New EU programme to target social inclusion and equality

On 5 December 2006, the European Commission launched a new integrated programme for employment and social solidarity. The programme will provide the necessary and much-improved tools for better anticipating and responding to the collective challenges facing the EU. This article sets out the programme’s main objectives, demonstrating the role of employer and worker organisations in meeting key targets of social inclusion and equality.

The EU’s Social Policy Agenda, Europe’s roadmap for social and employment growth until 2010, is an important element of the EU’s growth and jobs strategy. Four Community action programmes covering anti-discrimination, gender equality, the fight against social exclusion and employment incentive measures to provide financial support for the Agenda, have run until the end of 2006. They have been replaced by Progress, the EU’s new integrated programme for employment and social solidarity. Progress is divided into five sections: employment; social protection and social inclusion; working conditions; anti-discrimination and diversity; and gender equality.

With a budget of €628 million to be spread out over the next six years, Progress will support the objectives set out in the Social Agenda and contribute to Europe’s wider strategy for jobs and growth. The EU Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, Vladimir Špidla, believes the new programme will help to ‘realise the EU’s ambition to provide access to job and equal opportunities for all’ by giving the Commission ‘the tools we need to better anticipate and respond to the collective challenges facing the EU, by working hand in hand with national governments and our partners in civil society’ (Press release 5 December 2006).

Key objectives of programme

Progress objectives will focus on:

• Europe-wide studies to improve knowledge of employment and social issues;

• training of legal and policy practitioners to monitor implementation of EU policies and laws in order to support coherent application;

• building networks of national experts to encourage mutual learning and exchange of good practice;

• supporting key EU-level networks of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) active in fighting discrimination or promoting gender equality;

• promoting people’s awareness of policies and legislation in the social and employment field across the EU.

Progress will primarily address organisations active in combating discrimination, promoting gender equality and promoting the integration of disabled people. Additionally, it will also offer financial support in three main areas: social dialogue, free movement of workers, and social studies. It will target national and local authorities, public employment services, companies and employees’ organisations, NGOs, universities, research institutes and specialists, such as statistical offices and legal practitioners. The social partners will play a key role in the programme, as it is envisaged that projects will be based on partnerships between governments, NGOs, employer and worker organisations. At the same time, collaborative working between academics, practitioners and social partners will be actively encouraged.

Progress will support three types of activities, two of which – analytical activities and mutual learning activities – mainly focus on the provision of data through studies and analysis. However, the third activity – stakeholder support – is aimed at the promotion and exchange of good practice, sharing information, preventative awareness measures and discussion processes. It is this third activity, funded by the programme, that will provide the social partners with the opportunity to establish networks and working groups at EU level. One notable feature is that these activities will be open to the 27 EU Member States, EFTA and candidate as well as pre-candidate countries. The programme thus provides a unique opportunity for the development of collaborative networks and partnerships in both the new and prospective Member States, as well as across Member States and candidate countries. The programme’s aim is clear: to streamline EU funding on social and employment polices, while at the same time improve visibility and coherence across the board.

Sonia McKay, Working Lives Research Institute for AWWW GmbH ArbeitsWelt – Working World