2006 Annual Report 

International co-operation

In 2006, the area of International co-operation of the ESS reached numerous areas, which can be united in the following sections according to substance:

International projects:

  • projects implemented by the ESS with the European Commission (in continuation EC) resources: NFSD – New Forms of ESS Service Delivery, E-counselling – Development of integral e-information and e-counselling for job seekers, PROMO project – Promotion of mobility and protection of cross-border workers;

  • projects implemented by ESS in the EU non-member states: CARDS Croatia, Phare 2005/Croatia; the project was implemented since 2003 and was successfully completed in 2006;

  • “Twinning Light” projects implemented by ESS at other public employment services (in continuation PES), which belong within the framework of bilateral inter-institutional co-operation. In 2006, the Government of the RS (Government Office for European Affairs) approved to ESS the accredited body status for implementation of tasks and activities within “Twinning” projects in the western Balkan Region states.

In 2006, the implementation of the NFSD project – New Forms of ESS Service Delivery, which started in October 2005, continued. Within the programme for modernization of PES for employment from the EU member states, with which the EC encourages the development of PES, the project will be implemented until June 2007. The project involves the partnership of the Slovenian and Lithuanian employment services. The purpose of the project is to develop information communication technology-supported ways of ESS communication with the unemployed and employers, such as transmission of information on vacancies via SMS and e-mail, possibilities of inquiry for vacancies via internet on mobile devices, provision of website services for reports of employment policy measures, electronic CV, etc.

Within the Community incentive programme INTERREG IIIA Slovenia – Italy 2000-2006, the project PROMO – Promotion of Mobility and Protection of Cross-Border Workers began to be implemented in May 2006, and will be carried out until the end of 2007 in partnership of the autonomous region Friuli – Venezia Giulia and ESS. The PROMO project belongs to the cross-border programme, in which ROs Koper, Nova Gorica and Kranj participate on the Slovenian side. The aim of the project is to promote the labour force flow between Slovenia and the region Friuli – Venezia Giulia with a better provision of information on both labour markets. This will be achieved by setting up a joint bilingual web portal, on which information on labour-law obligations and information on vacancies and job seekers on the cross-border labour market will be accessible, whereas the employment counsellor network will offer support to those interested in the employment in the neighbouring country.

ESS operation within the EC was connected to the Directorate General for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, which covers the framework of PES in Brussels. On meetings, the ESS presented key points, on which progress was made within the aims of the competent EC Directorate. The second part of obligations was the preparation of next year’s proposals of activities and of the realization plan.

ESS operation within the World Association of Public Employment Services and Employment Agencies (WAPES) In May 2006, at the General Assembly in Canada, WAPES conducted elections, where individual PESs received each their own roles for the following four years. At the same time, the seventh world congress was organized, at which a document was adopted, which defined the major events in 2006. Within WAPES – Europe, the ESS actively participated in individual regional initiatives, such as Western European Initiative, Central European Initiative, and it also took part of the events in the organization of WAPES and the EC.

ESS operation within the Agreement between the PESs of the Western Balkan Region (Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia, Albania) Based on mutual interests, the public employment services connected within bilateral and multilateral activities. Within this agreement, the ESS is the representative of the only EU member state, and therefore has an important role in the transfer of knowledge and experience in the process of the joining of the Western Balkan countries to the EU, and has actively helped other PESs of the Region to modernize and standardize in accordance with the EC requirements. In 2006, the ESS representatives took part in the following events or participated in the implementation of the following activities:

  • Conference of general directors of PESs of the Western Balkan Region on the subject of »Exchange of experiences with the aim of more effective implementation of services and active employment policy with the emphasis on measures for promotion of employment of young people« in May 2006 in Tirana;

  • Thematic consultation »Employment programmes« in June 2006 in Belgrade;

  • Expert meeting for the preparation of the protocol on mutual co-operation between the Employment Service and the Labour and Employment Agency of Bosnia and Herzegovina in October 2006 in Bihaæ;

  • Conference and signing of the protocol on partnership between the PESs of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Greece, Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Turkey and Slovenia in October 2006 in Sofia;

  • Conference on the subject of »Active Employment Policy« in December 2006 in Skopje;

  • Round table on the subject of »Experience in employment of foreigners« in December 2006 in Sarajevo;

  • Defence of the project proposal »Modernization of NES« (Twinning) in December 2006 in Belgrade.

The participation of the ESS staff was ensured also at other events within projects, international conferences, seminars, workshops and consultations connected to the leading employment topics (mobility, integration into the labour market, employment pacts and partnerships, labour market development) and at the traditional Employment Week employment fair in May 2006 in Brussels. In 2006 the co-operation with public employment service of Sweden within Work Life Development Programme was concluded and the preparation for co-operation within new Work Life Mobility Programme started. New programme will be delivered by the Swedish employment service and financed by the Government of Kingdom of Sweden.

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