* : Vote on MTR Cohesion Policy 25th June - ETUC priority principles

Brussels, 24 June 2025

• To: Members of European Parliament 

Dear Member of the European Parliament,

On Wednesday morning you will be called at expressing your vote on the mid-term review of cohesion policy, in the view to align it with the political priorities of the Union for 2024-2029 set out by President von der Leyen.

The ETUC and its affiliates understand the complexity of the task at stake, the EU being facing the current and emerging challenges.

However, we urge you to make your decision bearing clear in mind that cohesion policy must remain well focused on its original objectives, because reducing disparities between regions and promoting economic, social, and territorial cohesion are conditional to the very existence and thriving of the EU social market economy especially in the view of upraising challenges. 

This is particularly important as the mid-term review is expressively considered as an "indication of what shape cohesion policy will take in the post-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework".

We therefore call you at expressing a pondered vote, that doesn't betray the very core Treaty-based principles of cohesion funds and the ESF+ in particular, while contributing to the efforts of facing the raising priorities. 

In this framework, the ETUC encourages you to support the following principles:

• Funding for social objectives must be safeguarded from depletion by reallocation to defence or security initiatives and should instead be increased.

Rationale: The amount of budget diverted towards new priorities wouldn't cover the needs especially for defence, but it would be highly detrimental to cohesion policy objectives and the achievement of the right to stay. Moreover, redirecting cohesion funds to other purposes would be shortsighted not only economically - the cost of undermining regional cohesion will be higher in the long run – but also politically, threatening the sense of common purpose Europe needs more than ever. Reinforcing social inequalities would further fuel the far-right, thus undermining EU security. The ETUC opposes proposals to allow Member States to use resources from social cohesion policy programmes to increase defence spending.

ESF+ shall be ensured to support interventions prioritising capabilities/infrastructures and interventions tackling the needs of people and local dimensions especially in times of emergency and actual danger.

Rationale: cohesion policy is designed for these purposes. The MTR must thus focus on a broader concept of security that takes into account the necessity of social resilience, equality and economic security, and addresses threats to democracy and interference from hostile foreign governments or corporations, cybersecurity, misinformation, attacks against academic freedom as well as the effects of climate change, extreme natural disasters and global health risks. This necessarily includes guaranteeing EU's strategic autonomy and self-sufficiency in all areas related to its security, such as digital, health, food, science, energy, water, industry and transport, etc, reinforcing public and emergency services and infrastructures such as for civil protection and preparedness, and a strong industrial policy, severely harmed by old and new austerity measures. 

ESF+ shall support these requirements and not others that can be better funded by through national budgets and other financial instruments. 

• ESF+ fund reallocation shall actually and only respond to emerging strategic priorities in line with the above-mentioned principles

Rationale: A prior assessment and monitoring procedure in this respect is necessary, as no funds shall be diverted from existing and still highly relevant objectives without a deep and thorough consideration of their use and their impact on people and territories.

• Measures supporting dedicated priorities shall enhance the capacity of small beneficiaries to contribute to such priorities, and thus shall prioritize their access to supporting funds

Rationale: as a matter of effectiveness of the intervention of ESF+, micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, also social economy enterprise, trade unions and also CSOs engaged at local level must be ensured financial capacity and be empowered as beneficiaries. It is where funds are mostly needed and because they serve the very fabric of the EU societies, economies and territories. Prefinancing and other financial facilities must be provided, in order to counterbalance an excessive polarization of funds towards bigger entities (as shown by periodical assessment of the use of the ESF+ and JTF); while the long-term structured solutions are necessary to offset such imbalance, the MTR must not stress it and unduly privilege entities that already have capacity to engage in actions needed without the intervention of ESF+. 

• Possible funds reallocation shall only concern specific objectives in Article 4(1) concerning the promotional measures for adapting workforce to new industry priorities, listed in points (a) to (g)

Rationale: no crucial resources shall be diverted away from transversal priorities of persisting socio-economic relevance, such as those devoted to tackle the vulnerabilities of disadvantaged groups underrepresented in the labour market, people with migrant background, marginalized communities, most deprived people, especially children, people in need of timely and equal access to essential services such as housing, income support, social care services.

• Social Conditionalities must be applied in line with existing regulations

Rationale: the provisions already enshrined in STEP and Net-Zero regulations must be extended when programme amending, therefore the Member States, shall include obligations to the beneficiaries to respect working and employment conditions under applicable ILO conventions, Union and national law and collective agreements. We cannot support the low quality jobs, bad employers and trade union busting with public funding. 

Any decision of (up-/re-)skilling and training reprogramming shall be decided by MS only upon timely and meaningfully consultation of the social partners at national level, on well identified and targeted scope.

Rationale: the role of social partners in crucial in supporting the success of decarbonisation priorities via dedicated programmes, as they activate investments and transformations in specific sectors and workplaces. 

We kindly ask you to vote in the support for those positions. 

My Team and I remain at your full disposal for any clarification you may have at the eve on this important vote.  

Best regards, 

Tea Jarc
Confederal Secretary