Improving the functionality of the European labour market – the right to the free movement of labour.
The Tavistock Institute and GHK , as part of the European Policy Evaluation Consortium (EPEC) have recently conducted an ‘ex-post evaluation of the EURES (European Employment Services) programme covering the period of 2006-2008’. The evaluation was commissioned by DG Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities of the European Commission and is within the Framework Contract between EPEC and DG Budget.
EURES was launched in 1993 as a network for co-operation between Employment services of the Member States, their partners and the Commission to exchange information concerning vacancies and applications for employment, information on the state and trends of the labour market as well as information concerning living and working conditions. EURES aims to inform, advise and assist European citizens who want to work in another country and employers to recruit from abroad.
The evaluation assessed the services offered by the members of the network by drawing on a number of qualitative and quantitative methods. The evaluation focused upon four key areas:
- The identification and assessment of the added value of EURES in regards to exercising the right to the free movement of labour and the creation of a common European labour market;
- The assessment of the implementation of the objectives and priorities set for the period 2000-2003;
- The assessment of the quality of customer-related EURES services; and
- The assessment of the functioning of the EURES network in particular the main actors at regional, national and European level.
The results generated by this evaluation will be used by the EURES Co-ordination Office and the members of EURES network to set their future priorities and, if necessary, to adapt their services and management structures accordingly.