_{International cooperation} 

The varied international activities of the ESS in 2004 can be divided into two basic groups: European Union projects in which the ESS is involved; and cooperation with public employment services and similar institutions abroad.

In 2004 the ESS was once again active in Phare pre-accession assistance projects and in the Leonardo da Vinci community programme. Slovenia’s entry into the EU, which took place in 2004, led to a substantial increase in the number of projects involving the ESS as a partner or provider: for example, the ESS became involved for the first time in the CARDS project, which is a programme of EU assistance to the countries of the western Balkans. Slovenia is no longer a recipient of EU funding assistance within the programme but a country supplying assistance to non-member states of the EU.

The ESS continued activities within Phare programmes aimed at preparations for implementation of the European Social Fund; special mention should be made of the Phare CBC 2001 Slovenia/Hungary grant scheme ‘Joint Economic Area’. As part of the scheme, which took place in Pomurje in the area of human resource development and was under the auspices of the Ministry of Labour, Family and Social Affairs, the ESS successfully carried out two projects; these projects enabled 74 young unemployed people and women to find employment in the region. In addition to the Slovenian partners, border units of the Hungarian employment office also took part in these cross-border projects.

Its full entry into the EU also provided Slovenia with the opportunity of using resources from Structural Funds, including the European Social Fund. The ESS prepared for implementation of European Social Fund tasks with the assistance of a Phare Twinning programme entitled ‘Institutional Strengthening of the ESS as Final Beneficiary’. The project was primarily aimed at ensuring comprehensive monitoring of and support to the operative implementation of the European Social Fund at the ESS at the beginning of 2004. It took place in collaboration with the Slovenian Ministry of Labour, Family and Social Affairs and partner institutions from France (RACINE – the National Office for Technical Assistance at the French Ministry of Labour, and ANPE – the French employment office).

In 2004 the ESS generally strengthened the international cooperation of the last few years, with numerous activities dictated by Slovenia’s full membership of the European Union taking precedence. The involvement of ESS associates in various international schemes for the exchange of information in relevant professional areas was thus stepped up, and a large number were also trained in EURES network operations. Cooperation with public employment services and similar institutions in European countries continued apace.

Special mention should be made of the ESS’s participation in the network of central European employment offices. ESS representatives took part as co-organisers in the second part of the ‘Quality management’ workshop organised by the Austrian employment service, and in the sixth conference of managing directors of central European public employment services organised by the Hungarian employment service.

One further important activity undertaken in 2004 was the ESS’s participation at meetings of managing directors of the public employment services of EU member states. The ESS’s hitherto strong professional cooperation with the Austrian, Croatian, Slovakian, Hungarian and Estonian employment services continued in a number of areas. A large group of associates of the Turkish employment service made their first study visit to the ESS in 2004. There was successful cooperation between ESS regional offices and the border units of public employment services of neighbouring countries.

The ESS continued to be active in WAPES, the World Association of Public Employment Services. It strengthened relations with public employment services in the countries of the former Yugoslavia, particularly within the context of cooperation between public employment services in transition countries/candidate countries for EU membership and Slovenia/EU member states. An ESS representative attended the international conference on the ‘Work Life’ project, which is financed by the Swedish government.