EU spending needs closer link between education and employment: EU auditors
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(LUXEMBOURG) - EU funding on education, while in line with EU objectives, does not always establish a clear link with its impact on employability, according to a new report from the European Court of Auditors.
In their report, the auditors assessed whether the EU's education objectives had been given adequate consideration in operational programmes for 2007-2013 and in a sample of related projects. They concluded that although the objectives had been adequately considered, some aspects of the intervention approach were not described and there were shortcomings in the monitoring tools. This, they say, was corroborated by the fact that project performance could not be systematically demonstrated due to a lack of quantified objectives and performance indicators.
Improvements were noted, in the period 2014 to 2020. However, in the auditors' view, there are weaknesses, and these may affect performance monitoring and reporting.
The EU unemployment rate is three times lower for people with a higher level of education. the EU allocated around EUR 33 billion for 2007-2013, and around EUR 27 billion for 2014-2020 to support education through its cohesion policy.
The report says that while European Social Fund projects include long-term indicators to measure the effect on employment, only a third of the cases examined had baseline and target values for those education objectives most closely linked with employment - vocational education and training, lifelong learning and tertiary education attainment.
"To address these shortcomings, we have included a number of recommendations in the report, which - if implemented - will, in our view, further improve EU cohesion policy spending on education," says Iliana Ivanova,the ECA Member responsible for the report.
The ECA recommends that, when preparing for the next programme period, the Commission should specify the indicators for which baseline and target values should be set under each investment priority.
Where Member States request modifications to programmes, the Commission should encourage the establishment of a clear link between investment priorities and appropriate quantified and measurable result indicators.
It should also ensure that Member States provide explanations for changing financial allocations, with qualitative and quantitative information for any change in indicators, says the ECA. And Member States should ensure a clear link between selected projects and the achievement of EU education objectives. This means putting in place "appropriate indicators to demonstrate a project's actual effects on final participants, and monitor progress towards education objectives".
EU education policy lies within the remit of the Member States, and EU strategies adopted in the form of Council Conclusions are not legally binding on Member States. However, it is within the Union's remit to support, coordinate or supplement Member State action in the area of education.
Direct EU funding for education is limited when compared with national investment. For 2014 to 2020, planned European Social Fund allocations for education total approximately EUR 27 billion. By contrast, education spending by EU Member States between 2007 and 2011 was in the order of EUR 3.2 trillion.