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Own-initiative report First reading

The European Social Fund Plus post-2027

Parliament sets out its own position on a topic. The resolution is not binding but signals what Parliament wants.

Where it stands: Parliament adopted the text on 11 March 2025. This is its final position on the matter.

  1. ✓ Referred to committee 28 November 2024
  2. ✓ Committee work Report adopted 19 February 2025
  3. ✓ Tabled for plenary 21 February 2025
  4. ✓ Plenary vote Adopted 11 March 2025
  5. ✓ Parliament’s position Final
How a file moves through Parliament

A file is referred to one lead committee (others may give an opinion). Its rapporteur writes a draft report, committee members table amendments, and the committee votes to adopt the report. The report is then tabled for all MEPs; political groups can table further amendments, which are voted on before the final vote in plenary. The adopted resolution is Parliament’s final position; it is not itself law.

Who is working on it

Lead committee
EMPL — Employment and Social Affairs
Rapporteur
Marit MAIJ S&D
Shadow rapporteurs
Miriam LEXMANN PPENikola BARTŮŠEK PfEElena DONAZZAN ECRBrigitte VAN DEN BERG RenewVilly SØVNDAL Verts/ALEEstrella GALÁN The Left
For opinion
REGI — Regional Development · rapporteur Kathleen FUNCHION The Left

The rapporteur drafts and negotiates the text for the lead committee; each other political group names a shadow rapporteur to follow the file.

The text, version by version

Adopted by Parliament · latest Adopted text TA10-0027/2025 11 March 2025 ✦ Parliament's resolution on the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) post-2027 insists the fund remains the key EU instrument for social inclusion, employment, and skills, with a significantly increased budget for 2028-2034.⇄ what changed Tabled for plenary Report A10-0014/2025 21 February 2025 ✦ The report sets out Parliament's position on the future European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) after 2027, insisting it remains a separate, strongly funded fund under shared management, focused on social inclusion, employment, skills and poverty reduction.⇄ what changed Committee draft Draft report (EMPL) 24 October 2024 ✦ This draft report sets out Parliament's position on the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) after 2027, calling for a strong, standalone fund with doubled funding and specific allocations for social inclusion, child guarantee, housing, and youth.

Latest Tabled for plenary → Adopted by Parliament: Shifts emphasis on housing and child poverty to Member State responsibility under subsidiarity, while retaining EU support. Removes calls for new directives on work-related issues and social conditionalities in procurement. Other changes are formal: decimal points replaced with commas in percentages. see the changes →

Committee draft → Tabled for plenary: The report expands the scope of the ESF+ to include broader social challenges, such as education, care, and demographic change, and adds detailed statistics on vulnerable groups. It rewrites the operational paragraphs to change funding priorities, governance, and crisis response, adding new demands on public services, disability, and women's inclusion. It strengthens the role of local and regional authorities, adds conditions on employers, and simplifies administrative procedures for beneficiaries. It replaces paragraphs on digitalisation and awareness with new ones on metrics, support, evaluation, and synergies with other funds. The only formal change updates the addressees of the resolution. see the changes →

Committee opinions: Opinion (REGI)

Newest version first. Open a version to read it in full. “What changed” shows the differences paragraph by paragraph; ✦ lines are AI-written from the texts themselves.

Timeline

  1. Plenary stage
  2. 11 March 2025 Plenary vote
    Sitting of 11 March 2025 📄 Report A10-0014/2025📄 Adopted text TA10-0027/2025
    Adopted Adopted by a large majority
    For 432 Against 155 Abstained 82

    Final vote — text as a whole at 13:00 · 65% of votes cast in favour · every MEP’s position →

    How the vote unfolded · 13 ballots

    adopted rejected lapsed square = amendment circle = part of the text decisive vote Solid = roll call (click for every MEP’s vote); faded = no individual positions

    Show all 13 ballots in voting order
    1. Amendment 1 12:58 A10-0014/2025 – Marit Maij – Alternative motion for a resolution – Am 1
    Rejected
    2. Separate vote on paragraph 17
    — no individual positions recorded
    Adopted
    3. Separate vote on paragraph 17
    electronic vote (totals only) — no individual positions recorded
    Adopted
    4. Separate vote on paragraph 21
    electronic vote (totals only) — no individual positions recorded
    Adopted
    5. Separate vote on paragraph 21
    electronic vote (totals only) — no individual positions recorded
    Adopted
    6. Separate vote on paragraph 24
    electronic vote (totals only) — no individual positions recorded
    Adopted
    7. Separate vote on paragraph 33
    electronic vote (totals only) — no individual positions recorded
    Adopted
    8. Separate vote on paragraph 33
    electronic vote (totals only) — no individual positions recorded
    Rejected
    9. Separate vote on paragraph 41
    — no individual positions recorded
    Adopted
    10. Separate vote on paragraph 41
    electronic vote (totals only) — no individual positions recorded
    Rejected
    11. Separate vote on recital J
    electronic vote (totals only) — no individual positions recorded
    Adopted
    12. Separate vote on recital K
    electronic vote (totals only) — no individual positions recorded
    Adopted
    13. Final vote — text as a whole 13:00 A10-0014/2025 – Marit Maij – Motion for a resolution (as a whole)
    Adopted
  3. 10 March 2025 Debated in plenary

    MEPs debated the text in the chamber ahead of the vote.

    Sitting of 10 March 2025 📄 Report A10-0014/2025
  4. 5 March 2025 4 amendments tabled for the plenary vote

    Groups propose changes to the tabled text; each is voted on before the final vote.

    📄 Amendment 1📄 Amendments 2–4
  5. 21 February 2025 Report tabled for plenary

    This is the text all MEPs vote on. Political groups can still table amendments to it.

    📄 Report A10-0014/2025
  6. Committee stage
  7. 19 February 2025 Committee vote: report adopted

    EMPL (Employment and Social Affairs) voted on the amendments and adopted the report that goes to plenary.

  8. 28 January 2025 REGI (Regional Development) adopted its opinion

    The opinion is attached to the report for the lead committee to consider.

    📄 Opinion (REGI)
  9. 28 November 2024 Referred to the EMPL (Employment and Social Affairs) committee

    The lead committee prepares the report; REGI (Regional Development) gives an opinion.

  10. 24 October 2024 Draft report published

    The rapporteur’s first text in EMPL (Employment and Social Affairs). Members can table amendments before the committee votes.

    📄 Draft report (EMPL)