EU agencies in the field of employment
Evaluation of decentralised agencies with a focus on employment and training issues.
SK – 10/2024
Five decentralised agencies of the European
Union (EU) fall within the remit of the Directorate-General for Employment,
Social Affairs and Inclusion (DG EMPL). Each of these agencies is regularly
evaluated according to its legal grounds. The evaluation for the period between
2017 and 2022 was finalised this year. The evaluation included the individual
performance of the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and
Working Conditions (Eurofound), the European Centre for the Development of
Vocational Training (Cedefop), the European Training Foundation (ETF) and the
European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA).
The fifth agency - the European Labour
Authority (ELA) - was not part of the evaluation, as its work is in its initial
phase. A separate study evaluating the first years of the ELA since it was
founded in 2019 has not yet been finalised.
Satisfactory record
During the assessment, particular attention
was paid to the effectiveness, efficiency, relevance, coherence and added value
of the four agencies at EU level. For example, EU-OSHA made an important
contribution to the EU's strategic framework for health and safety at work
during the evaluation period. In particular, its two campaigns for healthy
workplaces and EU-OSHA's commitment during the COVID-19 pandemic have had a
significant influence on policymaking. The contributions from Eurofound,
Cedefop and ETF were also frequently used during the evaluation period, not
least because of their quality.
Using communication as intended
Nevertheless, there is room for
improvement, especially in the dissemination of information. Although the four
agencies have utilised their limited resources effectively, communication could
be even more targeted. Stakeholders value the expertise they receive from
Cedefop, Eurofound, ETF and EU-OSHA. However, the coverage of this information
must be expanded in order to better reach the target group. For example,
EU-OSHA produces many materials to promote the occupational safety of workers.
Despite being available in many different languages, they are not widely used.
Better customisation to the requirements of readers would create added value.
This is because researchers who use EU-OSHA data need different information
than employers who want to apply the agency's contributions directly in the
workplace. A more visual presentation of the information would be more relevant
for them.
Expansion of cooperation
Cooperation between EU-OSHA and Eurofound,
Cedefop and ETF improved during the evaluation period. Common issues are
increasingly being addressed together. The same applies to the interaction
between EU-OSHA and ELA, which should be further strengthened under a framework
agreement signed last year. The focus here is on utilising synergies and
avoiding duplication of work, especially when it comes to protecting employees.
The cooperation between EU-OSHA and the European Commission also offers
potential for growth. On the one hand, the exchange of research results between
EU-OSHA and DG EMPL could be intensified. On the other, the agency's visibility
vis-à-vis other Directorates-General who work closely with small and
medium-sized enterprises must be increased. After all, they are also part of
the target group of EU-OSHA.