Employment and social protection: two priorities for European cooperation

In the current context, employment and social protection are two fundamental pillars of European cooperation. Two matters that were already a priority for the European Union (EU) before the crisis caused by Covid-19. The SOCIEUX+ programme, funded by the EU and which has just started a new phase, is an example of this.

This new stage in SOCIEUX+ started with the holding of the first project monitoring committee. During the virtual meeting, an assessment was made of the previous phases and it was highlighted that the project has gained considerable recognition, both among partner countries and within the EU with a significant increase in the number of requests for technical assistance from 60 partner countries, most of the latter from 2013 to the present in Africa and Latin America.

In addition, SOCIEUX+ has mobilised 246 specialists, mostly public personnel, although according to project members, the increase in the number of women experts (less than 30%) continues to be a challenge for the future, as well as the commitment to the mainstreaming of gender and disability in employment and social protection.

Members of the European Commission and the General Directorate for International Cooperation and Development (DEVCO) and the General Directorate for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR) participated in the meeting, as well as members of the project implementation consortium, Expertise France, Belincosoc, Enabel, FIIAPP agencies and the State Public Employment Service in France, Pôle Emploi.

This new phase of the project begins in a context of crisis due to the incidence of Covid-19 and mobility restrictions, however, the programme continues its operation through technical assistance carried out remotely. Assistance with very good results, due in large measure to FIIAPP facilitating the availability of various online work tools for the project.

Through this project, FIIAPP promotes the internationalisation of the valuable experience held by the Spanish Public Administration in the field of employment, work, social protection, inclusion and gender equality.