investment Funds (‘ESI Fund’) concerns the financing of the Youth Employment Initiative (YEI) in 2018.

The YEI is part of the Youth Guarantee, which is a scheme whereby Member States implement measures to ensure that young people up to the age of 25 receive a good quality offer of employment, continued education, an apprenticeship or a traineeship within four months of leaving school or becoming unemployed.

The present proposal frontloads some of the 2020 appropriations for the YEI to 2018. An increase in the budgetary means for the YEI in 2018 was agreed in the budgetary negotiations for 2018. The increase is considerable, namely by an amount of EUR 116.7 million, which brings the total YEI budget for 2018 to EUR 350 million.

The amount of commitment appropriations for 2020 needs to be adjusted downwards accordingly to reflect the frontloading to 2018.

The Committee on Regional Development has therefore decided to follow the simplified procedure for this textually minor amendment to the Regulation on common provisions and proposed the rapid adoption of the proposal, without amendments.

PURPOSE: to amend Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013 as regards the resources for economic, social and territorial cohesion and correcting that Regulation as regards the resources for the investment for growth and jobs goal.

PROPOSED ACT: Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council.

ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: the European Parliament decides in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure and on an equal footing with the Council.

BACKGROUND: Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council lays down the common and general rules applicable to the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESI Fund). This Regulation was amended by Regulation (EU) 2017/2305 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the resources allocated for economic, social and territorial cohesion.

The general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2018 amended the financial programming for the Youth Employment Initiative (YEI) by increasing commitment appropriations for the specific allocation for the YEI by an amount of EUR 116.7 million in current prices and bringing the overall amount of commitment appropriations for the YEI for 2018 up to EUR 350 million in current prices.

The amount of commitment appropriations for 2020 needs to be adjusted downwards accordingly to reflect the frontloading to 2018.

CONTENT: this proposal is the result of the 2018 budgetary decision. It aims to adapt the amounts of resources available for the investment for growth and jobs goal and for the European territorial cooperation goal set out in Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013 and the annual breakdown of commitment appropriations reflected in Annex VI in order to reflect changes in the financial programming for the YEI.

Under this amending proposal, the resources for economic, social and territorial cohesion available for the budgetary commitments for the period 2014-2020 (expressed in 2011 prices), shall amount to EUR 329 982 345 366 , in accordance with the annual breakdown set out in Annex VI, of which:

EUR 325 938 694 233 represents the global resources allocated to the ERDF, the ESF and the Cohesion Fund; EUR 4 043 651 133 represents a specific allocation for the YEI .

It is also proposed to correct some errors with regard to the amounts and percentages concerning the resources for the investment for growth and jobs goal set out in Regulation (EU) 2017/2305, amending Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013.

Under the corrective measure, the resources earmarked for the investment for growth and employment goal would amount to 96.09 % of total resources (i.e. a total of EUR 317 073 545 392) and shall be distributed as follows:

51.52 % (a total of EUR 163 359 380 738) for less developed regions; 10.82 % (a total of EUR 34 319 221 039) for transition regions; 16.33 % (a total of EUR 51 773 321 432) for more developed regions; 20.89 % (a total of EUR 66 236 030 665) for Member States supported by the Cohesion Fund; 0.44 % (a total of EUR 1 385 591 518) as additional funding for the outermost regions identified in Article 349 TFEU and the NUTS level 2 regions fulfilling the criteria laid down in Article 2 of Protocol No 6 to the 1994 Act of Accession.