ESN's Response to the European Commission’s Public Consultation on: ‘EU’s Next Long-Term Budget (MFF) – implementing EU funding with Member States and regions’

The Future EU Multiannual Financial Framework for 2028-2034 needs to remain a key instrument for the development of community-based social services.

In short, the next long-term financial framework should:  

• Continue funding EU wide cooperation, knowledge exchange and mutual learning between social services
• Ensure social services can access EU funds to cooperate with peers, and develop new solutions
• Promote the partnership principle in the design, implementation and evaluation of EU funded programmes, ensuring regional and local authorities and are involved in decision making on the programming and allocation of funds
• Secure a European Social Fund+ with adequate funding to deliver on EU social inclusion policy commitments, promote best practice exchange and innovation in social services
• Promote the transition and access to community- and family-based care and support
• Support the modernisation of social services, and promote skills and workforce development in the social sector
• Include a care guarantee for all that promotes access to community- and family-based social services for people in need.