Evaluation of decentralised agencies with a focus on employment and training issues.

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 policy making. 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.