 |
 |
 |
|
|
Also see, under links, the following categories: national activation programmes; regional/local activation programmes. General In 1999, the European Commission started the ‘Peer Review Programme on Active Labour Market Policies’. The aim of this programme is the promotion of the transferability of good practice in active labour market policy throughout the European Union. The participants of a peer review are government representatives from the Member States concerned, independent labour-market experts and representatives from the European Commission. The results of the peer review programme can be found at the following address. EU In the context of active social policies, two European Commission initiatives are of importance : the European Employment Strategy and the Open Coordination Method on Social Inclusion. In the context of active social policies, two European Commission initiatives are of importance : the European Employment Strategy and the Open Coordination Method on Social Inclusion. The European Employment Strategy is a result of the Amsterdam Treaty of 1997. Later that year, during the Jobs Summit in Luxembourg, it was decided that this strategy would be based on a number of thematic priorities, to be described in yearly Employment Guidelines. Yearly, the EU Member States elaborate these Guidelines into National Action Plans (NAP’s Employment). These NAP’s are analysed by the Commission and the Council, the results of which are presented in a yearly Joint Employment Report. These reports may lead to a reshaping of the Employment Guidelines, and to recommendations for specific Member States’ employment policies. All relevant documents (Guidelines, NAP’s, Joint Employment Report etc.) can be downloaded from the site of DG-V, the Directorate General for Employment and Social affairs. The Open Method of Coordination on Social Inclusion was the result of the European Council of Lisbon in March 2000. During the Nice Summit in December 2000, a set of common objectives on poverty and social exclusion was agreed upon. The Open Method of Coordination on Social Inclusion has a similar structure as the Employment Strategy, although it follows a two years rather than a yearly cycle: National Action Plans (NAP’s Social Inclusion) are written by the Member States and on the basis of them a Joint Report on Social Inclusion is written. Furthermore, a set of Common Indicators has been developed to monitor progress in combating poverty and social exclusion. Relevant documents are available from the DG-V site. Links to other relevant documents can be found on the homepage of DG-V. France The French government has introduced a scheme to promote employment for young people in the private sector: the Youth Employment Contracts (Contrat Jeunes en Entreprise). Information on this scheme can be found at this address (in English) or here (French and other languages). Germany In Germany, the so-called ‘Hartz Committee’ has published a report on reforms of labour-market policies in Germany, ‘Modern Services on the Labour Market’. Information on the report and the reforms the committee has advocated can be found at the following address. An English summary is available. Netherlands Information on activation policies in the Netherlands is available at this address. Currently, information is available in Dutch only. Recently, the Dutch government presented a new Social Assistance bill: Work and Assistance. Information is available at the following address (Dutch only). To promote youth employment, Dutch government has installed a Taskforce Youth Unemployment. The working programme of this taskforce for 2004 is available at this address (in Dutch only). Later this year, a website will be launched that will present an overview of initiatives and ‘best practices’ to fight youth unemployment. United Kingdom Information on the various New Deal programmes in the UK can be found on this address. The pages include information on the following New Deals:
|
| :: webdesign :: IrisDevelopment@gmx.net |