European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights Nicolas Schmit declared on Monday in Iasi that the Cohesion Policy is an expression of solidarity that has brought about real changes in the lives of Romanians after the country joined the EU.
Ever since you joined our Union, the Cohesion Policy has been a defining instrument for Romania, it has produced real changes in the lives of citizens, dealing with pressing social problems. 10 years ago, almost 45 percent of the population was on the verge of poverty and of social exclusion. Today this share is about 10 percent less. Of course, there is still a lot to do, but we see what can be done through efforts we can make together, Schmit said on the occasion of the launch of the national programs related to the EU's 2021-2027 Cohesion Policies.
Schmit specified that while he is in Iasi, a city sitting close to the border with Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova, he cannot talk about solidarity in the European Union without mentioning the massive support Romania provides to the Ukrainians.
Resources have been mobilized, you have shown your hospitality towards millions of people fleeing war. I am glad that the European Social Fund was able to help in this regard. I can assure you that your solidarity has not gone unnoticed. Our priority now must be the economic and social integration of Ukrainians, he emphasized.
The European official went on to remark that the war in Ukraine is not the only challenge.
Rising inflation is putting our economy and society to the test. The transition towards green energy and digitization is changing our economy. The Cohesion Policy will be an important tool to create jobs and reduce disparities - between 2021 and 2027 it invests over 30 billion euros in Europe, in addition to the 27 billion euros from the NRRP. Together we created programs that cover Romania's most important challenges and I am sure that the impact of these programs will be very high, he argued.
At the same event, Nicholas Schmit also spoke about the priorities that can lead to further progress regarding social rights.
New jobs will be created, the education system will improve and implicitly social inclusion. Together with the 2 billion euros from the Investment Fund for Social Infrastructure, we have important financing ready so that Romania achieves the social goals for the year 2030. These are important, because the target is to increase employment from 60 percent to over 70 percent. We want to reduce the number of people living on the threshold of poverty by more than 2.5 million people, said the European Commissioner.
In his opinion, an important measure to increase employment is the modernization of public services, noting that approximately 2 billion euros will be allocated for this.
In order to ensure a fairer society, we must make sure that more people participate in the labor market, particularly those who face the highest barriers. In Romania, there is a greater gender gap in employment than the European average. We must reduce this gap and employ more women and more young people, Schmit emphasized.
The European official mentioned that improving the quality of education is a key point of the Romanian program.
Over 1.6 billion euros will support education reforms and investments to ensure that all Romanians have access to quality education and training. Investing in education not only provides a return on income, but breaks the cycles of exclusion and ensures an equitable economic development. (...) Children and youth in Romania need support more than in other member states. (...) More than 40 percent of children are at risk of poverty and social exclusion. (... ) We are investing over 117 million euros in childcare facilities and in care and education services, concluded the European Commissioner. AGERPRES
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