Description
EaSI is a European-level financing instrument which supports employment, social policy and labour mobility in line with the objectives of Europe 2020 (the EU’s growth strategy). EaSI funding is used to test ideas for reform, evaluate them and put the best ones into practice. The concept of social innovation, which has a special focus on youth, is at the heart of EaSI. EaSI works in conjunction with the European Social Fund (ESF) and the European Globalisation Fund (EGF), to form a coherent set of EU programmes for the period 2014-20.
Objectives
- Strengthen ownership of EU objectives and coordination of action at EU and national level in the areas of employment, social affairs and inclusion.
- Support the development of adequate social protection systems and labour market policies.
- Modernise EU legislation and ensure its effective application.
- Promote geographical mobility and boost employment opportunities by developing an open labour market.
- Increase the availability and accessibility of microfinance for vulnerable groups and micro-enterprises, and increase access to finance for social enterprises.
Structure
EaSI brings together three EU programmes which were managed separately between 2007 and 2013 and now form the three axes of the programme.
- PROGRESS (Programme for Employment and Social Solidarity), which focuses on the modernisation of employment and social policies (61% of the budget)
- EURES (European Employment Services), a European network that encourages job mobility (18% of the total budget);
- Microfinance and social entrepreneurship, which supports microcredit and microloans for vulnerable groups and micro-enterprises; and social entrepreneurship (21% of the total budget)
Total EU budget
The financial envelope for the period 2014-2020 is EUR 919.5 million
EEA Status
The Regulation establishing the EaSI programme was incorporated into the EEA Agreement on 27 June 2014, foreseeing full participation from Iceland and partial participation from Norway (in the EURES axis). Since 1 January 2015 Norway also participates in the Progress axis.