European Social Fund (ESF)

The European Social Fund (ESF) is one of the European Union’s (EU) five Structural and Investment Funds and serves as one of its main tools to promote jobs and social inclusion, fight poverty and promote education, training and the acquisition of lifelong skills.

The ESF has existed since the original 1957 treaty (Treaty of Rome) which set up the then European Economic Community. It now has its legal basis in the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (Articles 162, 163, 164, 174, 175, 177 and 178).

For the 2021-2027 programming period, with a total budget of roughly €99 billion, the ESF’s scope was broadened to integrate the former Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived and the EU programme for employment and social innovation. The ESF is now entitled ESF+ (Regulation (EU) 2021/1057).

SEE ALSO

• Economic, social and territorial cohesion
• Structural and Investment Funds
• European Social Fund Plus — ESF+ (2021-2027) (summary)
• Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived (FEAD) (summary)
• Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived (FEAD) (European Commission)
• European Social Fund (ESF) (European Commission).