YES Forum signed this letter which has a clear message:
Europe needs a strong EU budget that keeps investing in people and regions.
Social and territorial investment helps Europe respond to the major challenges of our time: rising inequality and polarisation, underinvestment in public services, the gap between cities and rural areas, an ageing population, skills shortages, youth unemployment, and the digital and climate transitions. The European Social Fund and the European Regional Development Fund, both written into the EU Treaties, support quality jobs, social cohesion and rights in every region. In doing so, they strengthen our societies, our democracy and Europe's competitiveness.
We ask EU leaders to agree a budget at the level the European Parliament proposes, and to give the part of the budget that funds regions and social investment the resources it needs. The European Social Fund and the European Regional Development Fund should keep their own protected place, with €124 billion for the European Social Fund. At least 25% of each country's plan should go to social goals, instead of the 14% proposed. And EU funding should be reserved for social innovation and for civil society organisations, social partners and social economy actors working together across Europe.
We also want strong guarantees for inclusion: protected support for people, minimum spending for social inclusion, child poverty, homelessness, youth employment and material deprivation, rules that link EU money to the rights of persons with disabilities and the European Pillar of Social Rights, a real role for civil society and people with lived experience, and funding that not-for-profit organisations can actually access.
We stand ready to work with governments, the Presidency and the European Parliament towards an EU budget that delivers for people and regions.
More than 110 organisations - including YES Forum - support the letter so far, and the list keeps growing...
It will stay open for signatures until Monday 19 October.
Read the open letter and the list of signatories so far here
