EMPLOYMENT : PARLIAMENT AND COUNCIL AGREE ON MICROFINANCE FACILITY.

The EU microfinance facility will be funded partly by the Progress' employment and social solidarity programme(1), and partly by unallocated margins in the EU budget, according to the compromise agreement reached by the European Parliament and the Spanish EU Presidency, on the evening of 4 February. The two institutions also agreed to make 100 million available for the facility over four years (2010-2013). The compromise must now be formally approved by Parliament and the Council. The permanent representatives of the member states (Coreper) were to issue an opinion, on 5 February, and MEPs meeting in the plenary session voted on 11 February.

The objective of this new facility is to increase access and availability to microcredits for the following target groups: 1. persons who are at risk of losing their job or who have difficulties entering or re-entering the labour market and disadvantaged persons or persons who are at risk of social exclusion or who are finding it difficult to enter the conventional credit market and who want to start or further develop their own microenterprise, including self-employment; 2. microenterprises, particularly those in the social economy and those which employ disadvantaged persons or persons who are at risk of social exclusion. Microcredit is defined as loans under 25,000 and the term microenterprise' defines an enterprise employing less than ten people - including the self employed - and whose annual turnover (or annual balance sheet...