The devil’s in the details.
“Under the new National and Regional Partnership Plans (NRPPs), funding for social rights could become weaker, more fragmented, and less accountable to local needs. To meet the EU’s poverty reduction targets, we need stronger commitments, not diluted safeguards.”
That’s the conclusion of a new analysis of proposed EU budget and its investments into social inclusion. The document is a joint statement, signed by over 50 civil society organisations, including Inclusion Europe. Read it here (PDF).
The assessment highlights serious concerns about the ability of the proposed EU budget to deliver on its social ambitions and the achievement of the European Pillar of Social Rights:
- The loss of a dedicated ESF+ budget line, replaced by a 14% “social spending” target spread across multiple funds, which would mean less guaranteed funding spread across more investment areas;
- A shift toward centralised national planning, weakening regional participation and civil society involvement;
- The elimination of minimum earmarks for social inclusion, child poverty, and material deprivation; which means no more guarantees for investment into initiatives for excluded or disadvantaged groups;
- The removal of enabling conditions, which previously ensured that Member States had effective strategies and safeguards in place before EU money was spent, now leaving investments less accountable and potentially less effective.
The organisations, Inclusion Europe among them, call for stronger safeguards, dedicated social funding, and empowered local actors to ensure the EU’s social ambitions become real impact.
Read also: EU money for inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities and their families