For the first time, Article 11 of the Structural Funds regulation explicitly recognizes the principle of partnership with civil society organisations, which “shall cover the preparation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of operational programmes”. Implementing partnership across the whole Structural Funds process is an obligation upon Member States, but the quality partnership takes various faces across…
DetailsIn line with the renewed Lisbon Agenda, the emphasis on jobs, competitiveness and growth might hinder a rather holistic approach to socio-economic development. EAPN believes structural funds should be instrumental in meeting the EU’s social inclusion objectives, which implies strengthened focus on the following measures: measures efficiently tackling in work poverty “positive” activation measures measures…
DetailsThe ‘Lisbon Strategy’ (also referred to as the Lisbon Agenda) is a way of describing the more immediate priority objectives of the EU for the period 2000-2010. It is called the ‘Lisbon Strategy’ because it was agreed at the Lisbon Council in 2000 when the Heads of State and Government of the EU agreed the…
DetailsIn 2007/8, the EU considered whether to revise the “Integrated macro, micro and employment guidelines” that underpin the Lisbon strategy and process. Despite EAPN and Social NGO lobbying, no changes were made in the Guidelines themselves, but some significant progress was made in the interpretative text in the Employment Guidelines section. This step forward reflected…
DetailsEAPN’s members in national networks and European Organisations have been actively engaged in the follow-up on the European Employment Strategy since its beginning, through the National Action Plans on Employment. With the reform of the Lisbon Strategy, EAPN members have attempted to engage more broadly with the macro economic and micro objectives as well as…
DetailsEAPN’s members in national networks and European Organisations have been actively engaged in the follow-up on the European Employment Strategy since its beginning, through the National Action Plans on Employment. With the reform of the Lisbon Strategy, EAPN members have attempted to engage more broadly with the macro economic and micro objectives as well as…
DetailsThe European Employment Strategy (EES): 10 years of Open Method of Coordination In 1997 The Amsterdam Treaty, with a new chapter on Employment has been an important step: whilst employment policies remain national competence, it clearly gives to the European Institutions a stronger role. Structural Funds are one of the main financial tools to deliver…
DetailsEAPN has been constantly bringing our work and arguments to the attention of policy makers at EU and national level, asking that employment policy deliver for the most excluded, notably long term unemployed and undeclared workers, and demanding that our views are taken into consideration. In this perspective, EAPN has been doing a regular review…
DetailsThe development of ‘activation policies’ is a general trend in Europe, as a set of policies aiming at bringing people back to employment, either through financial incentives, or through compulsory activities. While repeating that employment is a way towards social inclusion, EAPN has already expressed its concerns regarding the way activation is sometimes implemented; which…
DetailsWithin the area of social economy, many of projects and initiatives are being developed. They aim to help efficiently people furthest from the labour market getting back to the labour market, providing them with a supportive environment, personalized and flexible work integration schemes. Number of EAPN members involved in such projects as well as Social…
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