PART III

The EaSI strand shall have the following operational objectives: to develop high-quality comparative analytical knowledge in order to ensure that policies to achieve the specific objectives set out in Article 4(1) are based on sound evidence and are relevant to needs, challenges and local conditions; to facilitate effective and inclusive information sharing, mutual learning, peer reviews and dialogue on policies in the policy areas set out in Article 4(1) in order to assist the design of appropriate policy measures; to support social experimentation in the policy areas set out in Article 4(1) and build up the stakeholders’ capacity at national and local levels to prepare, design and implement, transfer or scale up the tested social policy innovations, in particular with regard to the scaling up of projects developed by local stakeholders in the field of the socio-economic integration of third-country nationals; to facilitate the voluntary geographical mobility of workers and increase employment opportunities through developing and providing specific support services to employers and jobseekers with a view to the development of integrated European labour markets, ranging from pre-recruitment preparation to post-placement assistance in order to fill vacancies in certain sectors, professions, countries, border regions or for particular groups, such as people in vulnerable situations; to support the development of the market ecosystem around the provision of microfinance to microenterprises in start-up and development phases, in particular those that are created by or employ people in vulnerable situations; to support networking at Union level and dialogue with and among relevant stakeholders in the policy areas set out in Article 4(1) and contribute to build up the institutional capacity of involved stakeholders, including the public employment services, public social security and health insurance institutions, civil society, microfinance institutions and institutions providing finance to social enterprises and the social economy; to support the development of social enterprises and the emergence of a social investment market, facilitating public and private interactions and the participation of foundations and philanthropic actors in that market; to provide guidance for the development of social infrastructure needed for the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights; to support transnational cooperation in order to accelerate the transfer and facilitate the scaling up, of innovative solutions, in particular for the policy areas set out in Article 4(1); and to support the implementation of relevant international social and labour standards in the context of harnessing globalisation and the external dimension of Union policies in the policy areas set out in Article 4(1). Only actions pursuing the objectives referred to in Article 3(1) and (2), Article 4(1) and Article 25 shall be eligible for funding. The EaSI strand may support the following actions: analytical activities, including in relation to third countries, in particular: surveys, studies, statistical data, methodologies, classifications, micro-simulations, indicators and support for European-level observatories and benchmarks; social experimentation evaluating social innovations; monitoring and assessment of the transposition and application of Union law; policy implementation, in particular: cross-border partnerships, in particular between public employment services, the social partners and civil society, and support services in cross-border regions; a Union-wide labour-targeted mobility scheme at Union level to fill job vacancies where labour market shortcomings have been identified; support for microfinance institutions and institutions providing finance to social enterprises, including through blending operations such as asymmetric risk sharing or the reduction of transaction costs, as well as support for the development of social infrastructure and skills; support for transnational cooperation and partnership with a view to transferring and scaling up innovative solutions; capacity building, in particular of: networks at Union level related to the policy areas set out in Article 4(1); national contact points providing guidance, information and assistance related to the implementation of the EaSI strand; the administrations, social security institutions and employment services responsible for promoting labour mobility, of microfinance institutions and institutions providing finance to social enterprises or other social investment actors, as well as networking, in Member States or third countries associated to the EaSI strand pursuant to Article 29; stakeholders, including the social partners and civil society organisations, in view of transnational cooperation; communication and dissemination activities, in particular: mutual learning through exchange of good practices, innovative approaches, results of analytical activities, peer reviews, and benchmarking; guides, reports, informative material and media coverage of initiatives related to the policy areas set out in Article 4(1); information systems disseminating evidence related to the policy areas set out in Article 4(1); events of the Presidency of the Council and conferences, seminars and awareness-raising activities. Subject to the criteria set out in Article 197 of the Financial Regulation, the following entities shall be eligible: legal entities established in any of the following countries or territories: a Member State or an overseas country or territory linked to it; a third country which is associated to the EaSI strand pursuant to Article 29; a third country listed in the work programme, subject to conditions specified in paragraphs 2 and 3 of this Article; any legal entity established under Union law or any international organisation. Legal entities established in a third country which is not associated to the EaSI strand pursuant to Article 29 shall be exceptionally eligible to participate where necessary for the achievement of the objectives of a given action. Legal entities established in a third country which is not associated to the EaSI strand pursuant to Article 29 shall, in principle, bear the cost of their participation. The Commission shall ensure that gender equality, gender mainstreaming and the integration of gender perspective are taken into account and promoted throughout the preparation, implementation, monitoring, reporting, and evaluation of the operations supported from the EaSI strand. The Commission shall take appropriate steps to prevent any discrimination based on gender, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation during the preparation, implementation, monitoring, reporting, and evaluation of the operations supported from the EaSI strand. In particular, accessibility for persons with disabilities shall be taken into account throughout the preparation and implementation of the EaSI strand. The EaSI strand shall be open to the participation of the following third countries by means of an agreement with the Union: members of the European Free Trade Association which are members of the European Economic Area, in accordance with the conditions laid down in the Agreement on the European Economic Area; acceding countries, candidate countries and potential candidates, in accordance with the general principles and general terms and conditions for the participation of those countries in Union programmes established in the respective framework agreements and Association Council decisions or similar agreements and in accordance with the specific conditions laid down in agreements between the Union and those countries; other third countries, in accordance with the conditions laid down in a specific agreement covering the participation of the third country in the EaSI strand, provided that the agreement: ensures a fair balance as regards the contributions and benefits of the third country participating in the Union programmes; lays down the conditions of participation in the programmes, including the calculation of financial contributions to individual programmes or strands of programmes, and their administrative costs; does not confer to the third country a decisional power on the EaSI strand; guarantees the rights of the Union to ensure sound financial management and to protect its financial interests. The contributions referred to in this Article, first paragraph, point (c)(ii), shall constitute assigned revenues in accordance with Article 21(5) of the Financial Regulation. The EaSI strand may provide funding in any of the forms laid down in the Financial Regulation for financial contributions, in particular grants, prizes, procurement and voluntary payments to international organisations of which the Union is a member or in whose work it participates. The EaSI strand shall be implemented directly as provided for in Article 62(1), first subparagraph, point (a), of the Financial Regulation or indirectly with bodies referred to in Article 62(1), first subparagraph, point (c), of that Regulation. When awarding grants, the evaluation committee referred to in Article 150 of the Financial Regulation may be composed of external experts. Blending operations under the EaSI strand shall be implemented in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2021/523 and Title X of the Financial Regulation. The EaSI strand shall be implemented on the basis of work programmes referred to in Article 110 of Financial Regulation. The content of those work programmes shall be established in line with the operational objectives set out in Article 25 of this Regulation and with the eligible actions set out in Article 26 of this Regulation. Work programmes shall set out, where applicable, the overall amount reserved for blending operations. The Commission shall gather expertise on the preparation of the work programmes by consulting the working group referred to in Article 39(8). The Commission shall foster synergies and ensure effective coordination between ESF+ and other relevant Union instruments as well as between the ESF+ strands. Indicators to report on the progress of the EaSI strand towards the achievement of the specific objectives set out in Article 4(1) and the operational objectives set out in Article 25 are set out in Annex IV. The performance reporting system shall ensure that data for monitoring the implementation and results of the EaSI strand are collected efficiently, effectively and in a timely manner. To that end, proportionate reporting requirements shall be imposed on recipients of Union funds and, where relevant, Member States. Where a third country participates in the EaSI strand by means of a decision adopted pursuant to an international agreement, or on the basis of any other legal instrument, the third country shall grant the necessary rights and access required for the authorising officer responsible, OLAF and the Court of Auditors to comprehensively exercise their respective competences. In the case of OLAF, such rights shall include the right to carry out investigations, including on-the-spot checks and inspections, as provided for in Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 883/2013. Evaluations shall be carried out in a timely manner to feed into the decision-making process. By 31 December 2024, the Commission shall carry out a mid-term evaluation of the EaSI strand, on the basis of sufficient information available about its implementation. The Commission shall assess the performance of the programme pursuant to Article 34 of the Financial Regulation, and in particular its effectiveness, efficiency, coherence, relevance and Union added value, including vis-à-vis the horizontal principles referred to in Article 28 of this Regulation, and measure, on a qualitative and quantitative basis, progress made in meeting the objectives of the EaSI strand. The mid-term evaluation shall be based on the information generated by the monitoring arrangements and indicators established pursuant to Article 32, with a view to making any adjustments needed to the policy and funding priorities. By 31 December 2031, at the end of the implementation period a final evaluation of the EaSI strand shall be carried out by the Commission. The Commission shall submit the conclusions of the mid-term and final evaluations accompanied by its observations, to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions. Audits on the use of the Union contribution carried out by persons or entities, including by other than those mandated by the Union institutions or bodies, shall form the basis of the overall assurance pursuant to Article 127 of the Financial Regulation. The recipients of Union funding shall acknowledge the origin of those funds and ensure the visibility of the Union funding, in particular when promoting the actions and their results, by providing coherent, effective and proportionate targeted information to multiple audiences, including the media and the public. The Commission shall implement information and communication actions relating to the EaSI strand, to actions taken pursuant to the EaSI strand and to the results obtained. Financial resources allocated to the EaSI strand shall also contribute to the corporate communication of the political priorities of the Union, insofar as those priorities are related to the objectives referred to in Article 3(1) and (2), Article 4(1) and Article 25.

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Source: EUR-Lex (Cellar) · retrieved 2026-11-01 · Text as adopted (Official Journal); later amendments are not incorporated in this text.