Keit Pentus-Rosimannus
Rahandusminister 30.07.2021 nr 10.1-13/843-1
Rahandusministeerium
Tanel Kiik
Tervise- ja tööminister
Sotsiaalministeerium
Signe Riisalo
Sotsiaalkaitseminister
Sotsiaalministeerium
Austatud ministrid
Edastame teile Euroopa Komisjoni volinike Stella Kyriakidese, Helena Dalli ja Nicolas
Schmiti 29.07.2021 ühise kirja nr Ares(2021) 4846265 (EU funding response to the needs of
disadvantaged groups; REACT-EU and ESF+).
Lugupidamisega
Aivo Orav
Alaline esindaja
Lisad: volinike kiri 3 lk
Tiiu Noobel +32 2227 4337
[email protected]
Rue Guimard 11/13 1040 Brussels Tel: +32 2 227 39 10
[email protected] https://eu.mfa.ee
Ref. Ares(2021)4846265 - 29/07/2021
HELENA DALLI STELLA KYRIAKIDES
Member of the European Commission Member of the European Commission
Equality Health and Food Safety
NICOLAS SCHMIT
Member of the European Commission
Jobs and Social Rights
Brussels, 29 July 2021
Dear Ministers,
Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have worked relentlessly, jointly
with Member States, to protect the health and wellbeing of all those living in the EU
and to repair the economic and social damage brought about by COVID-19.
Together, we must continue to ensure that EU funding responds to the needs of
disadvantaged groups, who have been disproportionally hit by the pandemic and
the crisis that followed. Those include families at risk of poverty, younger and older
people, persons with disabilities, marginalised Roma and other racialised
communities, and migrants.
Among the solutions brought forward to help the EU and its Member States to
prepare for the recovery, the Coronavirus Response Investment Initiatives (CRII and
CRII+) and the Recovery Assistance for Cohesion and the Territories of Europe
(REACT-EU) initiative allow the European Social Fund (ESF) and the Fund for
European Aid to the Most Deprived (FEAD) to address the urgent needs of our
healthcare systems and help protect the most deprived. In addition, the Recovery
and Resilience Facility (RRF) provides large-scale financial support for investment
and reforms, putting a strong focus on social cohesion. To ensure effectiveness,
Cohesion Policy funds and the RRF need to be programmed so as to complement
each other and be fully aligned with national programmes.
./…
Often, these resources have been concentrated on employment support, which is
understandable and in line with our shared priorities to increase employment. At the
same time, we would like to recall the need to sufficiently target those measures to
people in vulnerable situations as well as include specific support for those
groups. In doing so the principles set out in the Cohesion Policy and RRF legal
framework should be fully complied with, including gender equality, non-
discrimination, respect for fundamental rights and accessibility, notably for persons
with disabilities, who must be able to access services and participate in the labour
market and society on an equal basis with others.
Funding for social inclusion will be facilitated by dedicated allocations of ESF+
resources at Member State level for social inclusion (at least 25%), to implement the
Child Guarantee and address child poverty (at least 5% in Member States with child
poverty rates above the EU average), to promote youth measures (at least 12.5% in
Member States with rates of young people not in education, employment or training
above EU average) and to address material deprivation (at least 3%).
Another group which has been hit disproportionally by the pandemic are women.
Many have worked at the frontlines or combined business continuity with home
schooling and care duties. While the EU supports Member States in achieving the
Barcelona targets on accessible, affordable and good quality child care to increase
women’s participation on the labour market, EU funding should also focus on
promoting the transition from institutional care to community-based and home
care services, workforce training and the development of quality infrastructure and
services promoting independent living conditions. This is particularly important for
children without parental care, persons with disabilities or mental health problems,
older people and the homeless. In line with the Council Recommendation on
Roma equality, inclusion and participation of 12 March, investments in mainstream
services have to be inclusive of Roma, while targeted programmes provide additional
support to their full inclusion. This is particularly relevant for those Member States
with larger Roma communities and facing greater challenges. In addition, EU
investments should by no means contribute to perpetuating educational and housing
segregation. The ESF+ will also invest in the labour market and social integration of
people with a migrant background. Complementing other funds, such as the
Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) and the RRF, it will contribute to
implementing the Action Plan for Integration and Inclusion, adopted in November
2020.
The Common Provisions and ESF+ Regulations emphasise the importance of
partnership and adequate participation of social partners, civil society
organisations and regional and local authorities during programming and
implementation, including through support to the relevant capacity building actions.
The Commission is committed to working with the Member States on the
implementation of the partnership principle, as this is key to better results on the
ground.
../…
As EU funding programming advances at good speed, mitigating the
consequences of the crisis and reducing inequalities is our shared
responsibility. Our services remain at your disposal to assist you in your
programming efforts.
Faithfully yours,
[e-Signed] [e-Signed] [e-Signed]
Helena Dalli Nicolas Schmit Stella Kyriakides
Electronically signed on 29/07/2021 09:30 (UTC+02) in accordance with article 11 of Commission Decision C(2020) 4482
Tiiu Noobel
From: Maili Liivamäe
Sent: Friday, 30 July 2021 10:29
To: Tiiu Noobel; Esindus EL juures üldaadress
Subject: Fwd: Letter from Commissioners Schmit, Dalli and Kyriakides on REACT-EU and
ESF+ ref. Ares(2021)4846265
Attachments: EE transmission letter EN.docx.pdf; Letter_Dalli_Kyriakides_Schmit clean_EN
final.docx.pdf
Välisministeerium | Maili Liivamäe |
[email protected]
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Aivo Orav <
[email protected]>
Date: 29 July 2021 at 23:54:10 EEST
Subject: Fwd: Letter from Commissioners Schmit, Dalli and Kyriakides on REACT-EU and ESF+ ref.
Ares(2021)4846265
To: Maili Liivamäe <
[email protected]>
Välisministeerium | Aivo Orav |
[email protected]
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: PELECHOWICZ Anita <
[email protected]>
Date: 29 July 2021 at 21:31:31 CEST
Subject: Letter from Commissioners Schmit, Dalli and Kyriakides on REACT-EU and ESF+ ref.
Ares(2021)4846265
To: Aivo Orav <
[email protected]>
Your Excellency,
Please find attached a letter by Mr Nicolas Schmit, Commissioner responsible for Jobs and Social Rights, Ms Helena
Dalli, Commissioner responsible for Equality and Ms Stella Kyriakides, Commissioner responsible for Health and Food
Safety, addressed to the attention of Ms Keit Pentus-Rosimannus, Minister of Finance, Mr Tanel Kiik, Minister of Heath
and Labour and Ms Signe Riisalo, Minister of Social Protection.
We would be grateful if you could ensure the transmission of this letter.
Yours faithfully,
On behalf of Antoine Kasel
Anita Pelechowicz
Assistant to Ana Carla Pereira – Cabinet expert
1
Assistant to Christoph Nerlich – Member of Cabinet
Cabinet of Nicolas Schmit
Commissioner for Jobs & Social rights
European Commission
Rue de la Loi 200, office : BERL 10/322
B-1049 Brussels/Belgium
Tel +32 2 29 65130
E-mail :
[email protected]
2