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DRAFT BUDGETARY ASSESSMENT (COM(2025)0164 – C100064/2025 – 2025/0085(COD))

On the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EU) 2021/1057 establishing the European Social Fund + (ESF+) as regards specific measures to address strategic challenges

BUDG-PA-773410

Committee on Budgets · Rapporteur: JeanMarc Germain

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✦ In short · AI summary of this text, generated 4 Sept 2026

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The Committee on Budgets' draft opinion assesses the proposal to amend the ESF+ Regulation for strategic challenges. It finds the proposal budget-neutral but notes risks to climate goals and initial priorities, and requests safeguards.

Committee position. The Committee on Budgets submits a budgetary assessment and one amendment to the proposal, recommending safeguards on climate spending, initial priorities, and rule-of-law conditionality.

Key points

  1. The proposal is compatible with the MFF Regulation and the IIA, and does not modify existing commitments.
  2. Additional human resources of EUR 376 000 per year for two posts will be covered by redeployment.
  3. Pre-financing paid in 2026 will count as 2025 payments for decommitment calculations.
  4. The Commission should keep Parliament informed on the mid-term review and consider updated payment needs for 2026.
  5. Regrets that cohesion policy is used as a crisis tool and that no impact assessment was done; calls the approach pragmatic but unsatisfactory.
  6. Warns that re-allocating at least 15% of resources and lifting the 20% ceiling for STEP transfers may harm ESF+ targets.
  7. Frontloading payments to 2026 could ease pressure on payment ceilings in later years.
  8. Demands that broadening investment scope not reduce financial support for initial priorities.
  9. Requests timely reports on transfers to make the mid-term review impact identifiable.
  10. Calls on the Commission to reject reallocations that circumvent rule-of-law requirements.
  11. Highlights the need to prevent double financing and ensure additionality with other EU programmes.

Who is affected

  • Member States managing ESF+ programmes, especially those reallocating resources to new priorities.
  • Commission services, which must redeploy staff and report on transfers.

Figures and deadlines

  • 30% pre-financing and 100% co-financing on new EU priorities.
  • Additional pre-financing of 4.5% (9.5% for NUTS 2 regions bordering Russia, Belarus or Ukraine).
  • At least 15% of resources re-allocated to new priorities.
  • EUR 500 million in 2026, followed by lower payments in 2027.
  • EUR 376 000 per year for two establishment plan posts.