(13 December 2017) – A new report published today highlights what the European Structural and Investment Funds have achieved since the beginning of the funding period, as the implementation of the 2014-2020 programmes has now reached full speed.
By October 2017, almost half of the European Structural and Investment (ESI) Funds’ budget for 2014-2020 had been committed to concrete projects.
By the end of 2016, almost 793,500 businesses had received support from the funds, creating an estimated 154,000 new jobs.
7.8 million people have already benefitted from assistance in finding a job or developing skills, while the biodiversity of 23.5 million hectares of agricultural land has been improved.
Overall, 2 million EU-funded projects had been selected by the end of 2016, which is 1 million more than the year before.