'Making it work: the European Social Fund'

The Summary of 'Making it work: the European Social Fund' - the Ninth Report of the House of Lords European Union Committee - states: 'During the course of our inquiry we were struck by the worth of the ESF for all Member States. In particular, we agree with the Commission that the ESF is a concrete expression across the EU of solidarity among all of Europe's citizens.'

It adds: 'It is essential that existing and future ESF projects, and the money directed towards them, are considered in the context of domestic schemes, many of which have similar aims to ESF-funded provision. Regional flexibility is of the utmost importance for the successful operation of the ESF and we consider that regions should have greater flexibility to decide how the ESF can best improve people's employability within their specific local context, while recognising the national and European nature of the Funds.'

Reference: 9th Report, 2009-10, House of Lords EU Committee

(Added 2010-04-18)