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EUROPEAN SOCIAL FUND
EQUAL - The European Perspective
EQUAL Initiative
EQUAL
The European Perspective
Dublin - 25 September 2003
Ian Livingstone
European Commission
Brussels
Employment & Social Affairs
European Commission
EUROPEAN SOCIAL FUND
EQUAL - The European Perspective
EQUAL Initiative
EQUAL is a two-dimensional programme:
It can be viewed as a stand-alone programme
carrying out important and innovative activities at
local, or at national level
But EQUAL is also a part of a larger picture, which
includes the Lisbon Strategy and the European
Employment Strategy
Employment & Social Affairs
European Commission
EUROPEAN SOCIAL FUND
EQUAL - The European Perspective
EQUAL Initiative
The Lisbon Strategy for economic, social
and environmental renewal
The Lisbon Strategy is a commitment to bring
about economic, social and environmental renewal
in the EU. In March 2000, the European Council in
Lisbon set out a ten-year strategy to make the EU
the world's most dynamic and competitive
economy. Under the Strategy, a stronger economy
will drive job creation alongside social and
environmental policies that ensure sustainable
development and social inclusion.
Employment & Social Affairs
European Commission
EUROPEAN SOCIAL FUND
EQUAL - The European Perspective
EQUAL Initiative
The European Employment Strategy:
is a key component of the Lisbon Strategy
establishes a framework for action based on the
commitment from Member States to establish a
set of common objectives and targets for
employment policy
the Barcelona Council in 2002 called for a
reinforced Employment Strategy to underpin the
Lisbon strategy in an enlarged EU.
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EUROPEAN SOCIAL FUND
EQUAL - The European Perspective
EQUAL Initiative
The Barcelona Council in 2002 concluded that the
European Employment Strategy (EES) had proved
its worth.
It called for a reinforced Strategy to build on its
achievements.
It also urged the Council and the Commission to
streamline the various policy co-ordination
processes at EU level.
In 2003 the Commission presented an outline for
the revised strategy with concrete objectives and
targets.
Employment & Social Affairs
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EUROPEAN SOCIAL FUND
EQUAL - The European Perspective
EQUAL Initiative
The NEW European Employment Strategy
highlights three overarching objectives:
Full employment,
Quality and productivity at work,
Cohesion and an inclusive labour market
and insists on a better delivery and governance of
the EES.
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EUROPEAN SOCIAL FUND
EQUAL - The European Perspective
EQUAL Initiative
The three overarching objectives of the new EES:
1. Achieving full employment
calls for a broad policy mix incorporating both
demand and supply side measures. Other EU and
national policies are relevant in this respect,
especially those influencing the macro-economic
climate and the general environment for job
creation.
Employment & Social Affairs
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EUROPEAN SOCIAL FUND
EQUAL - The European Perspective
EQUAL Initiative
The three overarching objectives of the new EES:
2. Quality and productivity at work
Quality is at the heart of the European social
model and covers a number of dimensions,
including;
- satisfaction with pay and working conditions,
- health and safety at the work place,
- the availability of flexible work organisation,
- working time arrangements and
- balance between flexibility and security.
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European Commission
EUROPEAN SOCIAL FUND
EQUAL - The European Perspective
EQUAL Initiative
The three overarching objectives of the new EES:
3. Cohesion and an inclusive labour market
Access to a job, ensuring opportunities to acquire
the skills necessary to enter and remain in the
labour market (reflecting in particular the wide use
of ICT and the move to a knowledge based society),
and the possibility to progress in terms of pay and
qualifications are major factors promoting social
inclusion.
Employment & Social Affairs
European Commission
EUROPEAN SOCIAL FUND
EQUAL - The European Perspective
EQUAL Initiative
Within the NEW European Employment Strategy
there will be a new generation of Employment
Guidelines which will reflect the following elements:
Three overarching objectives reflecting the Lisbon
balance
A stronger emphasis on the delivery and
governance of the EES
The identification of a limited number of priorities
Specific messages addressed to the social partners
The definition of appropriate targets.
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EQUAL - The European Perspective
EQUAL Initiative
EUROPEAN SOCIAL FUND
The 10 commandments
To support the three objectives of full employment, quality and
productivity at work and cohesion and an inclusive labour market,
the Commission has identified 10 priorities for action:
1. help unemployed and inactive to find a job, prevent long-term
unemployment
2. encourage entrepreneurship and improve climate for business
start-ups
3. promote adaptability of workers and firms to change
4. provide more and better investment in human capital
5. increase labour supply and promote active ageing
6. promote gender equality in employment and pay
7. combat discrimination against disadvantaged groups
8. improve financial incentives to make work pay
9. reduce undeclared work substantially
10. promote occupational and geographical mobility
Employment & Social Affairs
European Commission
EUROPEAN SOCIAL FUND
EQUAL - The European Perspective
EQUAL Initiative
EQUAL is clearly in a prime position
- to contribute to the EES
- to the success of the Lisbon Strategy.
We know that, because we know and believe in
EQUAL
But is our confidence shared by the decisionmakers who will ultimately decide on the precise
instruments to be used to achieve the objectives of
the New EES?
Employment & Social Affairs
European Commission
EUROPEAN SOCIAL FUND
EQUAL - The European Perspective
EQUAL Initiative
The future of the Structural Funds:
2000-2006 Mid-term Review is on-going:
Objective 1 in the post-2006 period will probably
not include Ireland
Objective 2 may not cover all areas outside Obj. 1
50% of Objective 2 funding would be for the ESF
Employment & Social Affairs
European Commission
EUROPEAN SOCIAL FUND
EQUAL - The European Perspective
EQUAL Initiative
The future of the Structural Funds:
Nothing is yet clear concerning the continuation
beyond 2006 of the Community Initiatives,
including EQUAL or a successor Human
Resources Initiative.
The challenge, therefore, is to ensure that EQUAL
demonstrates its potential and makes a significant
contribution to the success of the Lisbon Strategy.
In so doing it will show the importance of this type
of tool, and help to ensure that a similar tool
continues to be available post-2006.
Employment & Social Affairs
European Commission