Between 16 and 20 November 2002, a seminar on Public Employment Services as a factor in the implementation of the European Employment Strategy and Guidelines was held in Brussels, Belgium. The seminar was attended by more than forty representatives of Public Employment Services from twelve Candidate Countries (Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Cyprus, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Romania, Slovak Republic, Poland and Slovenia).

Four staff members from the Employment Service of Slovenia participated in the seminar: Mrs Damjana Košir, Assistant to the ESS Director General in the field of active employment policy programmes, Mrs Andreja Švegelj, Kranj Regional Office, Ms Tanja Gerkšič and Ms Mateja Pozvek, the ESS international activities.

Participants had the opportunity to learn how the European Social Fund can be used to implement the European Employment Strategy, European Employment Guidelines and National Employment Action Plans in individual countries, and particularly about the corresponding role of Public Employment Services. Presentation of various topics in this field was accompanied by good practice examples from some Member States, work in working groups, discussion and information exchange.

The seminar was also a special occasion for the Employment Service of Slovenia, as the Director General Mr Jože Glazer was the only speaker from the Candidate Countries. He presented Slovenian National Employment Action Plan for the years 2002 and 2003, implementation of the Plan and the ESS role in this implementation.

The seminar was organised by four Member States' Public Employment Services – Swedish AMS, Austrian AMS, Irish FAS and British Jobcentre Plus – in the framework of the European Commission activities.