1957 - 1971 

On March 25th 1957, six European countries France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxemburg, signed the Treaty of Rome.

This was the beginning of the establishment of the European Economic Community (EEC) and along with it the European Social Fund.

Article 123 of the Treaty of Rome defines the establishment of the European Social Fund. During the first period of its operation aimed to improve job opportunities by promoting employment and increasing the geographical and occupational mobility of workers across the six founding Member States.

During this period the Fund’s contribution was to assist workers moving from one region to another in search of work and those needing to acquire new skills in sectors undergoing modernisation or conversion of production methods.

During the early years the available resources of the ESF amounted to about 1% of the total Community budget; however over the years several structural changes happened which have led to an increase of resources that nowadays exceed 10% of the budget of the European Union.

Social and economic evolution, the changing nature of the European policies, but also the gradual increase of the number of Member States significantly contribute to restructuring and extension of its competences.