Innovatory measures for new job sources under the ESF
The European Commission, DG V, has launched a restricted call to tender for actions under Article 6 of the European Social Fund (ESF) to support the EU strategy of job creation. Assistance will be provided, for actions which are not already receiving major public support, in three main areas: - Actions developing local employment through support for development agencies, networks and local partnerships working to support various job and business creation initiatives; - Actions by companies to develop new systems of work organization, particularly those designed to exploit the potential of new technologies and the demand for more flexible work opportunities by prospective employees; - Establishment of vertical partnerships (local, national and Community bodies), an essential condition for the creation of legal, financial and fiscal frameworks conducive to the emergence of new jobs. To qualify for selection, projects must offer the following features: - Innovatory measures must constitute test beds for future use of the ESF, so that the most interesting experiments can be consolidated. Projects should be easily reproducible and readily transposable to other regions in the territory of the European Community; - Projects must enable the firm to open up to the local area. Successful projects are likely to involve a broad partnership of different organizations (public, private, training establishments, local development bodies, associations, labour market authorities, etc.); - In addition, special consideration will be given to projects which comply with the broad guidelines for use of the Structural Funds as set out at the European Councils in Essen (1994) and Madrid (1995): . Respect for the principle of equal opportunities for men and women; . Conservation of the environment; . Introduction of positive discrimination in favour of groups in difficulty (the disabled, long-term unemployed, young people seeking their first job, etc.); . Focus on local development policy, notably in rural areas and urban areas in crisis; - Lastly, closer consideration will be given to projects which involve several Member States, although transnationality is not a compulsory condition for the submission of a project to the Commission. The Commission's financial contribution to actions selected for funding may be up to 100% of the cost of the action, the balance to be provided by the promoter. The budget will be limited to approximately ECU 25 million per year, and projects may run for a maximum period of three years (1997-1999). Projects will be selected annually. Each project will be the subject of an annual decision relating to the current year. The forms to be completed and the detailed conditions of eligibility for Article 6 actions may be obtained from: European Commission DG V - Employment, industrial relations and social affairs Unit B/1 - Article 6 ESF projects 200 rue de la Loi B-1049 Brussels