European Microfinance Facility can help social inclusion and create jobs.

The efforts of the EPP Spokesman on this issue, Traian Ungureanu MEP, and the EPP Coordinator Csaba Őry MEP have established a strong position inside the European Parliament to have this programme implemented as soon as possible. With today’s plenary vote, the European Parliament has made a clear signal to the Council that an agreement has to be reached in the Codecision Procedure as soon as possible in order to be able to start the new project already in 2010, particularly in light of the fact that €25m has already been committed to the financing of the facility in the 2010 EU budget.

The EPP Group wants to use every possibility to address the problems of labour shortages and social exclusion deriving from the current financial and economic crisis. Throughout the negotiations with other political groups and with the European institutions, the EPP Group managed to secure the fast and successful implementation of the Microfinance Facility in such a way that it can produce beneficial effects for the citizens of all the 27 Member States.

It is of the utmost importance to continue the work of the EPP regarding the support for microenterprises and social inclusion. In times of economic constraints, the EPP is seeking to create more jobs and to support the idea of a healthy economic recovery within the European Union.