Community Programme for Employment and Social Solidarity - PROGRESS, 2007-2013

03 September 2009
by inadim -- last modified 29 September 2009

The overall aim of the European Union's PROGRESS programme is to financially support the implementation of the objectives of the EU in employment, social affairs and equal opportunities, as set out in the Social Agenda. It will thereby also contribute to the achievement of the EU Growth and Jobs Strategy.

Programme decision

Decision No 1672/2006/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 October 2006 establishing a Community Programme for Employment and Social Solidarity — PROGRESS

More specifically, PROGRESS will support:

1. the implementation of the European Employment Strategy (section 1);

2. the implementation of the open method of coordination in the field of social protection and inclusion (section 2);

3. the improvement of the working environment and conditions including health and safety at work and reconciling work and family life (section 3);

4. the effective implementation of the principle of non-discrimination and promotion of its mainstreaming in all EU policies (section 4);

5. the effective implementation of the principle of gender equality and promotion of its mainstreaming in all EU policies (section 5).

Section 2 of the Programme shall support the implementation of the Open Method of Coordination in the field of social protection and inclusion by:

a) improving the understanding of social exclusion and poverty issues, social protection and inclusion policies, in particular through analysis and studies and the development of statistics and common indicators, within the framework of the OMC in the field of social protection and inclusion;

b) monitoring and evaluating the implementation of the OMC in the field of social protection and inclusion and its impact at national and Community level as well as analysing the interaction between this OMC and other policy areas;

c) organising exchanges on policies, good practice and innovative approaches and promoting mutual learning in the context of the social protection and inclusion strategy;

d) raising awareness, disseminating information and promoting the debate about the key challenges and policy issues raised in the context of the Community coordination process in the field of social protection and inclusion, including among the social partners, regional and local actors, NGOs and other stakeholders;

e) developing the capacity of key European level networks to support and further develop Community policy goals and strategies on social protection and inclusion.

More information about PROGRESS

Source: European Commission