7.4.2010 Official Journal of the European Union L 87/1 (Legislative acts) | DECISIONS DECISION No 283/2010/EU OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 25 March 2010 establishing a European Progress Microfinance Facility for employment and social inclusion THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 175(3) thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission, Having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee (1), Having regard to the opinion of the Committee of the Regions (?), Acting in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure (%), Whereas: On 7 April 2000 the Commission adopted a communi- cation entitled ‘Acting locally for employment — a local dimension for the European employment strategy’. The Commission communication of 13 November 2007 entitled ‘A European initiative for the development of microcredit in support of growth and employment identified four priority areas for action: improving the legal and institutional environment in the Member States, changing the climate in favour of employment and entrepreneurship, promoting best practices and providing additional financial capital for microfinance () O] C 318, 23.12.2009, p. 80. (%) Opinion delivered on 7 October 2009 (not yet published in the Official Journal). (’) Position of the European Parliament of 15 December 2009 (not yet published in the Official Journal) and decision of the Council of 8 March 2010. institutions. As a first step in implementing this agenda, the Commission and the European Investment Bank (EIB) created Jasmine (Joint action to support microfinance institutions in Europe) in 2008 which provides mentoring for non-bank microcredit finance institutions and a financing window for a global amount of EUR 20 million offered by the EIB. The Commission communication of 24 May 2006 entitled ‘Promoting decent work for all — the EU contribution to the implementation of the decent work agenda in the world’ set out the importance of decent work for all as did the European Parliament resolution of 23 May 2007 on promoting decent work for all (*). The leaders’ statement following the G-20 Summit in Pittsburgh on 24 and 25 September 2009 contained a commitment to improving access to financial services for the poor, for example through microfinance. The leaders also committed themselves to launching an international financial inclusion expert group which will identify lessons learned on innovative approaches to providing financial services to the poor, promote successful regu- latory and policy approaches and elaborate standards on access to financing, financial literacy, and consumer protection. The European Parliament in its resolution of 24 March 2009 with recommendations to the Commission on a European initiative for the development of microcredits in support of growth and employment requested that the Commission strengthen its efforts to develop micro- credits in support of growth and employment. Furthermore, the European Parliament approved an addi- tional EUR 4 million of support for a pilot action to be implemented in the context of the Jasmine framework. The European Parliament also called on the Commission to co-finance projects for microcredits in particular for disadvantaged target groups. (*) O] C 102 E, 24.4.2008, p. 321.