esf technicalpaper yei guidance en

Guidance on

European Social Fund thematic paper

Social Europe

implementing the Youth Employment Initiative

Guidance on implementing the Youth Employment Initiative

European Social Fund thematic paper

European Commission

Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion

Unit E1

Manuscript completed in September 2014

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3

GUIDANCE ON IMPLEMENTING THE YOUTH EMPLOYMENT INITIATIVE – EUROPEAN SOCIAL FUND THEMATIC PAPER

TABLE OF CONTENTSRelevant Provisions in the Legislation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Target Group of the YEI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Programming of the YEI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

What actions does the YEI support? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

What actions is YEI expected not to support? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

YEI Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

YEI in the Partnership Agreement and Operational Programmes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

YEI Flexibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Youth Measures under the ESF (outside the YEI) and the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

YEI co-financing rate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

4

Technical Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Ex-ante Conditionality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Thematic Concentration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Performance Reserve and Framework . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Monitoring and Evaluation Arrangements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Early Eligibility date of Expenditure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Management and Control and Financial Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Information and Communication Arrangements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Joint Action Plans and Simplified cost options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Annex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

5


RELEVANT PROVISIONS IN THE LEGISLATIONRegulation Articles

Common Provisions Regulation(1)

Article 20 – Performance ReserveArticle 29 - Procedure for adoption of programmesArticle 65 – Eligibility Article 91 - Resources for economic, social and territorial cohesionArticle 92 - Resources for the Investment for growth and jobs goal and for the European territorial cooperation goalArticle 104 – Scope (Joint Action Plan)Article 119 - Technical assistance of the Member StatesArticle 120 - Determination of co-financing ratesAnnex III - Provisions for determining the scope and the level of suspension of commitments or payments referred to in Article 23(11)Annex VI - Annual breakdown of commitment appropriations for 2014 to 2020Annex VII - Allocation methodologyAnnex VIII - Methodology concerning the specific allocation for the YEI referred to in Article 91

European Social Fund Regulation

Article 1Article 3(1)(a)(ii)Article 5Chapter IV (Articles 16-23) – Youth Employment InitiativeAnnex I – ESF Common indicatorsAnnex II – Result Indicators for the YEI

(1) Only articles making direct reference to the YEI have been listed.

6

BACKGROUNDThe Council adopted a Recommendation on establishing a Youth

Guarantee in April 2013(2). Member States committed to ensure

that all young people aged up to 25 receive a good quality offer of

employment, continued education, an apprenticeship or a trainee-

ship within four months of leaving formal education or becoming

unemployed. Setting up a Youth Guarantee scheme represents

a long-term structural reform and a positive investment in the

future of young people and the economy. The design and imple-

mentation of a national Youth Guarantee scheme requires a firm

commitment over time and substantial budgetary support in the

mid- to long-term. In addition to national efforts, Member States

can draw on support from the European Social Fund (ESF) and the

resources of the Youth Employment Initiative (YEI) during the next

multiannual financial framework for 2014-2020.

Further to the Council Recommendation on establishing a Youth

Guarantee, applicable to all 28 Member States, the implementa-

tion of Youth Guarantee schemes is also referred to in a number of

Country Specific Recommendations (CSRs) made in the context of

the 2013 European Semester. Progress towards the implementa-

tion of the Youth Guarantee Recommendation by Member States

will continue to be monitored through the European Semester also

in 2014 and subsequent years.

(2) http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2013:120:0001:0006:EN:PDF

The YEI resources will comprise of EUR 3.2 billion(3) from

a specific EU budget line dedicated to youth employ-

ment (also referred to as the specific allocation for the

YEI), as well as at least EUR 3.2 billion from the ESF

national allocations (also referred to as corresponding

ESF support). Member States are also required to provide

funds as national co-financing to the ESF part. Where

this guidance note refers to the YEI, the Initiative or the

YEI resources, this includes all 3 sources of financing

described above.

The Initiative will provide financial support to the Member

States worst hit by youth unemployment, as it is allocated

to the regions that have youth unemployment rates (YUR)

of more than 25 % in 2012 and, for Member States where

the YUR has increased by more than 30 % in 2012, NUTS

level 2 regions that have YUR of more than 20 % in 2012.

(Art. 16 ESF Regulation).

The YEI will finance measures that directly help young people

not in employment, education or training (NEETs) (see also fur-

ther below). It will be implemented as part of the Investment

for Growth and Jobs Goal.

(3) Figures are presented in current prices.

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2013:120:0001:0006:EN:PDF

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2013:120:0001:0006:EN:PDF

7


In this regard, there are two relevant aspects: on the one hand

the eligibility of YEI participants (from a legal point of view)

and on the other hand which participants should YEI aim to

target as a priority (from a policy perspective).

Who is eligible for YEI?

From the outset, the YEI has been intended as a financial

resource providing concentrated support to young persons in

Europe’s regions that were worst affected by youth unem-

ployment(4), namely those young persons that are not in any

employment, education or training activity (NEET).(5)

According to article 16 ESF Regulation, the YEI shall target “all

young persons under the age of 25 not in employment, educa-

tion or training, residing in eligible regions, who are inactive or

unemployed including the long term unemployed, and whether

or not registered as seeking work.” On a voluntary basis, MS

may decide to extend the target group to include young per-

sons under the age of 30”. The YEI will support, inter alia, the

implementation of the Youth Guarantee Council Recommenda-

tion (Recital 11 ESF Regulation).

In light of the above, from a legal point of view, no specific

definition of NEET is stipulated in the YEI legal base. Therefore,

in line with Art. 65 CPR MS may decide on the national rules on

eligibility for the YEI, but should ensure that the YEI participants

they consider as eligible (in line with art. 65 CPR) fall within the

YEI target group as defined in art.16 ESF Regulation.

The definition of the NEET target group that the MS will apply

should be clearly stipulated in the Operational Programmes or

the selection criteria for the YEI operations.

Whom should the YEI target as a matter of policy priority?

It should be noted that the YEI is intended to enhance the sup-

port the ESF already provides for wider groups of young people

(4) See also COM(2013) 144 final.

(5) A detailed analysis on the situation of NEETs in the EU is available in the Commission Staff Working Document accompanying the proposal for a Council Recommendation on establishing a Youth Guarantee, SWD(2012) 409 final. See in particular pages 2-10.

by ensuring that YEI targets young persons who would not nor-

mally be receiving any employment or education support.

From a policy perspective, the objective is to ensure that YEI

provides good quality offers, i.e. packages of interventions that

would facilitate the person’s transition to the labour market,

by achieving the targets set under the result indicators as

listed in Annex II of the ESF Regulation. Respectively, Member

States should ensure adequate financial support per person

targeted. It should be noted that clearly, in no MS would the

YEI resources alone be sufficient to provide a Youth Guarantee

offer to each and every young person NEET.

The question then arises: on the basis of the much wider pool

of potentially eligible persons as outlined/defined above, how

the MS should select and prioritise the actual YEI participants

and where it should put the focus.

The MS could choose to target a mix of more- or less- edu-

cated NEETs including those leaving education without quali-

fications, harder and easier- to reach participants, including

disadvantaged persons and those from marginalised commu-

nities (as such, the NEETs are a heterogeneous category). The

YEI target group is expected to also include inactive persons

who are not involved in any education or training activities(6).

Borderline cases of young people who are unemployed but are

also participating in training on the side (e.g. evening classes)

may also enter that group. The MS can choose how to consti-

tute this target group mix.

Identifying the target population

The YEI can only target young persons aged under 25 years, or

where the MS chooses, persons aged under 30 years. Where

the latter is the case, an explanation in the OP (needs analysis

section) will be expected, to motivate this choice. In order to

ensure compliance with the age limit requirement, the partici-

pants should meet the age criterion at the moment of entering

the YEI operation.

(6) “Inactive, not in education or training” does not exclude young people with a higher education but encompasses persons currently not part of the labour force (in the sense that they are not employed or are unemployed and not participating in education or training at the moment of being inactive). The definitions of the common indicator “inactive, not in education or training” is set out in the EC guidance on ESF monitoring and evaluation.

TARGET GROUP OF THE YEI

8

Member States will themselves have to identify the informa-

tion sources about potential participants in YEI interventions –

the act of registration with the PES could be one such source

(and in the case of hard-to-reach group, this registration would

typically follow after social and motivation work to get the

person to register – activities which inter alia can be funded

through other ESF operations)(7). School system records for

the purpose of monitoring early school leaving (absenteeism)

could be another tool to screen and identify the target group

for YEI activities.

As the YEI can support NEETs(8) who can be unemployed (defi-

nition of corresponding common indicator given in Annex of

the EC guidance on ESF monitoring and evaluation), it should

be noted that the national arrangements in a number of MS

allow for registered unemployed persons to also be involved

in certain types of education or training activities of limited

(7) It is important to remember that young people not registered at a PES also fall under the scope of the Youth Guarantee. The Youth Guarantee applies to all young people below 25. Those who are not registered with the PES, or who registered prior to the introduction of the Youth Guarantee Scheme should not be at a disadvantage with respect to those already registered. It is on to the MS to ensure this balanced approach among the target population for YEI.

(8) There is a Eurostat definition of young persons neither in employment, education or training (NEET). This definition has been agreed by the Employment Committee (EMCO) in April 2010 for use in the context of the Europe 2020 Integrated Guidelines. This definition of NEET includes: - Unemployed persons (according to ILO definition) not in any education

and training; - Inactive persons (ILO definition) not in any education and training. “Not employed” includes both unemployed and inactive, with “not in any

education or training” meaning that persons who are employed and/or follow formal or non-formal education are not considered to be NEET. It is important to note, however, that from a policy perspective, the Eurostat NEET definition may be too restrictive. If Member States decided to apply this definition in the context of YEI actions, it may prove difficult for them to ensure compliance of all YEI participants with the definition (e.g. certifying that a person who is registered as unemployed has not followed any training during the 4 weeks preceding the YEI) and/or could lead to undesirable exclusion of certain young people from YEI support.

duration, such as part-time studies. Where this is the case,

some of the YEI participants may fall into the category of

unemployed participants while also being involved in part-

time education and training activities, thus also falling within

the YEI target population. Full-time students are excluded

from YEI support.

The NEET eligible target population for YEI actions will have to

be residing in the YEI eligible regions. Regarding establishing

the residence status Member States could draw on local or

national residence registers or other relevant sources. It should

be noted that the geographical location of YEI activities can be

in other regions or even MS, if it benefits a NEET residing in an

eligible region at the start of the operation. In other words, it is

not compulsory of the participant in a YEI operation to stay in

the region they are residents of, especially in the context of job

and training mobility measures.

9


PROGRAMMING OF THE YEIMS can only programme the YEI measures under the invest-

ment priority on NEET (Article 3 (1)(a)(ii) - “Sustainable integra-

tion into the labour market of young people, in particular those

not in employment, education or training, including young peo-

ple at risk of social exclusion and young people from margin-

alised communities, including through the implementation of

the Youth Guarantee”. All YEI resources should be programmed

under this investment priority. In addition, this investment pri-

ority can also be used for programming ESF funds outside the

YEI, including for regions that do not qualify for the YEI.

The YEI resources are integrated within the programming of

the ESF. The YEI can be programmed in the following ways:

• A dedicated operational programme.

• A dedicated priority axis.

• A part of one or more priority axes.

Where the YEI is implemented through a dedicated priority axis,

this implies that the priority axis is composed only of the spe-

cific allocation for the YEI and the ESF corresponding support.

Where the YEI is implemented as part of a priority axis, this

entails a priority axis where the specific allocation for YEI and

the ESF corresponding support are programmed as a separate

part within a priority axis which also includes additional funding

outside of YEI. A dedicated YEI OP would consist exclusively of

dedicated YEI priority axes, with the exception of a possible

technical assistance priority axis, which can not be financed

by YEI and should be financed solely by technical assistance

resources from the ESF.

Art. 29 of the CPR contains a derogation with regard to dedi-

cated YEI Operational programmes which may be approved by

the Commission before the formal submission of the Partner-

ship Agreement. This derogation, together with the frontload-

ing of the resources from the YEI dedicated budget line (for

which no national co-financing is required) and the earlier start

of eligibility for the YEI (expenditure under the YEI shall be eli-

gible as from 1 September 2013) constitute a set of measures

intended to promote the swift implementation of the YEI.

Each programming option has merits, depending on the MS

context and the financial volume that the YEI entails in that

MS. For the major YEI beneficiary countries a more consoli-

dated approach to programming is encouraged (a dedicated

priority axis or operational programme). MS should consider

what would be the best arrangements that would provide for

quick results from YEI investments (possibly not scattering the

YEI too much across OPs).

10

The ESF Regulation does not specify which activities are eli-

gible under the YEI. However, there is a clear link to the Youth

Guarantee Recommendation made in recital 11 of the ESF

Regulation. This together with the result indicators for the

YEI in Annex II of the ESF Regulation provide a clear focus on

the integration to be achieved through quality interventions

directly on the target group.

The YEI (meaning both the resources from the dedicated

budget line, the corresponding ESF support and its national

co-financing) supports directly individuals, and not structures

or systems. Thus, with regard to the link between YEI and

Youth Guarantee schemes, the YEI can financially support only

certain aspects of the implementation of Youth Guarantee

schemes, namely actions targeting the direct provision of jobs,

apprenticeships, traineeships, or continued education for the

target group in the YEI eligible regions.

Therefore, the focus is on providing YEI-targeted individuals

with pathways/packages of measures with the objective of

active labour market integration, thus putting the individual

and his/her needs at the core of the intervention and tailoring

the interventions accordingly. Under YEI each individual would

receive an appropriate range of interventions and ultimately

an offer of employment and/or continued education and train-

ing, a traineeship or an apprenticeship. Interventions/actions

should thus be aimed at the sustainable activation of the tar-

get group. Furthermore, as mentioned above, the design of the

interventions should be guided by the goal of achieving the

targets YEI under the result indicators as listed in Annex II of

the ESF Regulation.

Typical examples of YEI-supported interventions as part of an

individual plan/pathway could include:

• Provision of traineeships and apprenticeships

• Provision of first job experience

WHAT ACTIONS DOES THE YEI SUPPORT?

• Reduction of non-wage labour costs

• Targeted and well-designed wage and recruitment subsidies

• Job and training mobility measures

• Start-up support for young entrepreneurs

• Quality vocational education and training courses

• Second chance programmes for early school leavers

The examples of actions above are in line with the interven-

tions on young persons referred to in the Recommendation

on Establishing a Youth Guarantee(9). The YEI will therefore be

a key financial instrument to support the implementation of

the relevant actions set out in the national Youth Guarantee

Implementation Plans of all YEI eligible Member States.

As regards eligible cost items under YEI, these are the same

as those that are typically supported by ESF (training fees,

equipment, stipends and scholarships, relocation allowance,

hiring costs, etc.). However, the objective and the context of the

design of the YEI interventions are of utmost importance and

should directly be linked with the results concerning the person

targeted (see above).

With regard in particular to wage subsidies, these are eligible

under the ESF Regulation and indeed are often applied in a num-

ber of Member States as a measure for labour market integra-

tion and providing access to employment and social inclusion.

However, from a policy perspective, wage subsidies should be

temporary and well-targeted, in view of aiming to achieve sus-

tainable labour market integration as part of an overall policy

approach (as opposed to short-term and isolated, piecemeal

projects). Wage or other types of recruitment subsidies are

expensive measures: this means that they need to be designed

in the most efficient and effective way from the outset. It should

be noted that recruitment subsides are state-aid relevant and

thus when designing recruitment subsidies, Member States must

take State Aid Regulations into consideration.(10)

(9) OJ C 120/01, 26.04.2013.

(10) See: http://ec.europa.eu/competition/consultations/2013_gber/

http://ec.europa.eu/competition/consultations/2013_gber

11


WHAT ACTIONS IS YEI EXPECTED NOT TO SUPPORT?Structural measures to reform the PES to better assist NEETs

would not be funded under YEI (recital 11 of the ESF Regula-

tion states that YEI will support actions targeted towards indi-

viduals and not systems reforms). The latter can of course be

supported by the ESF outside YEI, by programming the respec-

tive measure under the relevant IP, e.g. Modernising labour

market institutions.

The YEI should not be focused on simply supporting isolated

operations that do not feed into an individual, tailor-made plan

for the YEI participant. Such operations should be avoided as

these may not be relevant or sufficiently tailored to the needs

of the participants.

Likewise, similar to ESF interventions, operations that in

themselves exclusively consist of passive financial transfers

into the participants’ accounts, e.g. setting up an emer-

gency income support fund to help young persons meet their

monthly living expenses, cannot be considered as measures

that the YEI can support. Such operations would not stand the

test for being tailored to the needs of the participants(11). Sec-

ond, such operations could not be directly linked to results for

the target group, from the perspective of the YEI result indi-

cators. As a matter of principle, any passive measure should

always be combined with an active measure. Furthermore,

income support measures should be exceptional (as has been

the case at the height of the recent economic crisis) and lim-

ited in duration to the length of the activation measure. The

Member State would have to demonstrate why these passive

measures need to be combined with the active measures and

are considered as having a direct impact on the activation of

the participant.

(11) Note that the NEET group is diverse and ranges from socially disadvantaged persons with no education background to persons with university degree.

12

The annual breakdown of the specific allocation for the YEI

per Member State will be set out in the Commission decision

referred to in art. 91(2) of the CPR, which will also specify the

global resources for each MS for the Investment for Growth

and Jobs Goal and resources for the European Territorial Coop-

eration Goal. The decision will also include the list of eligible

regions under the YEI for each Member State, but will not pro-

vide allocations at regional level. Member States have the dis-

cretion of allocating the funds between the eligible regions.

However, there are several issues, which should be taken

into account:

• While Member States are free to allocate the funds at

regional level, the proposed distribution should be based on

objective criteria, including, where appropriate, through the

use of data from an official data source.

• The resources from the specific allocation for the YEI should

be at least matched by the same amount of ESF funds

(Art. 22 (1) ESF Regulation). Member States are encouraged to

include additional ESF resources as part of the YEI, particularly

if they extend the YEI target group to young people under the

age of 30 or include additional sub-regions within the scope

of the YEI. In this way the available resources per person are

not reduced as a result of the extended target group.

• While the specific allocation for the YEI is not allocated by

category of region, the ESF resources are. Art. 23 of the ESF

Regulation contains a specific mechanism for the reimburse-

ment of the YEI (described in detail below) based on an auto-

matic allocation of the ESF support by category of region

based on a pre-defined ratio. Such a mechanism implies the

intention of the legislator to allow Member States to imple-

ment the YEI without breaking down the resources actually

invested by category of region.

• During the programming stage Member States have to

ensure that for each YEI (part of) priority axis the corre-

sponding ESF support comes from the category(ies) of the

YEI target regions.

• When regions from different categories are grouped in

a single (part of) priority axis, the share of the foreseen

ESF matching support for each category of regions should

be consistent with the national allocation methodology

and should correspond to the share of YEI funds, which the

Member State wants to allocate to each category of regions.

However, once the resources of the YEI (part of) priority axis

have been fixed, they can be spent on activities targeting

eligible young people residing in any of the eligible regions

targeted by the priority axis without taking into account the

origin of the ESF matching support across the different cat-

egories of regions.

Example: A Member State has 3 regions, eligible for the

YEI – 1 less developed and 2 more developed. The YEI

will be implemented through a dedicated priority axis. The

national methodology for allocating the specific allocation

for the YEI foresees that 35 % of the YEI should be allocated

to the less developed region, 45 % to one of the more devel-

oped regions and 20 % to the other more developed region.

In this case 35 % of the corresponding ESF support should

come from ESF (less developed regions) and 65 % should be

from ESF (more developed regions). However, as regards the

amounts actually spent and a fortiori the number of persons

targeted in these regions, this ratio (35 %/65 %) does not

necessarily have to be followed.

• The MFF commitments for the YEI specific allocation are

frontloaded over the first two years of the programming

period, 2014 and 2015, instead of over the full cycle. The

split between the two annual commitments for each Mem-

ber State will be provided for in the Commission decision

mentioned above.

• The frontloading is a result of the urgent need to mobilize

the resources allocated to the YEI to support its immediate

implementation. It entails that both the specific allocation

for the YEI and the corresponding ESF support will have to be

committed and spent over a shorter period of time (taking

YEI RESOURCES

13


YEI IN THE PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT AND OPERATIONAL PROGRAMMESThe information related to the programming of the YEI should

be included in all relevant sections of the PA template and

the OP template. Managing Authorities should bear in mind in

particular the following:

1) PA template

• 1.1: where appropriate, the analysis should also identify the

need to allocate YEI funds for young persons residing in sub-

regions which experience high youth unemployment levels

and which are outside the eligible NUTS2 level regions and

provide a justification. This only applies to the MS which

want to make use of the 10 % flexibility;

• 1.4: this section contains a table with the resources from

the specific allocation for the YEI, the corresponding ESF

resources, and the YEI resources making use of the flexibility

option; it should be noted that table 1.4.1 will not include

the YEI specific allocation, but only the ESF corresponding

support under thematic objective 8;

• 1.10: the YEI resources are excluded from the performance

reserve: the YEI specific allocation should not be included

in this table at all, while the ESF corresponding support

should be included as part of all ESF funds in column 3 and

then be separately presented by category of regions in

column 4 in order to be excluded from the calculation of

the reserve.

account of the N+3 rule). That is why there should be suf-

ficient ESF amounts for 2014 and 2015 in the respective

programme(s) to be used as corresponding ESF support.

That is also in line with the provision that the Commission

will reimburse payment claims from Member States equally

between the YEI and the ESF.

• While the specific allocation for the YEI is frontloaded in the

MFF, there is no frontloading of the corresponding ESF credits

foreseen in the MFF. Therefore, the frontloading of the cor-

responding ESF support in 2014 and 2015 induces a propor-

tionate reduction of the ESF commitments in other non-YEI

(part of) priority axes/programmes for 2014 and 2015 so as

to ensure full compliance with the financial profile notified to

each MS in total yearly amounts and by category of region.

• For instance, since a YEI-specific OP will only contain ESF

commitments for 2014 and 2015 (including in the case of

a possible Technical Assistance priority axis), a MS should

make sure that the ESF commitments for 2014 and 2015 in

other programmes are reduced accordingly in order to com-

ply with the financial profile notified (stemming from the

MFF) and with the ESF share at national level.

• Annex VIII CPR and Art. 16 of the ESF Regulation also envis-

ages the possibility for the YEI resources to be revised

upwards for the years 2016 to 2020 in the framework of the

budgetary procedure in accordance with Art. 14 of the MFF

Regulation (1311/2013). Margins left available below the

MFF ceilings for commitment appropriations for the years

2014-2017 shall constitute a Global MFF Margin for com-

mitments, to be made available over and above the ceilings

established in the MFF for the years 2016 to 2020 for policy

objectives related to growth and employment, in particular

youth employment.

14

YEI FLEXIBILITY• Art. 16 of the ESF regulation provides for 10 % flexibility

for YEI resources, which can be used to target young per-

sons residing in sub-regions which experience high youth

unemployment levels and are outside the eligible NUTS

level 2 regions. Note, however, that the burden is on the MS

to demonstrate and justify this choice. The Commission will

have to agree and approve this element as part of the PA/OP

adoption. The sub-regional entity could be a city, municipality,

a NUTS-3 level entity (but not a NUTS 2 entity) – as long as

the MS can demonstrate clearly the gravity of the problem on

the basis of data produced by EU or national statistical offices.

• The flexibility provision applies to the YEI resources at Mem-

ber State level, which is why Member States are asked to

specify in their PAs if they intend to make use of it, identify

the sub-regions concerned and provide a justification. In the

relevant OPs MS are expected to specify the amount of YEI

resources planned to make use of the flexibility arrangement,

while the funds actually spent outside the eligible regions

will be reported in the annual implementation reports. The

funds from the specific allocation for the YEI should be at

least matched by ESF resources from the category of region

where the sub-regions in question are located.

2) OP model/template

• Section 2.A.6.1 should specify, where appropriate, the

amount of resources allocated from the priority axis to make

use of the flexibility arrangement for the YEI.

• Tables 4, 4a, 5, and 6 have to be completed for the YEI

resources. It is not required to have a breakdown by cat-

egory of region.

• The information in Tables 7-11 should be presented for the

YEI resources without a breakdown between the specific

allocation for the YEI and the ESF. It is not required to have

a breakdown by category of region.

• Table 17: in the table the resources from the specific alloca-

tion for YEI (row 9) should be presented separately from the

corresponding ESF support. The corresponding ESF support

should be presented as part of the overall ESF resources per

category of regions (rows 5-8). The columns for the perfor-

mance reserve in this table should not include the matching

ESF support for the YEI, as this is excluded from the perfor-

mance reserve.

• Table 18a: in this table the YEI specific allocation and the

corresponding ESF resources for each (part of) priority axis

should be presented together as a sum. At the bottom of

the table in the total ESF funds for each category of region

cells the ESF corresponding resources should not be taken

into account, but should be included in the sum of the total

YEI funds.

• Table 18b: this table should be completed for every (part

of) a priority axis implementing the YEI and should be used

to determine the co-financing rates, the total allocation

between the specific allocation for the YEI and the corre-

sponding ESF support, and the ratio between the categories

of regions for the corresponding ESF support.

• Table 18c: information about the YEI (specific allocation and

corresponding ESF support) should be presented separately

from the remaining ESF credits in the OP.

15


YOUTH MEASURES UNDER THE ESF (OUTSIDE THE YEI) AND THE EUROPEAN GLOBALISATION ADJUSTMENT FUND (EGF)Independently of YEI or where not benefiting from YEI, Member

States are also entitled and encouraged to programme meas-

ures for the same age groups also under the same ESF invest-

ment priority, or under other relevant ESF investment priorities,

for example those related to access to employment, active

inclusion, early school leaving prevention, or life-long learn-

ing. However, when the MS benefits from YEI, it is expected

that it will concentrate the measures targeting young persons

by programming them under the IP relevant to young people

(Article 3(1)(a)(ii)), to avoid excessive dispersion of actions for

young people.

The ESF may finance investments in systems and structures,

as well as investments in individuals, including additional early

intervention measures. Youth-related ESF measures may be

financed simultaneously or at a different time from the YEI

funds under the same investment priority. The ESF may sup-

port identical activities to those eligible under the YEI, in all

regions of a Member State while it can also target young peo-

ple who do not fall within the YEI target group. The ESF could be

used to enhance the YEI support on the one hand by increasing

the coverage of interventions to a wider target group, as well

as finance more costly measures in view of achieving better

quality of services. If the implementation of additional ESF

measures outside the YEI is planned for post-2018, however,

this should be taken into account during programming, as it

will have implications on the milestones in the performance

framework (in case indicators of this investment priority are

used for the performance framework). If a Member State does

not intend to implement youth measures with ESF resources

before 2019, then it is not expected to include such a mile-

stone in the performance framework of the relevant OP.

Art. 6 (2) of the EGF Regulation allows applicant Member

States until 31 December 2017 to provide personalised ser-

vices co-financed by the EGF to NEETs under the age of 25,

or where Member States so decide under the age of 30. The

participants should be primarily those who have been made

redundant or whose activity has ceased, and must be residents

of the NUTS 2 level regions eligible under the YEI in which at

least some of the redundancies have occurred. Member States

are free to select the NEETs according to their own criteria and

to provide either the same active labour market policy meas-

ures for them as for the redundant workers, or to opt for differ-

ent measures, provided that these too are eligible under Article

7(1) of the EGF Regulation. They must put in place relevant

monitoring and control arrangements ensuring that the specific

actions receiving a financial contribution from the EGF do not

also receive assistance from other Union financial instruments

(i.e. avoid the risk of “double funding”).

16

YEI CO-FINANCING RATEArt. 22 of the ESF Regulation contains 3 main provisions, which

need to be taken into account with regard to the YEI co-financ-

ing rate.

1. The specific allocation for the YEI is not subject to the national co-financing requirement (Art. 22.3 of the ESF regulation).

This provision implies that the maximum EU co-financing

rate of the priority axes in which the YEI is programmed, is

generally higher than other priority axes. This is so because

as regards YEI, national co-financing is required only for the

corresponding ESF support; there is no national co-financing

for the YEI specific allocation and therefore adding that

allocation increases the overall budget of the priority axis

and consequently the overall EU co-financing rate at the

level of the YEI-relevant priority axis (see example 1 below).

This provision always applies, regardless of whether the YEI

is implemented as a dedicated priority axis or a part of

a priority axis.

2. Where the YEI is implemented by a dedicated YEI priority axis, which covers YEI eligible regions from more than one category, the highest EU co-financing rate applies for all categories of regions in that prior-ity axis (Art. 22.3 of the ESF regulation).

Member States can only make use of this provision if they

have regions of more than one category, which are eligi-

ble for the YEI and they all are grouped in a dedicated YEI

priority axis. For instance, if a Member State includes cor-

responding ESF support for a more developed and a transi-

tion region in a dedicated YEI priority axis, the total of ESF

resources can benefit from the highest EU co-financing rate

(in this case, that of the transition region).

This provision does not apply when the YEI is implemented as

a part of a priority axis.

When the YEI resources cover one category of region, there

is no difference in the calculation of the co-financing rate,

regardless of whether the YEI is implemented as a specific pri-

ority axis or part of a priority axis.

3. The corresponding ESF support shall at least match the support from the specific allocation for the YEI for each priority axis (Art. 22.1 of the ESF regulation).

This implies that the corresponding ESF should be equal to the spe-

cific allocation for the YEI, but may also surpass it. Since no national

co-financing requirement applies to the YEI specific allocation, the

EU co-financing rate for a YEI priority axis (or part of a priority axis)

is determined by the allocated corresponding ESF support.

As a result of the provisions outlined above, the following pos-

sibilities exist when programming the YEI:

1) The YEI is programmed through a dedicated priority axis or

part of a priority axis (in YEI dedicated OPs all priority axes are

YEI-specific, except in the case of a possible TA priority axis).

2) The YEI (part of) priority axis targets regions from 1 category

or more than 1 category.

The ESF corresponding support is equal to the specific alloca-

tion for the YEI or exceeds it.

17


Examples of YEI co-financing

Example 1: Co-financing rate (1 category of regions, YEI:ESF ratio is 1:1)

Union support National counterpart

Total funding Co-financing Rate*

YEI 300 - 300 100 %

Corresponding ESF (Less developed) 300 53 353 85 %

Priority axis: 600 53 653 92 %

*The rate is rounded in the table, but the calculation will be based on the real rate of 600/653.

In this example the specific allocation for YEI is implemented

through a dedicated priority axis and the YEI is matched by exactly

the same amount of ESF resources. There is no requirement for

a national counterpart for the specific allocation for YEI, but only

for the corresponding ESF resources. The overall EU co-financing

rate of the priority axis is calculated by summing up the 2 sources

of financing and dividing the sum of Union support by the sum of

total funding. In this case this equals to 600/653 = 92 %.

Example 2: Co-financing rate (1 category of regions, ESF exceeds YEI)

Union support National counterpart

Total funding Co-financing Rate*

YEI 300 - 300 100 %

Corresponding ESF (Less developed) 500 88 588 85 %

Priority axis: 800 88 888 90 %


Example 3: Co-financing rate for multiple categories of regions in a dedicated YEI priority axis

Less Developed Transition More Developed Total

YEI 1 200 1 200

Corresponding ESF 300 400 500 1 200

EU National counterpart

Total Rate*

YEI 1 200 - 1 200 100 %

Corresponding ESF (only the highest rate applies) 1 200 212 1 412 85 %

Priority axis: 2 400 212 2 612 92 %


18

In this example the specific allocation for YEI is implemented

through a dedicated priority axis and the YEI is matched by

exactly the same amount of ESF resources, which come from

3 categories of regions. Same as in the previous examples,

there is no requirement for a national counterpart for the

specific allocation for YEI, but only for the ESF correspond-

ing resources. However, for all three categories of regions,

the highest co-financing rate applies (that for the less devel-

oped region). This is why for all the ESF resources the required

national counterpart equals 15 %.

This possibility is available when a MS decides to implement

the YEI as a dedicated priority axis. Where a MS decides to

implement the YEI as part of a priority axis and decides to

match the YEI with ESF from more than one category of region,

then for each category of region the usual co-financing rate

will apply. The overall co-financing rate for the part of the pri-

ority axis implementing the YEI, will be calculated in the fol-

lowing way:

Example 4: Co-financing rate for multiple categories of regions in a part of a priority axis


YEI 1 200 1 200


ESF outside YEI 2 000

EU National public Total Rate*

YEI 1 200 - 1 200 100 %

Corresponding ESF (LD) 300 53 353 85 %

Corresponding ESF (Transition) 400 267 667 60 %

Corresponding ESF (MD) 500 500 1 000 50 %

YEI part of priority axis: 2 400 820 3 220 75 %*

Part of priority axis outside of YEI: 2 000 353 2 353 85 %

* The YEI rate is rounded in the table, but the calculation will be based on the real rate of 2400/3220.

In this case the co-financing rate is calculated in the same

way as in the previous examples. The only difference is

that the determination of the national counterpart varies

between the different categories of region because differ-

ent co-financing rates are applied. The rationale behind this

provision is that MS are encouraged to program the YEI as

a dedicated priority axis, rather than a part of a priority axis.

As the YEI is implemented through part of a priority axis, for

the co-financing rate for the ESF resources outside the YEI

the usual rules apply.

19


TECHNICAL ASSISTANCEThe YEI cannot finance technical assistance actions due to its

nature and focus on a single investment priority. Article 119(1)

of the CPR makes a differentiation between the Funds and the

specific allocation for YEI – 4 % of the amount of the Funds

allocated to OPs in a MS under each category of region may

be allocated to technical assistance, while the specific alloca-

tion for YEI may be taken into account in the calculation of the

limit to the total amount of the Funds allocated to the techni-

cal assistance of the MS. ESF TA can thus be used to support

additional tasks required to implement the Initiative, within the

limit set out in Article 119(2) of the CPR. Within a YEI dedi-

cated OP it would be possible to include a priority axis for TA,

financed entirely by the ESF. It should be noted, however, that

the maximum TA rate will remain unchanged.

EX-ANTE CONDITIONALITYThe ex-ante conditionality (8.6) on YEI applies to YEI

investments only. It is an important prerequisite to ensure

that Member States’ ESF investments in this policy field are

embedded in a strategic policy framework for youth employ-

ment and including for setting up youth guarantee schemes. It

should be noted that the conditionality does not call for estab-

lishing a new strategy but for demonstrating the existence of

a strategic policy framework. The Guide on ex-ante condition-

alities includes methodological guidance on the concepts such

as NEETs, a strategic policy framework, etc., for the purpose of

assessing the fulfilment of the ex-ante conditionality criteria

related to YEI.

The Youth Guarantee Implementation Plans that Member States

have been required to prepare in the context of implementing

the Youth Guarantee Recommendation will be considered as an

important element in view of assessing the fulfilment of this

ex-ante conditionality with regard to MS eligible for the YEI.

20

PERFORMANCE RESERVE AND FRAMEWORKThe YEI resources (both the specific allocation for the YEI and

the corresponding ESF support) are excluded from the basis

for calculating the performance reserve. This allows Member

States to program all their YEI resources in the beginning of

the programming period. The ESF funds, which are used to

match the specific allocation for the YEI should not be taken

into account for the purposes of calculating the 6 % reserve for

the ESF at Member State level.

The YEI resources will be part of the performance frame-

work, which presupposes that Member States will have to

define milestones and targets related to the YEI. Given that

the YEI operations can be declared to the Commission until

the end of 2018, at the time of submission of programmes

the milestones and the targets are expected to have the

same value and be reached by 2018 (which corresponds to

the N+3 time target related to the 2015 financial alloca-

tion). In addition, where the YEI is implemented as part of

a priority axis, YEI implementation will be reported sepa-

rately from the rest of the priority axis with dedicated YEI

indicators (set out in Annex II of the ESF Regulation) in addi-

tion to the common indicators set out in Annex I of the ESF

Regulation and, if the Member State wishes to do so, with

programme-specific indicators. All common YEI indicators

set out in Annex II must be linked with a cumulative quanti-

fied target value for 2023.

THEMATIC CONCENTRATIONWith regard to calculating thematic concentration, the

specific allocation for YEI is not taken into account when

calculating thematic concentration. However, the ESF contribu-

tion to the YEI is taken into account for thematic concentration.

21


MONITORING AND EVALUATION ARRANGEMENTSThe relevant arrangements are set out in article 19 and

Annex I and II of the ESF Regulation and relevant CPR provi-

sions related to monitoring and evaluation. The first reporting

of common indicators set out in Annex I and the common YEI

indicators set out in Annex II of the ESF Regulation is required

already in early 2015. Two evaluations are required, by end-

2015 and by end-2018. The findings are to be reported in the

AIRs submitted in 2016 and 2019 respectively.

These two evaluations are very important in order to demonstrate

the results achieved and assess the effectiveness of the use of YEI

resources. The evaluation due at the end-of 2015 will also inform

the overall progress review of YEI and will feed into the mid-term

budgetary review of the MFF which may lead to increasing YEI

resources at EU level. In this context, given the dramatic rates of

youth unemployment, the risk of a lost generation is substantial.

Therefore a high degree of accountability is expected from MS

with regard to the YEI funding allocated to the NEETs. This requires

regularly assessing the situation and ensuring that the measures

are adequately targeted and provide results.

The YEI immediate result indicators (the situation upon the

participant’s leaving the ESF operation) aim to demonstrate the

effectiveness, e.g. that the person is in training, or has received

a qualification, or has been offered a job or entered a job. The

common and the YEI specific common indicators aim to ensure

proper monitoring of implementation. As regards the longer-term result indicators (measuring effects 6 months after

leaving), the aim is to ensure that results are sustainable and

are thus of a certain quality (i.e. measures that are likely to sig-

nificantly improve the employment prospects of the person). It

should be noted that the indicators set out in Annex II of the

ESF Regulation should be reported for YEI interventions only.

At the same time, Annex II is additional to Annex I on the ESF

common indicators. Hence for YEI interventions all indicators

set out in Annex I and II must be reported.

Where a MS has decided, based on justified grounds, to extend

the YEI target group age to under 30 years, Member States

should include an additional programme-specific output indi-

cator that captures the age bracket 25-29 years old. This age

bracket is not captured with the common output indicators.

This is to ensure that results reported under the result indica-

tors are meaningful and refer to the entire population of the

supported young people.

The relevant provisions related to monitoring and evaluation

of the YEI, as stated in Article 19(4) ESF specifically refer to

assessing the quality of support to disadvantaged young per-

sons, those from marginalised communities and those leaving

education without qualifications.

The longer-term result indicators in Annex II (as well as in Annex

I) will be reported based on a representative sample. The data

collection for the longer-term result indicators does not neces-

sarily require an evaluation. The data collection method could

be e.g. a survey. The YEI longer-term result set out in Annex II

are to be reported annually, starting in April 2015, whereas the

common longer-term result indicators set out in Annex I are to

be reported only in 2019 and 2025. Unlike for the rest of the

OP, reporting on the implementation of YEI does not require to

provide the indicator data broken down by category of region. It

does however require a breakdown by gender.

The enhanced reporting and evaluation requirements for YEI

set out in the Regulation take the funding arrangements appli-

cable for YEI into account, namely that the amounts must be

committed in 2014 and 2015 and spent at the latest by the

end 2018 (“n+3” rule).

For further guidance on monitoring and evaluation please refer

to EC guidance on ESF monitoring and evaluation and EC guid-

ance on YEI evaluation (forthcoming).

22

EARLY ELIGIBILITY DATE OF EXPENDITUREAs noted above, one of the measures to speed up the implemen-

tation of the YEI was the introduction of an early date for eligi-

bility of expenditure. Expenditure eligible under the YEI shall be

eligible as of 1 September 2013 (Art. 65(3); (5) CPR). These pro-

visions allow Member States to incur and subsequently declare

expenditure in the period between 1 September 2013 and the

date of the Commission decision approving the relevant opera-

tional programme. When Member States decide to make use

of this provision it is important to apply it in conjunction with

other relevant provisions of the CPR and the ESF Regulation. In

particular Member States should take account of the following:

• An operation has to be selected for support on the basis

of selection procedures and criteria. The methodology and

criteria used for selection of operations will have to be

approved by the programme’s monitoring committee (Art.

110 (2)(a) and Art. 125 (3) (a) CPR). Given that the Monitor-

ing Committee cannot be set up as long as the programme

is not adopted, the Member States should put in place

provisional selection criteria and methodology, as close as

possible as the final ones, in order to be able to select YEI

operations before adoption of the OP. Following the approval

of the OP once the Monitoring Committee has been formed,

the selection criteria and the methodology should be for-

mally confirmed.

• Operations cannot be reimbursed by the YEI if they have

been physically completed or fully implemented before the

application for funding is submitted by the beneficiary to the

managing authority (Art. 65 (6) CPR). This provision implies

that expenditure incurred under the YEI should be part of

operations, which are still ongoing at the moment of appli-

cation for funding.

• For operations, which have started before the submission

of an application for funding to the managing authority, the

managing authority has to satisfy itself that the applicable

law has been complied with (Art. 125 (3) (e) CPR), including

responsibilities of Member States with regard to manage-

ment, control, and audit, as well as with regard to informa-

tion and communication measures.

23


MANAGEMENT AND CONTROL AND FINANCIAL MANAGEMENTThe responsibilities of Member States and the Commission

with regard to management, control, and audit apply to all YEI

resources. The closure of programmes, which implement the

YEI, will follow the provisions of Art. 141 CPR.

The same level of pre-financing will apply to the specific

allocation for the YEI as for the ESF, it will be subject to the

examination of accounts procedure, as well as interruptions/

suspensions and financial corrections. The N+3 rule will apply

to the YEI resources.

Member States will submit applications for payment for the

YEI expenditure as part of the payment claim for the ESF. The

applications for payment will not differentiate between the

specific allocation for YEI and the corresponding ESF support

or between the categories of regions for the ESF, since the split

between the funding sources will be automated at Commis-

sion level during the processing of the payment claims.

Art. 23 ESF states that when the Commission reimburses

interim payments and pays the final balance for the YEI

by priority axis, it shall allocate the reimbursement from

the budget of the Union equally between the ESF and the

specific allocation for the YEI. Once all resources from the

specific allocation for the YEI have been reimbursed, the

Commission shall allocate the remaining reimbursements to

the ESF (therefore only in the case where the MS decided

to allocate more ESF than required to match the YEI, see

example 2 below). The reimbursement from the ESF shall

be allocated between the categories of regions according to

the ratio laid down in the Commission decision adopting an

operational programme. The ratio between the specific allo-

cation for the YEI and the corresponding ESF support is not

taken into account.

The ESF regulation foresees 2 possibilities with regard to the

ratio between the specific allocation for the YEI and the ESF for

each priority axis: the ESF can match the YEI specific allocation

or there can be more ESF resources than resources from the

specific allocation for the YEI. Art. 23 will have specific impact

in the latter case. The following 2 examples describe this in

more detail:

1) YEI/ESF ratio is 1:1


YEI 1 200 1 200


EU National public Total Rate

YEI 1200 - 1200 100%

Corresponding ESF (only highest rate applies)

1 200 212 1 412 85 %

Priority axis: 2 400 212 2 612 92 %

24

In this example the ratio between the specific allocation for

the YEI and the ESF is 1:1. The YEI is implemented as a specific

priority axis, which is why only the highest co-financing rate

applies. The ratio between the categories of regions for the ESF

is found by dividing the resources of each category of region

by the total amount of ESF resources. In this case it is 25 % for

the less developed regions (300/1200)/33 % for the transition

regions (400/1200) and 42 % for the more developed regions

(500/1200).

When a payment claim is submitted by a Member State for

100 EUR, the Commission will take the following steps:

• The amount of Union support will result from applying the

EU co-financing rate of 92 %: 100*92 %= 92 EUR.

• The amount of Union support paid to the Member State

will be 90 % of the amount resulting from applying the co-

financing rate (Art. 130 CPR): 90 %*92 EUR = 82.8 EUR

• This amount will be divided equally between the YEI spe-

cific allocation and the ESF (art. 23 (1) ESF Regulation):

41.4 EUR/41.4 EUR.

• The ESF resources will be divided by category of regions

according to the ratio laid down in Commission decision

(25 %/33 %/42 %) (art. 23 (2) ESF Regulation): 10.35 EUR

for ESF LDR/13.65 EUR for ESF TR/17.4 EUR for ESF MDR.

2) ESF support exceeds YEI specific allocation


YEI 1 200 1 200

Corresponding ESF 600 800 1 000 2 400

EU National public Total Rate

YEI 1 200 - 1 200 100 %

Corresponding ESF (only highest rate applies)

2 400 424 2 824 85 %

Priority axis: 3 600 424 4 024 89 %

• In this example the ratio between the specific allocation

for the YEI and the ESF is 1:2. The YEI is implemented as

a specific priority axis, which is why only the highest co-

financing rate applies. The ratio between the categories

of regions for the ESF is again 25 %/33 %/42 %.

• When a payment claim is submitted by a Member State

for 100 EUR, the Commission will take the following steps:

• The amount of Union support will result from applying

the EU co-financing rate of 89 %: 100*89 %= 89 EUR.

• The amount of Union support paid to the Member State

will be 90 % of the amount resulting from applying

the co-financing rate (Art. 130 CPR): 90 %*89 EUR =

80.1 EUR.

• This amount will be divided equally between the YEI spe-

cific allocation and the ESF (art. 23 (1) ESF Regulation):

40.05 EUR/40.05 EUR.

• The ESF resources will be divided by category of regions

according to the ratio laid down in Commission decision

(25 %/33 %/42 %) (art. 23 (2) ESF Regulation): 100 125 EUR

for ESF LDR/132 165 EUR for ESF TR/16.821 EUR for ESF MDR.

This example shows that even if the ESF resources exceed

the YEI specific allocation, the Commission will reimburse

the resources equally between the YEI and the ESF, until all

the resources from the specific allocation for YEI have been

reimbursed. In this example the Commission will reimburse

resources in the amount of 2 400 EUR of EU co-financing

equally between the specific allocation for YEI and the cor-

responding ESF – this is when the specific allocation for YEI

will be fully reimbursed. The remaining 1 200 EUR of EU co-

financing will be reimbursed only from the ESF according to the

ratio between the categories of regions.

25


JOINT ACTION PLANS AND SIMPLIFIED COST OPTIONSGiven the nature of joint action plans (JAPs) as a mecha-

nism to deliver result-oriented operations, this instrument

may be appropriate for the programming and delivery of

YEI interventions. The YEI is guided by specifically defined

result indicators as set out in Annex II of the ESF Regulation.

At the same time YEI interventions are likely to include com-

binations of employment, education and training-related

measures that could be grouped to achieve a single objec-

tive. This approach fits well with the intention of JAPs. Also,

given the shorter time frame for YEI activities (until end-

2018), a JAP could be an implementation framework that

could provide for better coordination and speedier delivery

of results on the ground.

JAPs supported by the YEI do not have to meet the JAP thresh-

olds foreseen in art. 104 (2) of the CPR, which provides Member

States with greater flexibility. JAPs do not have to be submit-

ted together with the OPs, so Member States are encouraged

to consider the opportunity provided by this mechanism also

after the start of the programming period.

The use of simplified cost options (SCOs), as defined in Art. 67 and

68 of CPR and Art. 14 of the ESF Regulation is also recommended

for the YEI. SCOs lower the administrative burden associated with

the management of YEI operations. Member States are encour-

aged to define and make use of simplified cost options, which are

compatible with the interventions, supported by the YEI.

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION ARRANGEMENTSArticle 20 ESF stipulates the specific provisions related to

YEI with regard to information and communication meas-

ures. Compliance with these provisions, as well as all other

provisions pertaining to YEI, is also required as concerns the

implementation of YEI-related operations during the period

between 1 September 2013 (early date of expenditure

eligibility for YEI) until the adoption of the respective oper-

ational programme related to YEI. In practice, however, the

Managing Authority should put in place interim arrangements

and procedures with regard to communicating YEI support

compliant with Art. 20 of the ESF Regulation and the require-

ments of the CPR.

26

ANNEXSpecific budgetary allocation for the YEI in accordance with Annex VIII of the CPR

MS Allocation in EUR, 2011 prices

Allocation in EUR, current prices

List of eligible regions

BE 39 643 934 42 435 070 Prov. Hainaut, Prov. Liège, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale

BG 51 558 745 55 188 745 Severen tsentralen, Severoiztochen, Severozapaden, Yugoiztochen, Yuzhen tsentralen

CZ 12 705 455 13 599 984 Severozápad

DK - -

DE - -

EE - -

IE 63 663 203 68 145 419 Border, Midland and Western, Southern and Eastern

EL 160 235 618 171 517 029Anatoliki Makedonia - Thraki, Attiki, Dytiki Ellada, Dytiki Makedonia, Ipeiros, Kentriki Makedonia, Kriti, Notio Aigaio, Peloponnisos, Sterea Ellada, Thessalia, Voreio Aigaio

ES 881 438 516 943 496 315

Andalucía, Aragón, Canarias, Cantabria, Castilla y León, Castilla-La Mancha, Cataluña, Ciudad Autónoma de Ceuta, Ciudad Autónoma de Melilla, Comunidad de Madrid, Comunidad Foral de Navarra, Comunidad Valenciana, Extremadura, Galicia, Illes Balears, La Rioja, País Vasco, Principado de Asturias, Región de Murcia

FR 289 760 755 310 161 402Aquitaine, Auvergne, Centre, Champagne-Ardenne, Haute-Normandie, Languedoc-Roussillon, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, Picardie, Mayotte, Guadeloupe, Guyane, Martinique, Réunion

IT 530 183 597 567 511 248

Abruzzo, Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Emilia-Romagna, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Lazio, Liguria, Lombardia, Marche, Molise, Piemonte, Puglia, Sardegna, Sicilia, Toscana, Umbria, Valle d Aosta/Vallée d Aoste

CY 10 810 954 11 572 101 Cyprus

LV 27 102 486 29 010 639 Latvia

LT 29 692 153 31 782 633 Lithuania

27


MS Allocation in EUR, 2011 prices

Allocation in EUR, current prices

List of eligible regions

LU - -

HU 46 492 074 49 765 356 Dél-Alföld, Dél-Dunántúl, Észak-Alföld, Észak-Magyarország

MT - -

NL - -

AT - -

PL 235 833 904 252 437 822Dolnoslaskie, Kujawsko-Pomorskie, Lódzkie, Lubelskie, Lubuskie, Malopolskie, Podkarpackie, Swietokrzyskie, Warminsko-Mazurskie, Zachodniopomorskie

PT 150 197 494 160 772 169 Alentejo, Algarve, Centro (PT), Lisboa, Norte, Região Autónoma da Madeira, Região Autónoma dos Açores

RO 99 022 615 105 994 315 Centru, Sud – Muntenia, Sud-Est

SI 8 605 654 9 211 536 Vzhodna Slovenija

SK 67 427 983 72 175 259 Stredné Slovensko, Východné Slovensko, Západné Slovensko

FI - -

SE 41 258 300 44 163 096 Mellersta Norrland, Norra Mellansverige, Sydsverige

UK 192 542 168 206 098 124 Inner London, Merseyside, South Western Scotland, Tees Valley and Durham, West Midlands

HR 61 824 391 66 177 144 Jadranska Hrvatska, Kontinentalna Hrvatska

Total 3 000 000 000 3 211 215 406

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The European Council agreed in February 2013 to create a dedicated Youth Employment Initiative (YEI) to increase available EU financial support to the regions and individuals struggling most with youth unemployment and inactivity. The Initiative amplifies support provided by the European Social Fund for implementation of the youth employment measures and thus support the implementation of the Youth Guarantee by funding activities to directly help young people who are not in employment, education or training (NEETs). This guidance document on the YEI targets in particular the ESF managing authorities in charge of the implementation of the Initiative. It provides an overview of the rules applicable focusing on targets groups, programming aspects, scope and financial rules of the YEI.

This publication is available in electronic format.

To find more about the ESF please visit http://ec.europa.eu/esf

You can download our publications or subscribe for free at http://ec.europa.eu/social/publications

If you would like to receive regular updates about the Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion sign up to receive the free Social Europe e-newsletter at http://ec.europa.eu/social/e-newsletter

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KE-02-14-936-EN-N

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esf technicalpaper yei guidance en

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