The activities eligible for co-funding by the European Social Fund (ESF) and the Youth Employment Initiative (YEI) for the implementation of the Youth Guarantee in Spain are those defined in the Operational Programme (OP) ‘Youth Employment’, adopted on 12 December 2014 by Commission Implementing Decision C(2014)9891. This OP does not foresee the funding of salary supplements.

In 2017, Spanish authorities consulted on several occasions the Commission, on proposed new measures for improving the employability of Youth Guarantee participants. In particular, the Commission discussed with the Spanish authorities accompanying grants — rather than salary supplements — aimed at supporting the participation of young people without basic education in dual vocational training activities and requested evidence of the potential effectiveness of the measures envisaged vis-à-vis the objective of the Youth OP.

The Commission commented on different elements that would have to be adjusted to align the proposed activities to the Operational Programme.

The impact of any new measure adopted by the Government would be assessed in the context of the European Semester and of the monitoring of the Youth Guarantee implementation. Moreover, the Commission makes use of every opportunity to reiterate to all Member States the need to ensure and monitor the quality of offers under the Youth Guarantee.

It also contributes to discussions in the Employment Committee on developing standards for quality criteria for Youth Guarantee offers.