Synthesis Report - European Commission - Europa
Synthesis Report - European Commission - Europa
Synthesis Report - European Commission - Europa
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Ex-post Evaluation of the ERDF 2000-2006<br />
<strong>Synthesis</strong> <strong>Report</strong><br />
and on the implications for social services and communal amenities as well as on the potential<br />
consequences for patterns of consumption. At the same time, the significant migration flows both<br />
from developing countries outside the Union and from East to West inside the Union gave rise to<br />
concerns about integration and pressure on infrastructure (on housing, schools and so on), on the<br />
one hand, and about the loss of skilled and educated labour in the regions left behind, on the other.<br />
The main interest as regards the first issue was to examine the extent to which the pursuit of<br />
gender equality was incorporated in development plans, and the form which projects took over<br />
the period, as well as the effect it had on outcomes. The concern was to see whether regulations<br />
were respected and the way in which gender equality was actually taken into account.<br />
The interest as regards the second was to consider how far an issue which emerged over the<br />
period as having important effects on regions, both actual and prospective, was reflected in the<br />
way that the ERDF was deployed. The concern was, therefore, to see whether the allocation of<br />
funding was modified as the period went on and the implications of demographic trends became<br />
more apparent. The more general interest was in see how flexible systems for managing funding<br />
were in responding to a new challenge.<br />
3.9.1 How could the use of the ERDF have responded to gender and demographic<br />
issues?<br />
While gender equality and demographic change are separate issues, they are, in practice, closely<br />
related. Ensuring that women and men have equal opportunity to access a good education, get a<br />
decent job or pursue a fulfilling career is a goal in its own right and essential to securing a just<br />
and equitable society, but it is also important for economic reasons. Not only does it add to the<br />
work force but it also tends to increase the skills available and, accordingly, helps to raise the<br />
rate of growth and improve competitiveness. As such, it is potentially important to counter the<br />
effect of demographic trends. Moreover, as the evaluation revealed, the measures which improve<br />
the situation of women are also a means of responding to demographic change, in the form of an<br />
ageing society or increased numbers of migrants.<br />
Although the issue of gender equality is more relevant for the ESF, which is concerned, in<br />
particular, with supporting education and training as well as employment and, therefore, with the<br />
areas in which equal opportunities are particularly important, the uses to which the ERDF is put<br />
can also have a gender dimension. They can equally affect the situation of older people or<br />
migrants. This can happen either directly, i.e. with projects being designed or adapted specifically<br />
with particular social groups in mind, or indirectly, as the side-effect of projects with a different<br />
main purpose.<br />
The policy areas in which the projects undertaken could have the most direct effect are:<br />
• the enterprise environment, where the support given to firms included in some regions<br />
measures to assist women entrepreneurs, but could also include support for older people<br />
or migrants to set up businesses;<br />
• social infrastructure, such as, in particular, childcare facilities, community centres,<br />
healthcare and social services (see the Box on Castilla y Leon for an example);<br />
• planning and rehabilitation, such as the renovation of rural villages or the regeneration of<br />
rundown urban centres, which can improve living conditions in the areas concerned, with<br />
particular benefit to migrant groups or the elderly who represent a large part of the<br />
population living in such areas.<br />
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