Eurofound adopts ambitious work programme for 2020

Eurofound’s Management Board has adopted an ambitious work programme for the organisation for 2020, the last of the current multiannual programme for 2017-2020. In a landmark meeting, which saw the election of the Chair and Vice-Chairs - as well as a keynote presentation by Joost Korte, Director General of DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion - the decision by the Management Board reaffirms Eurofound’s important role in providing EU-level decision makers, as well as relevant national level policymakers, comparative information to improve the working lives and quality of life of people in Europe.

The work programme adopted for next year acknowledges the need for Eurofound to be able to react to new and emerging information needs of policy makers in a rapidly changing labour market. For this reason, in addition to the six strategic areas of intervention on which the Agency bases its work, Eurofound will continue to take account of changing priorities and developments.

Highlights for the coming year include new Flagship reports on Working conditions and sustainable work; Industrial relations; and Labour market change. These Flagship reports showcase Eurofound’s extensive research in these areas, highlighting challenges and prospects for future policy debate and action. Together with Cedefop, Eurofound will also launch the much-anticipated new European Company Survey, which documents workplace practices in relation to work organisation, human resource management, skills use, skills strategies, digitalisation, direct employee participation and social dialogue in over 25,000 establishments in all EU Member States.

Other decisions taken by the Management Board included the re-election of Aviana Bulgarelli as Chair; Ms Bulgarelli represents the Governments Group in Eurofound’s tripartite management structure. Stefan Gran, from the Confederation of German Trade Unions, Stefania Rossi, from the General Confederation of Italian Industry, and Barbara Kauffmann, from the European Commission, were appointed Vice-Chairs. Maria Jepsen, Eurofound’s new Deputy Director, also addressed the Management Board for the first time. Ms Jepsen is an economist by training, with over 25 years experience conducting research on labour market issues and the European social dimension.

Director General of DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion Joost Korte gave a comprehensive address to the Management Board on the priorities of the incoming Commission – with a particular emphasis on the Commission’s work around minimum wages, the labour conditions of platform workers, the design of a European Unemployment Benefit Reinsurance Scheme, the European Child Guarantee, and continued implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights and the European Youth Guarantee. Mr Korte noted Eurofound’s contribution to these areas, particularly on platform work and minimum wages, and the close alignment between the priorities of the Agency under its multiannual programme and those of the European Commission.