Challenges: Cohesion policy period coming to an end
Social exclusion was identified as a major challenge to implementing the SDGs. In order to reach this objective, Romania identified in the Partnership Agreement with the European Commission five challenges to be tackled through Cohesion Policy in 2014-2020. One of the challenges focuses on improved employment, social inclusion and education policies to reach the national EU2020 targets:
- Increase the employment rate to 70 %
- Reduce the number of people at risk of poverty with 580 000 by 2020
- Reduce the early school leavers down to 11.3 % and
- Increase the tertiary education participation to 26.7%
As the Cohesion Policy period is coming to the end, new objectives for 2021-2027 will be negotiated by the government.
Asociata Euro will continue to work with the European Social Fund and Erasmus + projects, targeting the unemployed and people with low levels of education. While most adult education focuses on employability, Asociatia Euro continues to advocate for the provision of liberal adult learning and education. EAEA’s member is hoping that the network of culture centers, which are the traditional institutions providing lifelong learning, will receive more recognition and funding by the Romanian government.