Technicians from the European Commission and the Ministry of Labor and Social Economy have visited Lanzarote to analyze the program's evolution and verify the progress of projects funded by the European Social Fund+ (ESF+) 2021-2027. This instrument of the European Union's cohesion policy aims to strengthen employment, inclusion, and social cohesion in the archipelago.
Of the total investment of 525 million euros, the ESF+ contributes 446 million (85%), while the remainder is co-financed by the Government of the Canary Islands. Currently, an execution level of 49.45% has been reached through various initiatives.
The program's technical monitoring committee traveled to Lanzarote to assess needs and the scope of projects supported by ESF+ funds. Máximo Bautista, Director General of Planning and Budget for the Government of the Canary Islands, expressed gratitude for the committee's sensitivity towards the particularities of the Canary Islands as a fragmented territory with distinct socioeconomic characteristics.
Bautista highlighted the importance of the ESF+ in advancing towards a more inclusive, sustainable, and people-oriented development model, aligned with the European Union's objectives and the specific needs of the Canary Islands.
The delegation visited the Tías Health Center to learn about a home-based mental health project managed by the Canary Islands Health Service. This program seeks to improve quality, equity, and accessibility in mental health care, aiming to reduce waiting times for first psychiatric consultations for children and adolescents. A budget of 12.7 million euros is allocated for mental health interventions across the archipelago until 2029.
The program also allocates 122 million euros to employment, with 104 million coming from the ESF+. The goal is to improve employment access for young people, long-term unemployed, and vulnerable groups, as well as to promote self-employment through vocational guidance and training.
Within this objective, the ESF+ has co-financed, along with the Lanzarote Island Council, the 'Juventud Activa II' initiative under the 'Second Opportunity' project of the Canary Islands Employment Service. Committee members visited the Agricultural Biodiversity Center of Lanzarote (CBAL), where young people are trained in sustainable agriculture and the conservation of agricultural varieties.
