Cohesion Policy Dedicated to Human Capital: A Comparative Analysis of ESF Funded Operational Programs in Portugal and Romania

The Cohesion Policy, among the earliest policies established by the European Community, constitutes a significant portion of the EU budget, as it accounts for one third. It is structured through various instruments, among which the European Social Fund, whose aim is to support initiatives and programs focused on lifelong learning, employment, social integration, and broader to combat discrimination and enhance human capital. As a driver of development, human capital also stays under the influence of other factors that make a mixture of the educational system, the labor market, economic development and social, historical, contextual or either regulatory framework present in each country. The aim of Cohesion policy is to foster sustainable development and lower disparities between Member States. The last financing cycle has just ended in 2023 and preliminary achievements are available for operational programs implemented during 2014-2020. The attempt of the present study was to gain perspective over the results Romania registered as compared to other Member States and comparison was conducted with the achievements Portugal reported. Notable variations have been emphasized regarding program participation and the benefits experienced by participants. Additionally, insights and best practices have been derived from contrasting approaches employed by the two countries, which played a role in shaping the outcomes.