European Commission’s Open Public Consultation on European Social Fund (ESF) for Education and Training

The European Commission wishes to know citizens’ and stakeholders’ opinion on the activities carried out since 2014 by the EU with its European Social Fund in order to support education and training. The information collected will be used in assessing what has been achieved during the 2014-2018 period. It will also help the Commission to draw lessons on how to reinforce this support in the future, making it more effective and focused.

Amongst other subjects, the evaluation will assess the success of EU initiatives for reducing and preventing early school leaving, promoting equal access to education and lifelong learning for all, supporting vocational training and improving the quality, efficiency and access to university education. It will also identify which type of support has been the most effective.

The consultation is open to all citizens and organisations, particularly the Member States and organisations involved in the management of the European Social Fund, organisations involved in the delivery of European Social Fund operations as beneficiaries or project partners, or organisations with expertise in the area of education and training.

The consultation can be filled in online here. The deadline for submitting a response is 24 February 2020.