SOCIEUX +, the second phase of SOCIEUX, a project that started out as a European Union initiative aimed at implementing social protection policies in the European context, was presented in Brussels. This second phase also includes the areas of work and employment and a cross-cutting knowledge development component.  Thus, the four action areas this second phase will focus on are:

Social protection: pensions, health, accidents, unemployment protection.

Social assistance: cash transfer and subsidy programmes; minimum income guarantee programmes; benefits for children, the elderly and persons with disabilities; public works; and social services.

Labour policy and law: policies to activate the job market, information programmes that favour decent work, improving working conditions and reducing the informal economy.

Employment policy: improvement of services that promote job creation and integration into the job market, such as education and vocational training and skills development.

The opening session was led by the European Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development, Nevem Mimica, and was attended by the national authorities of some EU member states and partner countries, as well as representatives of EU institutions and the main European cooperation agencies. These experts and professionals from the EU member states shared their experiences in the missions of the previous phase, reflecting on the success of the programme and its achievements. In addition, they all agreed that the project has made an important contribution to improving public administration to the benefit of citizens.

FIIAPP in SOCIEUX+

Programme management will be in the hands of the European cooperation agencies Expertise France, the Belgian Development Agency and FIIAPP.

FIIAPP’s role in SOCIEUX + will be to identify and mobilise experts on social protection, work and employment from the corresponding Spanish ministries, in this case the Ministry of Health, Social Services and Equality and Ministry of Labour and Social Security, as well as from specialised entities.

It will also be responsible for a new Knowledge Development component. This new component aims to take better advantage of the tangible and intangible knowledge generated within the framework of the project. This will avoid duplication of effort, better manage risks and develop innovative actions with greater impact. In this sense, the project will make a qualitative leap, as this is not just a question of managing information but also of systematising the experiences and extracting lessons learnt, and generating, sharing and applying the knowledge.