SDG 1: No poverty

(EU instruments and/or funding may be made available to libraries willing to be involved in the SDG.)

EU Instruments covering SDG 1 are two main funds: the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Cohesion Fund (CF). Together with the European Social Fund (ESF), the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF), they make up the European Structural and Investment (ESI) Funds. 

The EU Cohesion Policy can be highly relevant for libraries. It mainly consists of supporting job creation, competitiveness, economic growth, improved quality of life and sustainable development. These investments support the delivery of the Europe 2020 strategy. https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/en/

Each Member State has agencies responsible for managing the programmes supported by Cohesioni Policy. This managing authority provides information on the programme, selects projects and monitors implementation. Please find the managing Authority in your country by clicking on: https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/en/atlas/managing-authorities/.

The programmes are prepared by each Member State and/or region and are financed under the Cohesion Fund. Summaries of the current operational programmes are found in the following link:

https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/en/atlas/programmes/

New Cohesion policy (2021-2027) - also see the EBLIDA report

The European Structural and Investment Funds 2021-2027 report

Focus is on seven priorities, where the EU is best placed to deliver. The main objectives driving EU investments in 2021-2027 are:

• Regional development investments will strongly focus on objectives 1 - to promote the development and adjustment of regions whose development is lagging behind - and 2 - covers regions struggling with structural difficulties and helps to reduce gaps in socio-economic development.

• 65% to 85% of ERDF and Cohesion Fund resources will be allocated to these priorities, depending on Member States’ relative wealth.

• Smarter Europe, through innovation, digitisation, economic transformation and support to small and medium-sized businesses.

• a Greener, carbon free Europe, implementing the Paris Agreement and investing in energy transition, renewables and the fight against climate change.

• a more Connected Europe, with strategic transport and digital networks.

• a more Social Europe, delivering on the European Pillar of Social Rights and supporting quality employment, education, skills, social inclusion and equal access to healthcare.

• a Europe closer to citizens, by supporting locally-led development strategies and sustainable urban development across the EU.

https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/en/2021_2027/

European Social Fund plus (ESF+) 2021-2027

For the next long-term EU budget 2021-2027, the Commission proposes to further strengthen the Union’s social dimension with a new and improved European Social Fund, the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) and a more effective European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF). The ESF+ Regulation will integrate the current ESF, YEI, FEAD, EaSI and the EU Health programme, with ESF being complementary to other funds (such as the EGF, Erasmus, AMIF, ERDF, RSP, InvestEU). 

http://ec.europa.eu/esf/main.jsp?catId=67&langId=en&newsId=9118

The concept of poverty must be declined in relation to the relative wealth of the European continent and therefore be interpreted as a multidimensional phenomenon. Apart from occasional library initiatives – for instance, distribution of food or libraries opening as dorms during emergencies - most European projects in libraries aim to break the poverty chain: i.e., children born into poverty bear a higher risk of poverty in adult life than those not born into poverty. They target categories of people having a marginal role in the society.

Library activities of social inclusion often concern groups of people residing in sensitive urban districts, rural areas or prisons. They may consist of literacy activities managed by librarians or third party monitors, or of inter-ethnic, inter-religious sessions integrating groups of a different nature. Projects often mentioned within the scope of SDG 1 are libraries open to homeless people, distributing food and other basic goods, and helping illiterate groups in the population. It is almost impossible to organise such activities without resorting to the third sector.

• SDG1-oriented projects in Estonia, Finland, France and The Netherlands

This Chapter refers to the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF) 2021-2027, and in particular to the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the European Social Fund+ (ESF).

In order to make the most out of these Funds, first refer to the ESIF managing authorities, which are different in every Member State and are responsible for national operational programmes and policies. The list of national authorities, country after country, and region after region, is available at the following link, https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/en/atlas/managing-authorities/.

In the Table(s) below, for each ESIF objective: Column 1 designates the ERDF or ESF+ specific objective. Column 2 and 3 set, respectively, the related outputs and results indicated by ESIF official documents. It can be easily inferred that European Commission criteria for evaluation are quite general and do not get into the detail of the programmes. It is up to Member States to set additional criteria for evaluation.

Finally, Column 4 lists examples of library projects set up to pursue ESIF objectives or to attain specific Sustainable Development Goals. ESIF-funded and SDG-oriented library projects are matched with specific ESIF 2021-2027 objectives and sub-objectives; what is shown in the table, however, is a simulation: under which presumed ESIF specific objective could SDG-oriented library projects have been funded, if they were to be presented within the ESIF 2021-2027 framework?

More detailed information on the Library Projects listed in Column 5 can be found in the Sustainable Development Goals and Libraries - First European Report.

SDG 1 calls for an end to poverty in all its manifestations, including extreme poverty, over the next 15 years. It envisions shared prosperity, basic standard of living and social protection benefits for people everywhere, including the poorest and most vulnerable.

See Eurostat website: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/sdi/no-poverty

Considerations about Library Indicators for SDG-oriented library projects can be found in the EBLIDA Report “Towards the implementation of SDG Indicators in European Libraries"